An independent study with the Graduate Chair for PhD students.

Independent study in courses with East Asian content for MA students

Mongolian is the national language of the independent State of Mongolia and the language of the nomadic warriors Genghis Khan (known to the Mongolians themselves as Chinggis Khan). It is also spoken in China and Siberia. Today Mongolian musical styles like throat singing (khoomii), products like cashmere (nooluur), and tourism to visit Mongolia's nomadic herders (malchid) are making a mark on the world stage. In this class the students will continue with the basics of modern Mongolian language, as spoken in Ulaanbaatar "Red Hero," the country's capital. They will learn in the phonetic Cyrillic script, which was adapted to Mongolian language from Russian in 1945, with a few additional letters. Intermediate and more advanced grammar will be taught through communicative methodology. Students will also have opportunity to experience Mongolian arts, culture, and cooking in and out of class. This is the first semester of Intermediate Mongolian. By the end of two semesters intermediate Mongolian, students will have learned all the noun forms, and all the major verb forms and will be able to form complex, multi-clause sentences, telling stories, expressing their feelings, and making arguments and explanations. They should be able to interact in all basic "survival" situations in Mongolia.

This class is a continuation of Elementary Mongolian I and will build on the lessons learned in that class. Mongolian is the national language of the independent State of Mongolia and the language of the nomadic warriors Genghis Khan (known to the Mongolians themselves as Chinggis Khan). It is also spoken in China and Siberia. Students will learn the basics of modern Mongolian language, as spoken in Ulaanbaatar "Red Hero," the country's capital. They will learn in the phonetic Cyrillic script, which was adapted to Mongolian language from Russian in 1945, with a few additional letters. Basic grammar will be taught through communicative methodology. Students will also have opportunity to experience Mongolian arts, culture, and cooking in and out of class.

From an empire to a republic, from communism to socialist-style capitalism, few countries have ever witnessed so much change in a hundred year period as China during the twentieth century. How are we to make sense out of this seeming chaos? This course will offer an overview of the upheavals that China has experienced from the late Qing to the Post-Mao era, interspersed with personal perspectives revealed in primary source readings such as memoirs, novels, and oral accounts. We will start with an analysis of the painful transition from the last empire, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), to a modern nation state, followed by exploration of a century-long tale of incessant reform and revolution. The survey will focus on three main themes: 1) the repositioning of China in the new East Asian and world orders; 2) the emergence of a modern Chinese state and nationalistic identity shaped and reshaped by a series of cultural crises; and finally, 3) the development and transformation of Chinese modernity. Major historical developments include: the Opium War and drug trade in the age of imperialism, reform and revolution, the Nationalist regime, Mao's China, the Cultural Revolution, and the ongoing efforts of post-Mao China to move beyond Communism. We will conclude with a critical review of the concept of "Greater China" that takes into account Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora in order to attain a more comprehensive understanding of modern China, however defined, at the end of the last century.

Survey of the civilization of Japan from prehistoric times to the present.

In this seminar we will take a closer look at the prints, paintings, and illustrated books produced in the genre known as "ukiyo-e," the "pictures of the floating world." We'll begin by asking how the "Great Wave" became a global icon and we'll bust the myth of prints being used as wrapping paper. As we learn the history of the genre, from 1600 to ca. 1850, we'll also make critical interventions into that narrative, asking how "ukiyo-e" became a genre within a larger artistic sphere; how publishers collaborated with designers to construct artistic personae; how illustrated books contributed to knowledge formations; and how concepts of authenticity and authorship remain critical to its understanding. This course will also consider how internet resources affect our understanding of the work of art. Students need not have any Japanese language skills, but should have taken related courses in art history or East Asian Studies. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students preferred.

Registration for MA students who have finished coursework and are writing their MA thesis or research papers.

The tumultuous political and economic history of modern China has been mirrored in and shaped by equally fundamental revolutions in language and poetic expression. In this course, we will take Chinese poetry as a crucible in which we can observe the interacting forces of literary history and social change. From diplomats who saw poetry as a medium for cultural translation between China and the world, to revolutionaries who enlisted poetry in the project of social transformation, we will examine the lives and works of some of China’s most prominent poets and ask, what can we learn about modern China from reading their poetry? In asking this question, we will also reckon with the strengths and limitations of using poetry as an historical source. In addition to poems, the course will include fiction, essays, photographs, and films by both Chinese and non-Chinese artists that place our poets in a broader context. We will pay close attention to how these poets represent China’s place in the world, as well as the role of language in social change. Topics of discussion include: national identity, revolution, translation, gender, the body, ethnicity, and technology. Familiarity with Chinese or related cultural context is beneficial, but not required. This course introduces students to Chinese poetry in English translation. Students will leave the course with an in-depth understanding of the main figures, themes, and techniques of Chinese poetry, and will be introduced to some of the major developments in the history of China. Through a focus on primary texts, students will develop the vocabulary and analytical skills to appreciate and analyze poetry in translation and will gain confidence as writers thinking about literary texts.

The tumultuous political and economic history of modern China has been mirrored in and shaped by equally fundamental revolutions in language and poetic expression. In this course, we will take Chinese poetry as a crucible in which we can observe the interacting forces of literary history and social change. From diplomats who saw poetry as a medium for cultural translation between China and the world, to revolutionaries who enlisted poetry in the project of social transformation, we will examine the lives and works of some of China’s most prominent poets and ask, what can we learn about modern China from reading their poetry? In asking this question, we will also reckon with the strengths and limitations of using poetry as an historical source. In addition to poems, the course will include fiction, essays, photographs, and films by both Chinese and non-Chinese artists that place our poets in a broader context. We will pay close attention to how these poets represent China’s place in the world, as well as the role of language in social change. Topics of discussion include: national identity, revolution, translation, gender, the body, ethnicity, and technology.
Familiarity with Chinese or related cultural context is beneficial, but not required.
This course introduces students to Chinese poetry in English translation. Students will leave the course with an in-depth understanding of the main figures, themes, and techniques of Chinese poetry, and will be introduced to some of the major developments in the history of China. Through a focus on primary texts, students will develop the vocabulary and analytical skills to appreciate and analyze poetry in translation and will gain confidence as writers thinking about literary texts.