Students, If you're still shopping for classes, here is a list of the courses which count toward the major in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at HWS. Some courses may already be filled, please check the enrollment status with the PeopleSoft database:
Asian Languages
CHIN 101 Beginning Chinese I
CHIN 201 Intermediate Chinese I
CHIN 301 Advanced Chinese I
CHIN 450 Independent Study
JPN 102 Beginning Japanese II
JPN 202 Intermediate Japanese II
JPN 302 Advanced Japanese II
JPN 450 Independent Study
SILP 133 Beginning Hindi III
SILP 261 Intermediate Vietnamese
ARTH 259 Early Chinese Painting
This course will explore painting practice from the beginnings of China's "Golden Age" in 618 through the end of Mongol conquest and rule in 1368. Painting is regarded as one of the premier art forms in the earliest Chinese histories of art, second only to calligraphy. Material will be presented chronologically, but broader topics will include popular subject matter in early painting, including figural topics and landscapes; early theories on painting and the development of art criticism; notions of artist's places within specific social classes; questions of patronage and collecting; and relationships between painting, calligraphy and poetry. (Blanchard; MoWeFr 10:10AM - 11:05AM)
ASN 225 Tibetan Buddhism
This course is an introduction to Tibetan belief and practice. What is life from a Buddhist perspective? What did the Buddha teach? What is the law of karma? These and many other questions are addressed. The course looks at Tibetan Buddhist practice from the Four Noble Truths to the highest Yoga tantra with special emphasis on the practice of love, kindness, and compassion. A monk’s life in the monastery is also studied. Prerequisite: Any religious studies course or permission of the instructor. (Yignyen; TuTh 10:20AM - 11:45AM )
ASN 231 Tibetan Mandala Painting
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the wonders of Tibetan culture. This is accomplished through the study of traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting and mandala construction. The world of Tibetan Buddhist art is introduced through the emersion in historic background and current utilization. Students learn
the accurate methods for drawing the geometric outlines of the mandala. Each student completes a painted version of the Chenrezig mandala (which is most often used in Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice). This includes the formation of the accurate symbols of the five Buddha families. Students become familiarized with these and other emblems and learn their meanings. Using colored sand, students learn how to make a sand painting with authentic Tibetan metal funnels and wooden scrapers. Finally, students participate in the joy of a group class project of sand mandala painting and dismantling ceremony. (Yignyen; TuTh 1:30PM - 2:55PM)
ASN 236 Contemporary China
This course addresses the momentous social and cultural changes that have occurred in China in recent years. In exploring this subject, Chinese culture is systematically examined from different aspects, including but not limited to Chinese cultural roots, economy, ideology, politics, religion, and education. Some of China’s hottest issues, with which Western societies have been concerned in recent years, are discussed, such as the reform movement, the Tiananmen Square Incident of 1989, human rights, the anti-Falun Gong campaign, peasants' protest, HIV, China's ascension, China-U.S-Taiwan relations, and China's future. Films are used to supplement the readings. (Zhou; WeFr 3:00PM—4:25PM)
ENG 283 India and the Global
The course typically begins with two novels by famous English writers, E. M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” (1924) and George Orwell’s “Burmese Days” (1934). We then move to several highly acclaimed award winning recent novels by Indian writers which are set in the United States, England, and India. Among them are “The Namesake” (2003; Pulitzer Prize; also a film), “The God of Small Things” (1997; Booker Prize), “Transmission” (2004), and “The White Tiger” (2008; Booker Prize). These primary readings will be supplemented by articles and essays which will help to contextualize the primary texts in a study of diaspora. We situate the earlier novels in the context of colonialism and the more recent ones in that of postcolonialism and globalization. We will begin by speculating about the place of “India” in the global imagination. India has many names: Bharat, Hindustan, India, British India, the Subcontinent, the Jewel in the Crown, South Asia. Many places and peoples other than India(ns) are named after India: the East Indies, the West Indies, and of course, American Indians. Indians now inhabit Asia, Africa, Europe, America. What and who are India(ns)? (Basu; MoWeFr 3:00PM - 3:55PM)
HIST 320 The Asia Pacific Wars
This course attempts to survey the multiple memories and histories of the Asia-Pacific Wars among the people of East Asia and the United States. We will examine changes and continuities in these views in the framework of regional politics and economy since 1945, focusing on such controversial issues as the Nanjing massacre, “comfort women,” Pearl Harbor, war and racism, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibit, and history textbooks. In the broadest context, the course explores the history of imperialism and colonialism in Asia-Pacific since the late nineteenth century and the importance of “history” and “memory” in understanding its consequences. (Yoshikawa; TuTh 10:20AM - 11:45AM)
POL 140 Intro to Comparative World Politics
An ambitious introductory course aimed at teaching students both basic political concepts—such as individualism and communitarianism, tradition and modernity, right and left, fascism and communism, democracy and capitalism—as well as the fundamentals of various political systems throughout the world. Students look at the impact of westernization, modernization, nationalism, racism, class conflicts, foreign intervention, and globalization and anti-globalization as they try to figure out just why it is that the world’s political systems are organized the way they are. (Philbrick Yadav, Wills; 3 Sections Offered)
POL 180 Intro to International Relations
