Department of East Asian Studies
Faculty
Chair
- Anna M. Shields
Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Xin Wen
Director of Graduate Studies
- Paize Keulemans
Professor
- Amy B. Borovoy
- Janet Y. Chen
- Thomas D. Conlan
- Sheldon M. Garon
- Martin Kern
- Anna M. Shields
- Atsuko Ueda
Associate Professor
- He Bian
- Steven Chung
- Paize Keulemans
- Federico Marcon
- Brian R. Steininger
Assistant Professor
- Ksenia Chizhova
- Erin Y. Huang
- Xin Wen
- Trenton W. Wilson
Associated Faculty
- Jonathan C. Gold, Religion
- Thomas W. Hare, Comparative Literature
- G. John Ikenberry, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
- Harvey Lederman, Philosophy
- Bryan D. Lowe, Religion
- Ryo Morimoto, Anthropology
- James M. Raymo, Sociology
- Stephen F. Teiser, Religion
- Rory Truex, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
- Cheng-hua Wang, Art and Archaeology
- Andrew M. Watsky, Art and Archaeology
- Yu Xie, Sociology
University Lecturer
- Shinji Sato
Senior Lecturer
- Ho Jung Choi
- Jing Wang
Lecturer
- Jin Dong
- Fang-Yen Hsieh
- Luanfeng Huang
- Xinyue Huang
- Susie Kim
- Sunyoung Lee
- Jue Lu
- Yinqiu Ma
- Hisae Matsui
- Keiko Ono
- Ying Ou
- Franz K. Prichard
- Tomoko Shibata
- Yukari Tokumasu
- Megumi Watanabe
- Fang Yan
- Namseok Yong
- Yuseon Yun
- Jieyun Zhu
- Xin Zou
Visiting Professor
- Nicola Di Cosmo
For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.
Program Information
The Department of East Asian Studies (EAS) provides undergraduate concentrators with a broad-ranging knowledge of the languages and cultures of China, Japan, and Korea.
Information and Departmental Plan of Study
Concentrators are required to achieve proficiency in one East Asian language through the third-year level, and take eight departmental courses. The departmentals must include the junior seminar (EAS 300), at least two of the five courses HIS/EAS 207-208, HUM/EAS/COM 233-234, or EAS 229, and at least one course on premodern Asia. A single course may not be used to satisfy two requirements, with the exception of HIS 207 and HUM 233, either of which may be used to satisfy the requirement of a course on premodern Asia. A minimum of six of the eight departmentals must be EAS-prefixed courses. The remaining two may be language courses at or above the 300 level (after the three-year proficiency requirement is fulfilled), or any language courses in a second East Asian language.
Advanced Placement
Students seeking advanced placement should consult the director of undergraduate studies.
Prerequisites
1. One year of language study in one East Asian language
2. One 200-level EAS course
Early Concentration
Students who meet the prerequisites for entrance into the department may be admitted and begin their studies as EAS concentrators in the second term of their sophomore year.
General Requirements
Language Proficiency
Language proficiency through the third year in one East Asian language.
Departmental Courses
Eight departmental courses (“departmentals”) fulfilling the following requirements:
- Six EAS-prefix courses, which must include
a) The Junior Seminar (EAS 300) as an introductory methods survey course, generally taken fall of the junior year
b) Two of the following transnational courses:
History of East Asia to 1800 (HIS/EAS 207)
East Asia since 1800 (HIS/EAS 208)
Contemporary East Asia (EAS 229)
East Asian Humanities I: The Classical Foundations (HUM/EAS/COM 233)
East Asian Humanities II: Tradition and Transformations (HUM/EAS/COM 234)
c) At least one course on premodern East Asia
Note: Either HIS 207 or HUM 233, when taken in fulfillment of (b), may also be used simultaneously toward requirement (c), however, the course will only count toward one of the six required EAS-prefix departmentals. - Two additional courses, which may be
EAS courses including courses cross-listed with EAS
Cognate courses approved by the director of undergraduate studies
Language courses at or above the 300 level (after the three-year proficiency requirement is fulfilled)
Any second East Asian language courses
Independent Work
Junior Year. In the fall term the student participates in the departmental junior seminar (EAS 300) and also writes a junior independent work. In the spring, the student writes a second junior independent work under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. At the end of junior year, the student begins to draft a proposal for the senior thesis.
