Instructor: Antonia Levi

Office Hours: MW 5:15-6:15, Sixth Ave. Bldg

Phone: 246-4765; e-mail: levi@digiconn.com home page: http://web.pdx.edu/~levia/index.html

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the study of diverse cultures and societies in Asia through a variety of disciplinary approaches including history, literature, anthropology, the arts, and geography. Students will focus first on the origins of Asia=s major cultural traditions, and then on the way in which these traditions have transformed and been transformed by the powerful forces of imperialism, industrialization, and globalization.

Through written assignments and oral presentations, students will develop their critical, analytical, and communication skills.

Iriye et al, The World of Asia (available at PSU Bookstore)

Course Packet (available at Clean Copy)

10%: Attendance: Two absences are free. Thereafter I deduct 1/3 grade point from the attendance grade for each absence. Exceptions will be made only with documentation. This includes attendance at mentor sessions.

60%: Directed Papers: Students will write 3-4 papers on set topics. These are rather like take-home exams except that a bit more research and citations are required. The first 3 papers are required. The final paper is optional for those who wish to improve their grade; assuming that the final paper grade is higher than either of the other 3, it will replace the lower grade in creating an average.

30%: Oral Presentations: Students will give 2 short presentations on assigned readings, and 1 longer Focused Analysis which expands on a specific aspect of an assigned reading. The grade for the first presentation will be included in the final oral presentation grade ONLY if it raises the grade. Due to scheduling complexities, make-ups are not possible for oral presentations. Students who are absent on the day they are scheduled will receive a 0 for that assignment.

Jan. 5: Introduction

Jan. 10: I Ching presentations

Jan. 12: The Hundred Schools of Ancient China

Jan. 19: Student Presentations: Taoism

Jan. 24: Student Presentations: Book of Songs, Confucius

Jan. 26: The Spread of Chinese Culture: Japan and Korea

Jan. 31: The Subcontinent

Feb. 2: Student Presentations: Rig Veda and Upanishads

Feb. 7: Southeast Asia: Guest lecture by Prof. Sharon Carstens

Feb. 9: Goddesses of Asia: Guest lecture by Prof. Connie Earnshaw

Feb. 14: The British Raj

Feb. 16: China and Japan Face the West

Feb. 21: Focused Analyses

Feb. 23: Focused Analyses

Feb. 28: World War II in Asia

Mar. 1: The American Lake

Mar. 6: Focused Analyses

Mar. 8: Focused Analyses