East Asian Languages and Cultures
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) offers a major and a minor that allow for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of East Asia. Students can choose either to focus on one of our three linguistic and cultural traditions — Chinese, Japanese, and Korean — or to explore different traditions and societies by taking courses about multiple regions. Our major opens up career opportunities in diplomacy, business, law, journalism, and higher education, in addition to providing preparation for further study in the relevant languages and cultures. The major entails advanced training in the chosen language and a sound background in the respective literature and culture. Students are encouraged to enhance their cultural knowledge by enrolling in relevant courses offered through other departments and programs such as Anthropology, Art History, Film and Media Studies, History, Global Studies, Performing Arts, and Religious Studies.
The major requires the completion of 24 upper-level units. Specific requirements include one 200-level foundational course, at least two years of language study, and two or more courses in the relevant literary tradition. In addition, prime majors are required to fulfill the EALC capstone requirement and to participate in the EALC Senior Symposium.
The minor requires the completion of 18 units, 9 of which must be at the 300 level or above. Specific requirements include the equivalent of one year of language study and two courses in the relevant literary tradition.
Language Placement: Placement tests are required for all students entering our language programs, with the exception of those students who have had no previous exposure to the language and wish to enroll in the first semester of the first year of instruction. Students who test into second-year Chinese/Japanese/Korean and satisfactorily complete (with a grade of B- or better) at least one semester of language study may petition for 3 units of retroactive credit; students who test into the third-year level or above and satisfactorily complete (with a grade of B- or better) at least one semester of language study may petition for 6 units of retroactive credit. Credit is limited to 3 units for those testing into the second-year level and 6 units for those testing into the third-year level or above. Please note that students with native language proficiency as determined by the language section and students who enroll in courses below their placement level are ineligible for retroactive credit units. Students who misrepresent their language proficiency to gain entrance into a course at the elementary or intermediate level will be dropped from that course.
Phone: | 314-935-4448 |
Email: | ealc@wustl.edu |
Website: | http://ealc.wustl.edu/ |
Chair
Lingchei Letty Chen
PhD, Columbia University
Professors
Rebecca Copeland
PhD, Columbia University
Marvin H. Marcus
PhD, University of Michigan
Associate Professors
Ji-Eun Lee
PhD, Harvard University
Zhao Ma
PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Jamie Newhard
PhD, Columbia University
Assistant Professors
Jianqing Chen
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Hyeok Hweon Kang
PhD, Harvard University
Teaching Professors
Mijeong Mimi Kim
EdD, University of San Francisco
Xia Liang
MA, Beijing Normal University
Senior Lecturers
Wenhui Chen
MA, National Taiwan Normal University
Ke Nie
MA, Capital Normal University
Wei Wang
PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
Lecturers
Hea-Young Chun
MA, Seoul National University
Megumi Iida
MA, University of Arizona
Taewoong Kim
PhD, The University of Oklahoma
Jiyoon Lee
MA, University of Oregon, Eugene
Zihan Qin
MA, University of Iowa
Kaho Sakaue
MA, Purdue University
Jingyi Wang
MA, Capital Normal University
Mano Yasuda
PhD, The University of Oklahoma
Professors Emeriti
Beata Grant
PhD, Stanford University
Robert Hegel
PhD, Columbia University
Betty Pei-shan Yue
MA, Washington University in St. Louis
The Major in East Asian Languages and Cultures
Total units required: 24 upper-level units (300 level or above)
Prerequisites:
- First and second levels of the chosen language: Modern Chinese, Japanese, or Korean (or the equivalent)
- One Civilization course: Chinese 227C Chinese Civilization, Japan 226C Japanese Civilization, or Korean 223C Korean Civilization
Requirements:
Eight courses for a minimum of 24 advanced units (300 level or above), including the following:
- One 300-level EALC Topics course: EALC Seminar (EALC 3900; topic varies by semester)
- Two courses focusing on the premodern era: one course to be chosen from Chinese 341 Early and Imperial Chinese Literature, Japan 332C Japanese Literature: Beginnings to 19th Century, or Korean 370 When Tigers Smoke: Songs and Stories from Traditional Korea
- Two courses focusing on the modern era: one course to be chosen from Chinese 342 Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Japan 333C The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature, or Korean 352 Literature of Modern and Contemporary Korea
- One approved 400-level Capstone course (prime majors)
- Senior Capstone Experience (prime majors): Students may satisfy the capstone requirement in one of two ways, both of which require a presentation at the EALC Senior Symposium, which is held in the spring:
- Successful completion of a senior honors thesis. This option, which also entitles the student to Latin Honors, requires a minimum of a 3.65 grade-point average. The thesis is researched and written over two semesters, for a total of 6 units; this is in addition to the 24 upper-level units required for the major.