Senior Year. Each student prepares a senior thesis in consultation with an appropriate member of the faculty. The senior thesis represents the culmination of the undergraduate curriculum. It should be an original contribution to scholarship on East Asia, based at least in part on source materials in the student's language of specialization.
Senior Departmental Examination
At the end of the spring term, the student appears before a faculty committee for an oral defense of the thesis. The defense will take the form of a conversation between the student and a faculty committee, and it will center on the senior independent work, as well as larger questions in the field of East Asian studies that inform it. Students will be asked to reflect on the process of their research: the original source of interest in their research topic; the process of fleshing out the architecture of their project; and difficulties and creative discoveries of their research and writing. The conversation will begin in the students’ primary research language: Korean, Japanese, or Chinese.
Study Abroad
The Department of East Asian Studies offers varied opportunities for overseas study in East Asia. Concentrators, certificate students, and non-concentrators are encouraged to take advantage of intensive summer or year-long language study and/or internships. The programs hosted by East Asian studies are the intensive Chinese and Japanese language programs in Beijing, China, and Kanazawa, Japan. Upon graduation, students will normally find themselves prepared to begin graduate work at a higher level because of such language experience and training. The department also encourages students to participate in extended internships or study programs in East Asia.
Scholarship aid is available to concentrators and non-concentrators for both summer and year-long programs. Students should contact the Program in East Asian Studies office for these funding opportunities. Students should also contact the Office of International Programs about other sources of funding. Application deadlines are early in the academic year. More information is available from the directors of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language programs, or from the Department of East Asian Studies website.
Certificate in Language and Culture
1. Seven language courses, three or more of which must be beyond the second-year level.
2. At least one EAS or cognate course in linguistics, religion, history, or anthropology.
3. Independent research (20–25 pages) based at least in part on Chinese, Japanese, or Korean sources dealing with aspects of East Asia. The topic must be in the humanities or social sciences. The paper could be either an original piece of research or a junior paper or senior thesis. If the paper or thesis is written for another department, at least half of the work must be on East Asia.
East Asian Studies Program Certificate
1. Two years (four courses) of study of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. At least two of the four courses must be at the second-year level or higher.
2. Four East Asia content courses, one of them being a 200-level course.
3. Written work, which may be a senior thesis, a junior paper, or an independent research paper with an East Asian topical component.
East Asian studies concentrators focusing on one language can earn a language and culture certificate in the other, but may not also earn a Program in East Asian Studies certificate.
Cognates. A list of cognate courses in other departments can be found on the program website.
Courses
CHI 101 Elementary Chinese I Fall
An introductory course in modern spoken and written Chinese, stressing oral-aural facility and the integration of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 102 Elementary Chinese II Spring
Continued study of modern spoken and written Chinese, stressing listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 103 Intensive Elementary Chinese Fall
An intensive course covering CHI 101 and CHI 102 in one semester for beginning heritage learners and students with fair fluency and limited ability in reading and writing skills. This course will emphasize the integration of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.. Prerequisite: instructor's permission (oral interview in Chinese). Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 105 Intermediate Chinese I Fall
A study of modern spoken and written Chinese, this course shifts the emphasis to the reading of contemporary Chinese dialogues and short essays on daily life topics. While reinforcing the knowledge students have acquired thus far, this course will further develop the students' audio-lingual proficiency and bring their reading and writing ability to a higher level. Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 107 Intermediate Chinese II Spring
Continuing the study of modern spoken and written Chinese, this course shifts the emphasis to the reading of contemporary Chinese cultural and social issues. Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 107C Intermediate Chinese II in Beijing
