East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2002

Abstract:: Examines traditional forms of East Asian culture (including literature, art, performance, food, and religion) as well as contemporary forms of popular culture (film, pop music, karaoke, and manga). Covers China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with an emphasis on China. Attention given to women's culture. The influence and presence of Asian cultural expressions in the US are also considered. Use made of resources in the Boston area, including the MFA, the Children's Museum, and the Sackler collection at Harvard. Taught in English.

East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2005

Abstract:: Examines traditional forms of East Asian culture (including literature, art, performance, food, and religion) as well as contemporary forms of popular culture (film, pop music, karaoke, and manga). Covers China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with an emphasis on China. Attention given to women's culture. The influence and presence of Asian cultural expressions in the US are also considered. Use made of resources in the Boston area, including the MFA, the Children's Museum, and the Sackler collection at Harvard. Taught in English.

Abstract:: Introduction to the theory of international trade and finance with applications to current policy issues.

Read the Fine Print

Abstract:: This course introduces the history of East Asia from the early Yellow River civilizations to the Qing Dynasty in the late eighteenth century. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: compare the philosophical schools of thought that influenced the political and religious development of East Asia to the eighteenth century; identify the common educational and cultural sources that have served as the foundation of multiple Chinese political dynasties; compare the development of societies in China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan since 1500 B.C.E.; differentiate between decentralized and centralized authority in the political history of China, Japan, and Korea by comparing governing bodies that range from clans to kingdoms to dynastic empires; describe the interactions between Europeans and rulers in China and Japan and the eventual isolationist policies that develop in East Asia; identify the key technological innovations in East Asian societies that transformed the political systems and social hierarchy of the region; analyze and contextualize a selection of East Asian literary and artistic works including objects of material culture. This free course may be completed online at any time. (History 241)

Abstract:: Examines the experiences of ordinary Chinese people as they lived through tumultous change in the twentieth-century. Class discussion focuses on personal memoirs and films. Includes comparisons of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. 21F.991 is for students pursuing a minor in Chinese; students complete assignments in Chinese.