- Successful completion of the approved 400-level Capstone seminar course (to be taken during the senior year). This course may be included among the required upper-level courses for the major. The Capstone course must be an EALC home-based course within the student's area of focus. Writing-intensive courses and language courses cannot fulfill the Capstone requirement.
Concentrations:
EALC majors have the option of concentrating their major requirements in one of three East Asia civilizations:
- Concentration in Chinese
- Concentration in Japanese
- Concentration in Korean
Concentrations recognize a student’s proficiency in one language or their extensive knowledge of one East Asia civilization. EALC majors may concentrate in a civilization of East Asia by taking (as part of their major requirement) 15 upper-level units (five courses) in one of the three civilizations (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) and submitting a concentration form to the department. Students may earn a concentration in one civilization. Upper-level language and study abroad courses may be used to complete a concentration. The successful completion of a concentration will appear on the student's transcript after graduation and may be particularly helpful for students interested in graduate or professional school. The concentration form submission deadline is March 1 of the senior year for spring graduates and November 1 of the senior year for fall graduates.
Additional Notes:
- With advisor approval, students may include two courses in a related area offered outside of the department among the 24 advanced units. (For example, a student may take one course in Film and Media Studies or Art History that focuses on East Asia.)
- At least a B- grade in the language courses is required to continue to the next level. Students must also maintain a B- average in all required courses for the major. Those who do not meet this requirement may either repeat the course(s) in question or earn at least a B- in an approved equivalent course or courses (either during the summer or in a study abroad program).
- Courses for the major and minor may not be taken credit/no credit.
- Up to 6 units of credit may be applied toward the major from one semester abroad, and up to 12 units of credit may be applied from two semesters abroad.
- No more than 3 units of independent study may be counted toward the required 24 upper-level units.
- The 300-level EALC Seminar course and the 400-level Capstone course may also fulfill the premodern or modern requirement.
The Minor in East Asian Languages and Cultures
Total units required: 18 units
Requirements:
- Two semesters of one of the chosen languages: Chinese, Japanese, or Korean
- One Civilization course: Chinese 227C Chinese Civilization, Japan 226C Japanese Civilization, or Korean 223C Korean Civilization
- One 300-level EALC Topics course: EALC Seminar (EALC 3900; topic varies by semester)
- One course focusing on the premodern era to be chosen from Chinese 341 Early and Imperial Chinese Literature, Japan 332C Japanese Literature: Beginnings to 19th Century, or Korean 370 When Tigers Smoke: Songs and Stories from Traditional Korea
- One course focusing on the modern era to be chosen from Chinese 342 Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Japan 333C The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature, or Korean 352 Literature of Modern and Contemporary Korea
- At least 9 units must be from 300-level courses or above
Additional Notes:
- Students must earn at least a B- or above in language courses to continue to the next level. They must also maintain at least a B- average in all courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements. Students who do not meet this requirement may either repeat the course(s) in question or earn at least a B- in an approved equivalent course or courses (either during the summer or in a study abroad program).
- Courses for the minor may not be taken credit/no credit.
- No more than 3 units of transfer or study abroad non-language courses may be applied to the minor.
- The 300-level EALC Seminar course may also fulfill the premodern or modern requirement.
- For Chinese courses, visit the Chinese Courses page of this Bulletin.
- For Japanese courses, visit the Japanese Courses page of this Bulletin.
- For Korean courses, visit the Korean Courses page of this Bulletin.
Visit online course listings to view semester offerings for L81 EALC.