A four-week summer intensive language course taught in Beijing, China, at Beijing Normal University, which is a continuation of 105C. This course continues the intensive study of modern spoken and written Chinese and includes the study of modern cultural and social issues. Admission by application. Prerequisite: 105C or equivalent. Five two-hour classes, five two-hour drill sessions, plus individual tutorial sessions. Instructed by: StaffCHI 108 Intensive Intermediate Chinese Spring
An intensive course that covers 105 and 107 in one semester for students who have completed CHI 103. This course will emphasize reading and writing skills and the analysis of grammar. After CHI 108, students are ready for third-year courses.. Prerequisite: CHI 103 or instructor's permission. Five hours of class. Instructed by: StaffCHI 301 Introduction to Classical Chinese I Fall HA
CHI 301 provides basic training for students in classical Chinese and introduces students to theme-based readings about important cultural aspects of pre-modern China, such as the concept of Dao, life and death, Confucian ethics, etc. Each theme consists of passages selected from Chinese classics and short essays or stories full of wisdom and wit from later dynasties. This course will not only improve your four skills in Chinese language (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) but will also enhance your understanding of traditional Chinese philosophy and culture. Three hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 302 Introduction to Classical Chinese II Spring HA
Following CHI 301, the purpose of this course is to introduce the fundamental grammar of classical Chinese and to read short, original texts from different periods and genres. It also provides theme-based readings about important cultural aspects of pre-modern China, such as conceptions of filial piety, warfare, conflicts between righteousness and profit. Questions such as these were at the heart of Chinese intellectual debates. Three hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 303 Third-Year Modern Chinese I Fall
Designed to further develop the student's overall language skills through reading and discussion of contemporary affairs in both China and the U.S. in the form of dialogue and short essays. Prerequisite: CHI 105-107, or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 304 Third-Year Modern Chinese II Spring
A continuation of CHI 303, designed to improve the student's facility in written and oral expression through a close study of short essays selected and composed for advanced level students. Discussion topics are closely related to contemporary Chinese society. Prerequisite: CHI 303 or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 305 Intensive Third-Year Modern Chinese I Fall
Chinese 305 will further develop student's overall language skills through readings and discussion of contemporary issues published in Chinese media. This course is designed for students who have familiarity with spoken Mandarin or any Chinese dialect. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 306 Intensive Third-Year Modern Chinese II Spring
A continuation of CHI 305, designed to further improve the student's facility in written and oral expression through a close study of essays selected and composed for advanced level students. Prerequisite: CHI 305 or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 401 Advanced Classical Chinese I Not offered this year LA
Intensive introduction to classical Chinese through the study of selections from ancient texts. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 402 Advanced Classical Chinese II Not offered this year LA
Continuation of CHI 401. Intensive introduction to classical Chinese through the study of selections from ancient texts. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 403 Fourth-Year Modern Chinese I Fall
Reading and discussion of selections from Chinese media on contemporary Chinese political, economic, and social issues. Prerequisite: CHI 304 or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 404 Fourth-Year Modern Chinese II Spring
A continuation of 403. Reading and discussion of scholarly writings in the fields of Chinese literature and modern Chinese intellectual history. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Prerequisite: 403, or instructor's permission. Instructed by: StaffCHI 405 Intensive Fourth-Year Modern Chinese I Fall
CHI 405 is an intensive, advanced Chinese class designed for heritage learners. It consists of reading and discussion based on newspaper articles and essays by famous Chinese intellectuals on contemporary Chinese political, economic, and social issues. Students will also study Chinese literary writings. Prerequisite: CHI 306 or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 406 Intensive Fourth-Year Modern Chinese II Spring
Continued reading and discussion of social and cultural challenges China has faced in recent years and various aspects of contemporary Chinese society. Students will also read and discuss substantive issues that modern Chinse intellectuals have faced. Prerequisite: CHI 405 or instructor's permission. Four hours of class, conducted in Chinese. Instructed by: StaffCHI 452C Fifth-Year Modern Chinese II in Beijing
