Asia-Related Courses Spring 2024
ASIA 1000 Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia
T/Th 2pm-3:15pm
Explores the dynamic present of Southeast Asia in light of its complex past. Introduces the shared historical experiences that have shaped diverse Southeast Asian societies, with a focus on the continuing effects of colonialism, nationalism, and globalization in the region. Examines key issues facing contemporary Southeast Asian communities, including current debates around gender, faith, human rights, democracy, development, etc. Engages with Southeast Asian literature, film, art, journalism, and museum collections from a transdisciplinary perspective. Recommended prerequisite: students may find some prior coursework in history, anthropology, or Asian Studies to be helpful, but this is not required.
ASIA 1700 - Introduction to Tibetan Civilization
MW 4:40pm-5:55pm
Tenzin Tsepak (Tenzin.Tsepak@colorado.edu)
Explores the dynamic history of Tibet from its early empire to the present. Offers interdisciplinary perspectives on Tibetan civilization, including arts and literature, religion and politics, society and culture.
ASIA 2000 - Gateway to Modern Asia
TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
Lauren Collins (Lauren.Collins@colorado.edu)
Introduces main themes, and intellectual approaches used in Asian Studies through a transdisciplinary perspective that focuses on interactions and links between geographic regions and national boundaries. Presents Asia as a concept, a powerful imaginary geography, and historically dynamic construct that has shaped/been shaped by global patterns of economic development, nation-building, war and diplomacy, colonialism, and aspirations for better lives.
ASIA 2500 Climate and Society in Asia
TTh 2pm-3:15pm
Shae Frydenlund (Shae.Frydenlund@Colorado.EDU)
This reading-intensive undergraduate course has two central aims: First, to survey key themes in the relationship – both historical and contemporary – between climate and society in Asia; and second, to explore diverse case studies on the human impacts of anthropogenic climate change in Asia in order to demonstrate why a place-based area-studies perspective is important for how we understand and evaluate the effects of climate change around the world.
ASIA 4700 - Heroes, Madmen and Poets: Tibetan Literary Culture Through the Ages
TTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
Tenzin Tsepak (Tenzin.Tsepak@colorado.edu)
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of Tibetan literary writings, mostly secular, from the 12th to the 20th centuries. The course will familiarize students with the formation of Tibetan Buddhist canons, cultural, intellectual, and historical movements that contributed to the Gesar Epic (the longest-living epic in the world), the development of Tibetan literary arts in Tibet, folk literature, life-writing, and the emergence of modern Tibetan literature.
ASIA 4830 - Senior Seminar in Asian Studies
Th 12:30pm-1:45pm
Lauren Collins (Lauren.Collins@colorado.edu)
Writing Intensive Seminar in Asian Studies. Students will conduct research and write a final paper or create a final project on an approved Asia-related topic. Required for an Asian Studies major but open to non-Asian Study majors.
ASIA 4842 Global Frontiers in Southeast Asia
T 3:30-6p
Uses the theme of the global frontier to examine and compare three key moments in the modern history of Southeast Asia: the colonial encounter, the rise of the modern territorial state, and the age of contemporary globalization. Examines case studies from earlier eras to analyze emerging global frontiers at the junction of state territoriality and transnational economic expansion.
INDO 1120 - Beginning Indonesian 2 – DILS
MWF 11:15am-12:05pm
Nurul Wahyuni (Nurul.Wahyuni@colorado.edu)
Beginning Indonesian 2. Reading assignments will include reading, speaking, listening and grammar.
INDO 2120 - Intermediate Indonesian 2- DILS
MWF 12:20pm-1:10pm
Nurul Wahyuni (Nurul.Wahyuni@colorado.edu)
Intermediate Indonesian 2. In the second year, students will be exposed to more active communication.
TBTN 1120 - Beginning Tibetan 2 - DILS
MWF 9:05am-9:55am
Tenzin Tsepak (Tenzin.Tsepak@colorado.edu)
Beginning Tibetan 2. Provides a thorough introduction to the colloquial Tibetan language, emphasizing speaking and listening in the Lhasa dialect.
TBTN 2020 - Intermediate Tibetan 2 – DILS
MWF 1:25pm-2:15pm
Tenzin Tsepak (Tenzin.Tsepak@colorado.edu)
Intermediate Tibetan language 2. Focus on intermediate grammar, sentence construction, conversation topics, and readings in modern Tibetan.
ANTH 1110 Anthropology of Japan: Culture, Diversity, and Identity
MW 12:20-1:10 plus recitation section
Kathryn Elissa Goldfarb (Kathryn.Goldfarb@Colorado.EDU)
Focusing on diverse facets of lived experience, this course introduces students to the cultural anthropology of contemporary Japan. Students will gain an understanding of the anthropological fieldwork process, theoretical issues within cultural anthropology, and key debates in Japanese studies about Japanese identity and internal diversity.
CHIN 1012 Introduction to Chinese Civilization
MWF | 1:25pm-2:15pm | (+1 hr recitation T or W)
Katherine Alexander katherine.alexander@colorado.edu
Learn about significant trends in Chinese cultural and political history, the fundamental principles of major religions and philosophies, and read a diverse variety of primary sources in translation in this intro class on China!