L81 EALC 1070 Ampersand: A Performative Perspective on Chinese Culture and Identity
This course examines the diversified and rich history of Chinese visual and performance cultures from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and throughout the Chinese diaspora. A collaboration between the East Asian Languages and Cultures and Performing Arts departments, this course explores Chinese cultural narratives in relation to how they have been performed -- on stage in traditional forms of dance-drama, on screen in film, and as lived in the practice of everyday life -- from the late Imperial period to the present. It includes a practice component that introduces the students to movement disciplines such as Tai' Chi and opera, and it allows students to pursue creative assignments such as interview, stage plays, and filmmaking that demonstrate their developing knowledge of historical and contemporary Chinese culture. Building bridges of understanding between the United States and the Republic of China in Taiwan, the course will culminate in a spring break trip to Taiwan. This course is only for first-year, non-transfer students in the Ampersand: Encountering China program.
Same as L61 FYP 107
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: LCD, SC BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 144 FYS: Collecting Art/Excluding People: The Contradictions of Chinese Art in U.S. Museums
Tomb raiders, curators, archaeologists, politicians, dealers, and collectors all contributed to the arrival of Chinese art in the United States since the late nineteenth century. But at the same time as Chinese objects arrived in great quantities, Chinese people were actively excluded from the U.S. In this course we consider the contradiction between U.S. enthusiasm for collecting Chinese art and negative U.S. responses to Chinese immigrants, from the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to contemporary anti-Asian racism. Through the lens of museums, private collections, and public exhibitions, we study what the movement of Chinese art into the United States says about changes in U.S.-China relations from the nineteenth century through today. No prerequisite: enrollment limited to first-year students.
Same as L01 Art-Arch 144
Credit 3 units. A&S: FYS A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: AH, HUM BU: BA, HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 150 First-Year Seminar: Exploring East Asian Classics
This first-year seminar introduces students to major works of the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese traditions. Although written centuries in the past, these texts still reverberate with meaning today and offer important means to understand the often chaotic and confusing events occurring daily around us. What is the self? What is the relationship between the individual and society? How do we live an ethical life? What is literature and for whom is it intended? In grappling with these questions, we will directly engage with the texts through close reading and in-class discussion. We will, at the same time, also ask broader questions that concern how knowledge is produced, spread, and consumed: what is a canon? Who are the gatekeepers? What does it mean to approach East Asia through a set of "canonical" texts? Among the texts considered this term will be The Analects, Daodejing, Lotus Sutra, Tale of Genji, Tales of the Heike, Tales of Moonlight and Rain, Samguk yusa, and Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong. This course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.
Same as L04 Chinese 150
Credit 3 units. A&S: FYS A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: BA EN: H
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L81 EALC 223 Korean Civilization
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the study of Korea. Following a historical survey, the course examines key cultural themes and social institutions and explores aspects of Korea's relationship with its East Asian neighbors. Attention is also be paid to contemporary issues, social problems, and cultural trends.
Same as L51 Korean 223C
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 226 Japanese Civilization
The development of Japanese culture from antiquity to the present: an overview of Japanese cultural history, focusing on the interplay of crucial aspects of contemporary Japanese society and Japanese social psychology.
Same as L05 Japan 226C
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 227 Chinese Civilization
An introduction to Chinese culture through selected topics that link various periods in China's past with the present. Ongoing concerns are social stratification, political organization, and the arts, gender relationships and the rationales for individual behavior, and the conceptions through which Chinese have identified their cultural heritage. Readings include literary, philosophical, and historical documents as well as cultural histories. Regular short writing assignment. No prerequisites.
Same as L04 Chinese 227C
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 270 Sophomore Seminar: U.S.-China Relations: Perceptions and Realities
The United States and China are the two most important global powers today, and the bilateral relationship is one of the most comprehensive, complex, consequential, and competitive major-power relations in the world. The course aims to examine the attitudes, ideas, and values that have shaped the relationship, from the era of colonial expansion in the 1800s to the rise of China as a major political and economic power in the 21st century. Drawing upon visual images, literature, films, policy statements, and other materials, the course will analyze the patterns of perceptions that have informed and shaped the understanding of realities. This course, which uses an interdisciplinary approach, will include discussions and debates from both American and Chinese perspectives.