A four-week summer intensive language course taught in Beijing, China, at Beijing Normal University, which is a continuation of 451C. Continued readings and discussion on modern Chinese literature, film, and intellectual history. This course, which is designed to bring students to near-native competence in all aspects of modern Chinese, prepares students for advanced research or employment in a variety of China-related fields. Admission by application. Prerequisite: 451C or equivalent. Five two-hour classes, five two-hour drill sessions, plus individual tutorial sessions. Instructed by: StaffEAS 207 History of East Asia to 1800 (See HIS 207)
EAS 208 East Asia since 1800 (See HIS 208)
EAS 213 Aesthetics and Politics of Chinese Painting (See ART 216)
EAS 217 The Arts of Japan (See ART 217)
EAS 221 Introduction to Modern Japanese Literature Not offered this year LA
The course will cover major writers and works of the 20th century. We will examine how Japanese writers responded to modern fictional and linguistic forms imported from the West, how they negotiated what they had inherited from their long and illustrious literary past, and how postwar writers view their newly "democratized" world. Instructed by: A. UedaEAS 225 Japanese Society and Culture (also
ANT 323
) Fall
SA
An exploration of Japanese labor, gender and feminism, crime and social control, race and notions of homogeneity, nationalism and youth culture. The course considers Japan's struggle to come to terms with the West while at the same time integrating its past. It also looks at American misperceptions of Japanese society and economics. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Instructed by: A. Borovoy ANT 323
EAS 226 The Religions of China (See REL 226)
EAS 228 Religion in Japanese Culture (See REL 228)
EAS 231 Chinese Martial Arts Classics: Fiction, Film, Fact Not offered this year LA
This course provides an overview of Chinese martial arts fiction and film from earliest times to the present day. The focus will be on the close-reading of literary, art-historical, and cinematic texts, but will also include discussion of the significance of these works against their broader historical and social background. Topics to be discussed: the literary/cinematic pleasure of watching violence, the relationship between violence and the law, gender ambiguity and the woman warrior, the imperial and (trans)national order of martial arts cinema, and the moral and physical economy of vengeance. Instructed by: P. KeulemansEAS 232 Introduction to Chinese Literature Spring LA
The development of classical Chinese literature, traced through close readings of original texts in English translation. Topics include the nature of the Chinese language and writing system, classical literary thought, religious and philosophical influences, dominance of poetry, emergence of historical writing, and vernacular fiction. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Instructed by: StaffEAS 233 East Asian Humanities I: The Classical Foundations (See HUM 233)
EAS 234 East Asian Humanities II: Traditions and Transformations (See HUM 234)
EAS 240 The Perception of China and Asia in the West (also
HIS 240
) Not offered this year
HA
Presents some of the major themes in the Western perception of China since 1250, from Marco Polo to Chairman Mao, and introduces students to the nature of history and historical writing. Students will be challenged to conduct their own critical historiographical analysis. Readings will focus on primary sources in translation and relevant secondary studies. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Instructed by: Staff HIS 240
EAS 282 A Documents-based Approach to Asian History (See HIS 282)
EAS 300 Junior Seminar Fall
Designed to introduce departmental majors, in the fall of their junior year, to the tools, methodologies, and topics related to the study of East Asian history and culture. The focus of the course will vary each year, and will be cross-national and multidisciplinary, covering both premodern and modern periods. One three-hour seminar. Instructed by: X. WenEAS 308 Communism and Beyond: China and Russia (See SOC 308)
EAS 320 Early Japanese History Not offered this year HA
The history of Japan from the origins of the Japanese people to the establishment of Tokugawa rule in 1600, using the epic war tale The Tale of the Heike as a lens. Particular emphasis will be placed on institutional and cultural history. One three-hour seminar. Instructed by: T. ConlanEAS 321 Early Modern Japan (also
HIS 321
) Not offered this year
HA
The history of Japan during the period of Samurai rule. Distinctive features of Tokugawa society and culture from the foundation of the regime in 1600 to its decline in the 19th century, the opening of Japan to Western contact, the course of economic development, and the consolidation of the Meiji State. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Instructed by: Staff HIS 321
EAS 322 Buddhism in Japan (See REL 322)
EAS 324 20th-Century Japan (See HIS 322)
EAS 333 The Chinese Novel (also
COM 333
) Not offered this year
LA
Extensive readings in the six "classic'' Chinese novels: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Golden Lotus, Journey to the West (Monkey), Story of the Stone (Dream of the Red Chamber), and The Scholars, in English translations. Discussions will focus on interpretive and comparative issues. One three-hour seminar. Alternates with 433.