CHIN 2441 Film and the Dynamics of Chinese Culture
MWF 10:10–11:00 am - remote
Dr. Susan Su susansu@uchicago.edu
What can we learn about Chinese culture through film? This course is an introduction to a broad range of Chinese cinemas of the past 100 years, from early film to modern day, from Tibet to Taiwan. We will examine how these works reflected and interrogated deeper concerns in modern and contemporary Chinese society, including: gender and the place of women, culture and the nation, “Chineseness” and identity, and media in the age of television and the internet. Throughout our study, we will attend to the different linguistic, ethnic, cultural, political, and territorial contexts of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. All works will be provided in English or with English subtitles. Chinese-language texts for some works are available for students with advanced language abilities. This course will be taught remotely.
CHIN 3321 Political Thought in Ancient China
T/Th 12:30p-1:45p
Matthias Ludwig Richter (matthias.richter@colorado.edu)
Focuses on the political, religious, philosophical and literary aspects of ancient Chinese civilization (1500 B.C.-A.D. 200). Special attention is paid to foundational works that influenced later developments in Chinese culture. All readings are in English and taught in English.
ASIA 4001 - CLAC Co-seminar
In addition to the main course, a one-credit class will be offered, focused on reading adaptations of these same texts (Chinese language ability required). Interested students are encouraged to reach out to the instructor for more information.
CHIN 4220 Readings in Classical Chinese
MWF 11:15am–12:05pm
Antje Richter (antje.richter@colorado.edu)
This course will develop your proficiency in reading and translating texts in Classical and Literary Chinese. We will read prose and poetry from the medieval period, covering a wide spectrum of genres from poems to anecdotes,
historical records, and ghost stories. We will focus on the language and literary features of these texts in the light of their cultural background and on the question of how to translate them into contemporary English.
HIST 1438 Intro to Korean History
MWF 2:30-3:20
Sungyun Lim (sungyun.lim@colorado.edu)
From Kim Jong-un to BTS, K-drama, and even the green-onion-flavored Chex cereal, Korea is constantly in the media these days, but how much do we really know about its history, and its complicated relationship with the U.S., not to mention with its neighbors, China and Japan? This course is designed to introduce students to the long and complex history of the Korean peninsula through current historical debates and polemics. Each segment of the course begins with a memoir, a film, or a newspaper article that highlights present-day relevance of a historical time period. In an attempt to disrupt the convention of history teaching in chronological order, we will retrace the history backwards; beginning with the Korean War and the role of the U.S. in it, then to colonial Korea (1910-1945), the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), etc., all the way back to the ancient period, before closing off the semester with the history of the recent past (1960s-1990s). The course is designed for lower-division students without previous knowledge about Korean history or language.
HIST 4738 Japan’s Great Peace: Politics and Society, 1590-1868
MWF 1:25-2:15
Marcia Yonemoto (yonemoto@colorado.edu)
When we think of early modern Japan we think of samurai: swords flashing, heads rolling. Such images circulate through our own popular culture via films, anime, and video games. But samurai were only one relatively small part of a complex society. Farmers, merchants, artisans, and others comprised the vast majority of the population, and early modern Japan was a long period—over 250 years—of peace. This course focuses on key processes that enabled Japan’s “great peace”: establishing political stability, growing the economy, managing the environment, restructuring gender and family roles, and fostering the growth of popular culture.
JPNS 3811 Love, Death, and Desire: Classical Japanese Literature in Translation
T/Th 12:30-1:45pm
Marjorie Burge (marjorie.burge@colorado.edu)
This course explores the oldest canon of women’s writing in the world, from Japan’s Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods. All readings are in English translation.
ASIA 4001 - CLAC Co-seminar
In addition to the main course, a one-credit will be offered, focused on reading modern manga adaptations of these same texts (Japanese language ability required). Interested students are encouraged to reach out to the instructor for more information.
RLST 2202 Islam
T/Th 11am - 12:15pm
Aun H Ali (Aun.Ali@Colorado.EDU)
Introduces students to foundational Islamic concepts, texts, core practices, historical narratives and intellectual, spiritual and literary traditions. Topics covered include: the figure of Muhammad; the Quran; the emergence of distinct Muslim identities; Hadith; Sharia; Islamic theology; Islamic philosophy; science in Islamic civilization; Islamic mysticism; the impact of colonialism and modernity on the Muslim world; gender and sexuality; political Islam.
RLST 3040 The Quran
MWF 1:25-2:15
Aun H Ali (Aun.Ali@Colorado.EDU)
Examines how Christian constructions of religion and scripture have shaped Muslim understandings of the Quran and marginalized other views with a much longer history. Helps students appreciate how this process of marginalization is negotiated and explores the Quran from other perspectives including sound, performance, embodiment, and occultism. By highlighting marginalized approaches to the Quran, it promotes a better understanding of how social and religious differences are shaped by different political legacies. Previously offered as a special topics course.