Same as L04 Chinese 270
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 2980 Undergraduate Internship in East Asian Languages and Cultures
Students receive credit for a faculty-directed and approved internship. Registration requires the completion of the Learning Agreement, which the student obtains from the Career Center and which must be filled out and signed by the Career Center and the faculty sponsor prior to beginning internship work. Credit should correspond to actual time spent in work activities (e.g., eight to ten hours a week for thirteen or fourteen weeks to receive 3 units of credit; 1 or 2 credits for fewer hours). Credit/no credit only.
Credit variable, maximum 3 units.
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L81 EALC 3166 A History of Modern China
This course explores the 19th- and 20th-century history of China. Its purpose is to provide students with a historical foundation to understand the momentous changes the country underwent during its traumatic transition from an empire to a nation-state. We start the course at the height of the empire's power in the late 18th century, when the Qing dynasty (1637-1912) conquered vast swathes of lands and people in Inner Asia. We then move on to the Qing's troubled relationship with Western capitalism and imperialism in the 19th century, which challenged the economic, social, and ideological structures of the imperial regime, culminating in the emergence of "China" as a nation-state. By situating China's national history within a global context, the course outlines in detail the transformations that took place in the 20th century, from the rise of communism and fascism to the Second World War to Maoism and cultural revolution. We end the semester with yet another major change that took place in the 1980s, when a revolutionary Maoist ideology was replaced with a technocratic regime, the legacies of which are still with us today.
Same as L22 History 3166
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 3211 Contemporary Chinese Popular Culture
With the rise of the Chinese economy and global capitalism, popular culture has proliferated in mainland China in recent years. This course traces the development of Chinese popular and youth culture and society from the 1990s to the present. It also refers back to modern times and ancient Chinese Confucian philosophy for historical background information. The course covers various forms of Chinese popular culture, such as movies, music, television programs, Internet literature, religion, sports, and food. Students observe primary resources and read academic articles to engage in a multiperspective and multimedia view of present-day China in the age of globalization and East Asian regionalization.
Same as L04 Chinese 3211
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 330 Topics in Chinese Literature & Culture
A topics course on Chinese literature and culture; subject matter varies by semester
Same as L04 Chinese 330
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, IS EN: H UColl: CD
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L81 EALC 332 Japanese Literature: Beginnings to 19th Century
This survey of Japanese literature covers antiquity to the early 19th century. Emphasis on the ideological and cultural contexts for the emergence of a variety of traditions, including poetry, diaries, narrative, and theater. Fulfills premodern literature requirement for EALC degrees. No knowledge of Japanese language is required. Sophomore standing and above recommended.
Same as L05 Japan 332C
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 333 The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature
This survey explores the emerging modern voice in Japanese literature, with emphasis on prose fiction. After a brief introduction to earlier centuries, we focus on the short stories and novels of the 20th century. Among the authors considered are Natsume Soseki, Nagai Kafu, Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, and Nobel laureates Kawabata Yasunari and Oe Kenzaburo. Discussions center on issues of modernity, gender, and literary self-representation. Fulfills modern literature requirement for EALC degrees. No knowledge of Japanese language required.
Same as L05 Japan 333C
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L81 EALC 340 Writing New Horizons: Explorers, Envoys, and Other Encounters in Korean Travel Narratives
Whether physical or imagined, travel evokes notions of center, periphery, boundary and identity that shape the world we live in. This seminar course uses travelogues as well as literary, visual and cinematic representations of travels relating to Korea to explore how travel, art and imagination together help constitute one's sense of place. The course approaches travel from three angles. First, it examines writings by Korean authors on domestic, interregional, and international travels from premodern to modern times. Such works offer a frame for tracing conceptualizations of self and other through topics including diaspora, refugee crisis, migrant workers, political exile, prisoners of war, and others. The course also looks at stories of travel to Korea by non-Korean authors in order to see how "Korea" was perceived in various times by people outside the country. Lastly, through imagined journeys typically labelled as "sci-fi" or "fantasy", it examines notions of "truthful" and "realistic," and considers the function of the fantastic and storytelling and their relation to the world we live in. For their final project, students will create a map of real or fictional travels based on material covered in class. Using Digital Humanities tools such as StoryMaps (ArcGIS), Carto, or MyMaps (Google), they will also produce itineraries and narratives to accompany the maps, and present these results online. Necessary technical assistance will be provided by the GIS team at Olin Library throughout the semester. All reading in English. Prior knowledge of Korean language or culture may be helpful but is not required.
