Fall 2018

An introduction to the major art forms and monuments of religious art in India, Southeast Asia, China and Japan from prehistory to1300.

An introduction to cultures and people in the Americas; the social, historical, economic and cultural formations that together make up the Latino/a American imaginary.

An exploration of the nature and contributions of pre-Columbian high civilizations (Maya, Aztecs, etc.) and their descendants as they resist and assimilate to the modern world.

Southeast Asia is studied as a meeting place of different races and cultural traditions, with emphasis on the precolonial heritage of sexual equality and postcolonial reinterpretations of men's and women's worlds.

Concepts of social anthropology using filmic representations ofsocieties throughout the world in contrast to written ethnography.

A seminar forum on Maya culture from the earliest form to thepresent; problems of origins, classic florescence, systemscollapse, conquests, persistance, and transformation today.

Role of American Indians in American public life from colonialtimes to the present; native American forms of government;relations between tribes and the U.S.

A comparative study of the Asian aesthetic heritage of poetry, painting, music, and drama; of literary themes, trends, and myths.

Introduction to the history of Chinese, Japanese and Korean ethical thought; perspectives on human nature, historical writing,and aesthetic implications. Conducted in English.

Examination of the transnational production and circulation of Chinese-language cinema. Analysis of the larger sociocultural significance of films by engaging their historical context.

Japanese literature from the earliest times to the present; development of prose, poetry and the novel; evolution of theatre; Japanese literature under Western influence. Conducted in English.

Readings of Chinese poetry, prose, novels and drama; influence of the West on Chinese literature and culture in modern times. Conducted in English.

Main patterns of change in modern China, Japan, and Korea;historical framework and the insights of geography, economics,political science, and other disciplines.

A topical and chronological study of the major political, social, and intellectual forces that have shaped the history of Korea.

Japan from the earliest times to the present; social, cultural,and political dimensions.

Introduction to the history and the study of the Middle East from ancient to modern times.

Business history of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) as related to culture, politics, and society.

Introduction to Colonial Latin America; native American peoples, themes, issues, and evolution of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule to ca. 1800.

Historical and thematic survey of Chinese religious history from earliest times to the present.

Exploration of the senses and the technologies of pleasure in India, relating this material to some fascinating examples of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist literature.

Russian cultural identity from its beginnings until today. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, its traumatic confrontation with Western culture, and their continuous interaction.