Instructed by: Staff COM 333
EAS 334 Modern Chinese Literature and Film Not offered this year LA
Analysis through selected literary and cinematic works of authors' ideas, hopes, and worries about the fate of modern China. Consideration of literary and cinematic technique as well as the larger historical context. Readings in English. Instructed by: P. KeulemansEAS 335 Early Chinese History to 221 Not offered this year HA
History of China from the earliest times until the end of the first unified empire in A.D. 200. Political developments will be related to the underlying social and economic changes and the development of early systems of thought. Primary documents will be read in translation, where possible, and the results of recent archaeological discoveries will be related to the written record. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Instructed by: StaffEAS 336 The Making and Transformation of Medieval China: 300-1200 Not offered this year HA
This course provides a survey of the history of China from the dissolution of the first unified empire to the eve of the Mongol invasion. Key issues include the Tang-Song transformation, influence of Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, the rise of literati culture, the development of autocratic rulership, and commercialism. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Instructed by: StaffEAS 340 Culture and Society in Late Imperial China: 1000-1900 (also
HIS 340
) Not offered this year
HA
A survey of the major cultural and social developments from early Song to high Qing that have particular relevance for understanding China in its modern predicament. Emphasis will be placed on the interplay between ideas and society, growth of new social institutions, emergence of classical elites and religious groups. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Instructed by: Staff HIS 340
EAS 341 The Tale of Genji in the World Not offered this year LA
Examination of selected literary texts from premodern and modern Japan and from contemporary Western critical writings. Topics will include modern interpretations of tradition, narrative as a mode of knowledge, translation and interpretation, and the general problems involved in the study of a non-Western literature. One three-hour seminar. Knowledge of Japanese is not required. Instructed by: StaffEAS 342 Southeast Asia's Global History (See HIS 342)
EAS 343 Modern Japanese Literature: Early Years Not offered this year LA
An introduction to major literary works in the early modern period when Japanese literature was attempting to re-establish itself through Western influences. Readings in English translation include works by Ogai, Soseki, Ichiyo, Toson, and Shiga. Topics include the evolution of modern Japanese fiction vis-a-vis the modernization of Japan, representations of self, individualism, and nationalism. Instructed by: StaffEAS 344 Postwar Japanese Narrative: Modern to Postmodern (also
COM 344
)
LA
A critical survey of important literary, critical, and popular texts in postwar Japan. Readings and discussion of translated texts by writers and thinkers such as Kawabata, Oe, Maruyama, and Abe as well as by lesser-known women writers, avant-garde poets, and comic writers. Topics include the impact of war and urbanization, existentialism, ethnicity, postmodernism, and feminism. One three-hour seminar.
Instructed by: A. Ueda COM 344
EAS 345 Sexuality and Desire in Modern Japan Not offered this year LA
An examination of texts written by women in Japan during the premodern and modern periods in the context of feminist and cross-cultural criticism. The premodern period will focus on how we read products of a culture in which women had their own gendered discursive style. The modern period will focus on what happened when women found themselves negotiating a field dominated by a male- and Western-oriented writing establishment. Offered in alternate years. One three-hour seminar. Instructed by: StaffEAS 346 The Chinese Economy (See ECO 379)
EAS 354 Early Modern China (See HIS 324)
EAS 355 China, 1850 to the Present (See HIS 325)
EAS 356 Chinese Cinema (See ART 350)
EAS 357 Traditional Chinese Architecture (See ART 351)
EAS 362 Chinese Politics (See POL 362)
EAS 401 Readings in Modern Japanese I (See JPN 401)
EAS 402 Readings in Modern Japanese II (See JPN 402)
EAS 405 Readings in Modern Korean l (See KOR 405)
EAS 406 Readings in Modern Korean II (See KOR 407)
EAS 411 Readings in Modern Chinese Intellectual History (See CHI 411)
EAS 412 Readings in Classic Chinese Short Stories (See CHI 412)
EAS 415 Intellectual History of China to the Fifth Century (also
HIS 444
) Fall
EM
Considers the developing repertoire of ideas in China to the end of the Chin period, with key philosophical, political, ethical, and scientific concepts treated in terms of their social context and subsequent influence. One three-hour seminar. A prior course in East Asian studies is desirable but not required.
Instructed by: W. Peterson HIS 444