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS
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L81 EALC 341 Early and Imperial Chinese Literature
An introduction to important genres and themes of Chinese literature through the study of major writers. Brief lectures on the writers' personal, social, intellectual, and historical contexts; most class time will be devoted to student discussions of their masterworks as an avenue for understanding Chinese culture during selected historical periods. Fulfills premodern literature requirement for EALC degrees. No prerequisites; all readings will be in English translation.
Same as L04 Chinese 341
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 342 Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature
This course provides an introduction to the major writers and works of Chinese literature from the turn of the 20th century to the present, including fiction, poetry and film. It looks at these works in their relevant literary, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts (including Western influences). Fulfills modern literature requirement for EALC degrees. All readings in English translation.
Same as L04 Chinese 342
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 346 Japanese Literature in Translation: Mystery Fiction
In this course we explore the tantalizing, thrilling, and sometimes macabre genre of mystery fiction in Japan. Emerging in the late 19th century, largely in response to the disruptions of industrialization, the mystery genre offered writers a way to make sense of a chaotic, unfamiliar world. The genre has also allowed a means of social critique and radical experimentation. We consider the works of Edogawa Rampo, Matsumoto Seicho, Miyabe Miyuki, Kirino Natsuo, and others. All readings in English. No prior knowledge of Japanese required.
Same as L05 Japan 346
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H UColl: CD
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L81 EALC 3482 The Floating World of Japanese Prints
The relationship between Japanese printmaking and popular culture from 1600 to 1900. Woodblock and copperplate printmaking techniques, key masters, kabuki drama, pleasure quarters, fiction, travel, modernization will be explored. Prerequisite: L01 111, Intro to Asian Art, or background in printmaking or Japanese culture.
Same as L01 Art-Arch 3482
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Art: AH, GFAH BU: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 350 U.S.-China Relations from 1949 to the Present
The United States and China are the two most important global powers today, and the relationship between them is one of the most comprehensive, complex, and consequential major-power relations in the world. The tangled relationship is at times turbulent, and its future remains uncertain. This course studies the bilateral relationship from the Chinese Civil War to the rise of China as a major political and economic power in the 21st century. It invites students to explore the following questions: What have China and the U.S. done to confront or accommodate each other in global politics? How has foreign policy in both countries balanced the often competing goals of state security, economic stability, domestic political order, and international influence? What are the impacts of a rising China on geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region and on the U.S.'s global leadership in the 21st century? By drawing on scholarship in political and social history and area studies, this course helps students better understand both the historical context and current developments of U.S.-China relations.
Same as L04 Chinese 350
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 352 Literature of Modern and Contemporary Korea
This undergraduate course surveys the major writers and works of 20th century Korean literature. During the 20th century Korea went through a radical process of modernization. From its colonization by Japan, to its suffering of a civil war within the cold war order, to its growth into a cultural and economic powerhouse, Korea's historical experience is at once unique and typical of that of a third-world nation. By immersing ourselves in the most distinctive literary voices from Korea, we examine how the Korean experience of modernization was filtered through its cultural production. The course pays special attention to the writers' construction of the self and the nation. How do social categories such as ethnicity, class, gender, and race figure in the varying images of the self? And how do these images relate to the literary vision of the nation? Along the way, students observe the prominent ideas, themes, and genres of Korean literature. This class combines lecture with discussion, in which students are strongly encouraged to participate. All literary texts are in English translation and no previous knowledge of Korean is required.
Same as L51 Korean 352
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 3520 Topics in American Culture Studies: Asian American Racial Scripts: Relational Concepts and Theories
Topics vary by semester; see semester listing for course description.
Same as L98 AMCS 3520
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 355 Topics in Korean Literature and Culture
Topics course on Korean literature and culture. Subject matter varies by semester; consult current semester listings for topic.
Same as L51 Korean 355
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD BU: BA EN: H UColl: CD
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L81 EALC 365 Topics in Modern Japanese Literature: Mirrors and Masks: Gender and Sexuality in Japanese Literature
This course will ask students to consider presentations of gender and sexuality in Japan throughout its literary history, beginning from its oldest and most foundational text, The Kojiki, and working up through modern literature, including pop culture such as manga and anime. Students will be asked to think critically across centuries by juxtaposing the ancient against the modern, and they will also be asked to critically consider terms like "homosexual," "male," "queer," and a plethora of others as they relate to cultures so temporally, spatially, and philosophically removed from contemporary English-speaking context. How do we conceive of gender across time? What about sexuality? What counts as "queer" in a society with differently structured norms and conceptions of gender and sexuality? What are the dangers of fetishizing the Other and who counts as the Other, especially when taken into consideration alongside popular Orientalist views of East Asia? This class and all readings will be conducted in English, but Japanese versions of applicable readings will also be available through the library.
Same as L05 Japan 365
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: HUM
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L81 EALC 370 When Tigers Smoke: Songs and Stories from Traditional Korea
This course has two purposes: (1) to introduce major works and topics in Korean classical literature and the cultural world in which they were produced and (2) to explore modern reimaginings of these historical works and events and wider context through contemporary literature and film. The former involves a journey through various genres, including foundation myths, songs, biographies, essays, poetry, fiction, memoirs, letters and oral performance, all produced before the 20th century. For a modern perspective, the course turns to films, dramas, cartoons and short stories, which serve as the basis for discussing the modern recreations of historical events, characters, and Korean culture more broadly. In addition to details of the works themselves, topics will include Korea's place in the context of a Sino-centric world order; the significance of two writing systems, hanmun (literary Chinese) and han'gul (Korean vernacular writing); gender and literary practice; and the dynamic relationship between tradition and creativity. No knowledge of Korean history or language is required. All readings in English.
Same as L51 Korean 370
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 3900 EALC Seminar: East Asian Buddhism
This course traces the expansion of Buddhism from its origins in the Indian subcontinent through China, Korea and Japan, identifying both continuities and local developments as seen in the encounter/clash with preexisting traditions. We will adopt a multidisciplinary approach and explore the history, literature, philosophy, and practice of Buddhism in East Asia. Primary readings (all in English) are drawn from a wide range of genres - canonical scriptures, tale literature, hagiographic narratives, and archeological materials. We will also rely extensively on the rich visual and material heritage of Buddhism, looking at common iconographical motifs, popular deities and their many forms, and the ritual function of Buddhist objects in their respective contexts. This course is primarily for sophomores and juniors with a major or minor in the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures. Other students may enroll with permission. No prior coursework on Buddhism or East Asia is required.
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: ETH, HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 3901 Mao and the World
Was Mao Zedong an uncompromising tyrant who caused the death of millions, or was he a revolutionary leader who was daring enough to imagine an alternative existence? This course is a close investigation of Mao and his world through a global perspective. The students will be exposed to primary sources written by Mao himself, and they will situate Mao within the turbulent decades of China's engagement with Western colonialism, imperialism, and revolutionary thought in the 20th century. Putting Maoism at the center of world history, students will learn the intimate links between China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and North America, and they will examine in detail how Maoism shaped a variety of political and infrastructural transformations around the world, from the Black Panthers to Tanzanian railroads. By the end of the course, students will have a strong grasp of the contradictions that Mao himself faced throughout his life -- contradictions that changed nothing less than the world itself.
Same as L22 History 39UK
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA, IS
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L81 EALC 4035 Chinese Politics
China, one the few remaining communist states in the world, has not only survived, but also become a global political actor of consequence with the fastest growing economy in the world. What explains China's authoritarian resilience? Why has the CCP thrived while other communist regimes have failed? How has the Chinese Communist Party managed to develop markets and yet keep itself in power? What challenges have the 1978 market reforms brought to the CCP regime? How has China been handling thorny issues such as corruption, pollution, instability in multiethnic border regions, Internet usage in the face of technological change, and COVID-19 pandemic? This course will explore these questions in three parts. It will prepare students with the political economic foundation to conduct research and/or analyze policies in contemporary China.
Same as L97 GS 4035
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS
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L81 EALC 420 Nature, Technology, and Medicine in Korea
This course examines the cultural history of modern Korea with a focus on science, technology, and medicine. From about 1500 to the present, a number of hugely consequential things happened in Korea that have been called revolutionary-or what historians dub "early modern" and "modern." Confucian kings planned large-scale projects that changed nature, rustic scholars made inventories of flora and fauna, colonial Koreans became biologists, nurses, and "Edisons," and in North and South Korea, new professionals created distinctive-and in some cases, globally-competitive-regimes of knowing, making, and healing. Students will interrogate these developments as an opportunity to revisit the history of modernity, which has been told predominantly from the perspective of the West. What does it mean to be "modern" in Korea? How did that modernity intersect with Korean science, technology, and medicine? Students will find and articulate their own answers by writing the final research paper. Recommended to have taken Korean Civilization or equivalent course that provides basic working knowledge of Korean history. Course also counts as a EALC capstone course. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH
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L81 EALC 4242 Culture and Politics in the People's Republic of China: New Approaches
This course inquires into the political, ideological, and social frameworks that shaped the cultural production and consumption in the People's Republic of China (PRC). In the realm of literature, film, architecture, and material culture and everyday life, this course pays a close attention to the contestation and negotiation between policy makers, cultural producers, censors, and consumers. Understanding the specific contour of how this process unfolded in China allows us to trace the interplay between culture and politics in the formative years of revolutionary China (1949-1966), high socialism (1966-1978), the reform era (1978-1992), and post-socialist China (1992 to present). The course examines new scholarship in fields of social and cultural history, literary studies, and gender studies; and it explores the ways in which new empirical sources, theoretical frameworks, and research methods reinvestigate and challenge conventional knowledge of the PRC that have been shaped by the rise and fall of Cold War politics, the development of area studies in the U.S., and the evolving U.S.-China relations. Graduate students should be proficient in scholarly Chinese, as they are expected to read scholarly publications and primary materials in Chinese. Prerequisite: Undergraduate students must have taken L04 227C; junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L04 Chinese 4242
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 430 Topics in Chinese Media Culture: Charting Identity in the Digital Age
In contemporary society, global computational media have come to shape the new form and function of identity. As the users of these digital technologies, we have been conscripted into systems of compulsory identification ranging from fingerprint scanning and biometric facial recognition to big data documenting and calculating our age, gender, race, nationality, and even health conditions and shopping preferences. These technologies of identification promise to measure a truthful and core identity from the surface of a human body for the purposes of authentication, verification, and tracking in service of a mixture of commercial, state, and military interests. One dire consequence of the proliferation of these technologies of identification is the failure to recognize non-normative, minoritarian groups, and thereby replicating or even amplifying racial hierarchies, gender stereotypes, social division, and global inequality. This course asks what identity is and what function identity serves in the contemporary society in East Asia and on a global scale. Recognizing the changing scope of "Asia" as a vital concept and method, students will read extensively contemporary works in Asian Studies, Asian-American Studies, critical race and gender theory, and media theory that deal with the intersection of digital media, race and gender, and global socio-political transformation. Alongside these readings, students will explore contemporary films, artworks, social media events, and online activisms in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and beyond that reflect the questions of technologized identity and subjectivity. The class will also go back to western philosophies of technology, cybernetics, and media theories to rethink how the universalized prototype of the human (which is a white man) was constructed in scholars' inquiries into mind and body, the self and the other, and the then-new relationship between human and machine. Prerequisites: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD BU: IS
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L81 EALC 445 Japanese Fiction: Images of Demonic Women (Writing-Intensive Seminar)
The Meiji Period (1868-1912) in Japan was a time of tumultuous change. During the era Japan made sweeping reforms to its government, educational system, and social sturctures. Meiji men were encouraged to "modernize" along Western lines, while women were expected to serve as "repositories of the past." Most women prized the elegant traditions and saw these as important markers of cultural identity. But not all were willing to completely abdicate their place in the moderninzing impulse. This writing intensive course will examine these women's literary works, paying attention to the way they developed strategies to both "serve the nation" and find an outlet for their own creative voice. Works to consider include the short fiction of Higuchi Ichiyo, Shimizu Shikin, and Tamura Toshiko, the poetry of Yosano Akiko, the essays of Kishida Toshiko, and the translations of Wakamatsu Shizuko. All readings are available in English translation and students need not be familiar with Japanese, though background in Japanese Studies, Women's Studies, or literary studies will be helpful. This is a Writing-Intensive Seminar. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L05 Japan 445
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, WI Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 4451 Topics in Modern Japanese Literature
A topics course on modern Japanese literature; subject matter varies by semester Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L05 Japan 4451
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 446 The Japanese Theater
An investigation, using English materials, of the major developments and forms of the Japanese theater, from Noh and its antecedents to the rise of a modern drama. In this course we are less concerned with the performative aspects of theatrical arts (though these will be introduced via videos) than with the ways in which dramatic texts influenced and borrowed from the literary tradition. Readings from major theatrical texts, secondary studies on Japanese theater, and literary sources. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L05 Japan 446
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Art: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 449 Topics in Comparative Literature: Writing from the Periphery: The Question of Chineseness
Same as L16 Comp Lit 449
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L81 EALC 4496 Porcelain and Lacquer Abroad: Europe Encounters Asia
From 1500 to 1800, Europeans primarily used exported porcelains and lacquers to engage with China and Japan, which were neither under colonial control, nor easily accessible by travel. Collected first in kunstkammers by rulers and nobles as emblems of power, these initially rare, exotic luxuries retained their prestige even as they became more widely available and explicitly gendered. Combining deep object studies with collectors' case studies from across Europe, this course examines how early modern Europeans used porcelains and lacquers to satisfy their curiosity about and material desire for China and Japan. In addition to practical training in essential primary sources such as inventories, it will also introduce theories of luxury and consumption, gift exchange, cross-cultural interaction, material culture, and the global movement of objects. Prerequisites: L01 111 preferred; one art history course or permission of instructor
Same as L01 Art-Arch 4496
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: AH, GFAH, HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 450 Masterworks of Early Japanese Literature: The Tale of Genji and its Afterlives
An intensive study of one of the central texts of classical Japanese literature. Selection of texts rotate among works including: The Tale of Genji, court diaries, poetry anthologies, Noh drama, The Tale of the Heike, setsuwa collections, and medieval memoirs. In addition to exploring the historical, literary, and cultural significance of the work from its genesis to the present age, students engage in a close reading of the text and an investigation of the primary theoretical issues and approaches associated with the work both in Japan and abroad. Prior knowledge of early Japanese literature or history is recommended. Texts will be read in English translation. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L05 Japan 450
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD EN: H
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L81 EALC 4510 Urban Culture in Modern China
The narrative of rural crisis and peasant revolution has dominated China's modern history for decades. But there has been a growing interest in China's urban past and present with the increased prominence of cities in China's breathtaking economic development and the opening of municipal archives in post-Mao era. The course aims to introduce students to "conventional wisdoms," new directions, and major debates in the urban history field. Topics include: the urban political economy, the cultural dynamics of modernity, the reconstruction of traditions in the making of modernity, the cultural production and consumption, colonialism and imperialism in the urban setting, nationalism, and reform and revolution. Acknowledging and understanding the nuance and difference in views and interpretations in historical writings (historiography) are essential. The course seeks to develop students' research and analytical skills, such as locating secondary sources, incorporating scholarly interpretations, and developing and sustaining a thesis based on secondary and primary sources in student research. This is an interdisciplinary seminar designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Prerequisite: Undergraduate students must have taken L04 227C; junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L04 Chinese 4510
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H
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L81 EALC 455 Topics in Korean Literature and Culture: Gender in Korean Literature and Film
This course looks in depth at issues regarding women and gender in Korean literature and film. While it explores literary and cinematic representations of gender, the main goal of the class is to examine literature and film as sites for the very construction of gender. Readings include contemporary literary and theoretical works, as well as historical texts from the Colonial period (1910-1945) and the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), in order to understand women's issues in the context of historical development. Through textual criticism and theoretical readings, some of the questions to be discussed are: What is "feminine" and "masculine" in Korean culture, and how do they change (if they do)? How do these formations and changes relate to literary and cinematic portraits of gender on one hand and to gendered conceptions of literature and cinema on the other? How do socio-historical circumstances affect representations of gender? All readings are in English. Prior course experience in literature, film, or gender studies recommended. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L51 Korean 455
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD EN: H
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L81 EALC 487 Independent Work for Senior Honors
This course to be taken in the spring semester. Prerequisite: senior standing, eligibility for honors, and permission of the Department.
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L81 EALC 4891 Topics in Chinese Literature and Culture
Topics course in Chinese literature and culture; subject matter varies by semester. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Same as L04 Chinese 4891
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: S UColl: CD
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