As a broad introduction to the study of international relations (IR), this course is designed to give students an understanding of the basic concepts of world politics, an appreciation of the evolution of the current state system, and a sampling of various approaches and theories of IR. Readings come from primary documents as well as a standard text. The course is grounded in an awareness of current events. Students examine how the lens used to view the world shapes understanding of the world, its problems, and possible solutions. (Yadav, Lee; 3 Sections Offered)
POL 257 Russia/China Resurgent
This course explores the evolution and transformation of these two great powers over the last century. Students begin with trying to understand communism through a close look at Soviet practices for building the “new society.” Students follow Russia’s trajectory from superpower to beleaguered nation, then turn to parallel developments in China and the reverse evolution from struggling nation to potential world power today. Why has China evolved so differently than Russia? What do the differences mean for the people who live there? What do these experiences tell about the nature of communism? What do they tell about America with its historic fears of communism? (Ost; TuTh 1:30PM - 2:55PM)
POL 258 Comp. Politics of the Middle East
This course explores the complex and shifting relationships between state and society in the late colonial and postcolonial Middle East. Paying particular attention to questions of state-building and development, it explores the ways in which state legitimacy is variously supported and challenged by alternative sites of authority in society. Course topics will address a variety of secular and religious movements, the role of state and anti-state violence, and the impact of economic and cultural globalization, among others. (Philbrick Yadav; MoWe 8:35AM - 10:00AM)
REL 219 Intro to Islamic Religious Traditions
This course is an historical study of the rise of Islam from seventh century Arabia to the current global context. It examines basic beliefs, major figures, sacred scriptures, and rituals of this religious tradition. The course emphasis is on modern developments in Islam, including the Muslim presence in Southeast Asia. (Anwar; TuTh 10:20AM - 11:45AM)
REL 236 Gender and Islam
Westernization has brought sweeping changes and challenges to Islamic cultures and religious practices. As a result, political developments, social patterns, and codes of dress have undergone metamorphosis as secular ideologies conflict with traditional religious beliefs. The role of women continues to undergo transformation. How will these changes effect Muslim identity in the 21st century? (Anwar; TuTh 1:30PM - 2:55PM)
REL 239 Nihilism East and West
This course examines the global manifestations of nihilism in the past two centuries, and responses to them, in philosophy, literature, religion, and art. Nihilism is the sense that there is no inherent value, purpose, or meaning in life or the world. Many intellectuals and artists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, not only in the West but in non-Western industrial nations such as Japan, found themselves facing a looming nothingness, the nihility of nihilism, despite modern scientific and technological progress. How does one respond when faced with the utter meaninglessness of existence? Is there any answer to nihilism? How does one recover sense when nothing seems to make sense? We explore this topic while looking at the various depictions of, and responses to, nihilism through a variety of media, including philosophical essays, novels, and films. The primary focus of our reading will be on Dostoevsky’s darkest novel, Demons (Possessed); Mishima Yukio’s final tetralogical work, Sea of Fertility; and Nietzsche’s writings on nihilism. To this we shall add other writings on, or relating to, nihilism (including but not limited by Turgenev, Camus, Beckett, Celine, Heidegger, Nishitani, Abe, etc.). In addition we will see a selection of films by international directors (Allen, Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, etc. ) that depict nihilism. (Krummel; MoWeFr 10:10AM - 11:05AM)
REL 243 Suffering and Salvation
Human existence entails suffering. Why must we suffer? How can we escape suffering? And if suffering is inevitable, what is its meaning? Is it always fair or deserved? The major religions of the world were established and developed partially in response to such questions about the human predicament. Each religion provides a variety of responses to this inevitable fact of human life. What is the picture of the meaning of life implied in such a response? In this course we shall investigate the major religious traditions from across the globe, East and West - Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Chinese religions - and look at their various attempts to answer that question of suffering and respond to it, including their prescription for salvation. At the same time, the course aims to raise awareness concerning responsible ways of comparing religions, using “soteriology” (the study of salvation) as a comparative category. The course also raises the crucial question of whether it is possible to remain faithful to one’s own religious path while maintaining self-critique and openness to the claims of other traditions, a question that is of crucial importance with the increasing globalization of the world. (Krummel; MoWeFr 1:55PM - 2:50PM)
REL 265 The West and the Qur'an
The course examines the historical and contemporary Western perception and treatment of the Qur’an and its impact on the Western portrayal of Islam. It explores the discourses about the Qur’an in the media, academic, and public settings. It also compares and contrasts the values and ideals of the Qur’an vis-a-vis those of the West. It especially addresses the question of compatibility between the Qur’an and the West. Topics include Western perception of the origin of the Qur’an, Western scholarship on the Qur’an, Western portrayal of the Qur’an in the media. Western’s Qur’anic view of women, Western interpretation of the Qur’an, and Muslims in the West and their view of the Qur’an. (Kafrawi; MoWe 8:35AM - 10:00AM)
REL 335 Jihad
This course discusses exegetical, theological, historical, and contemporary roots of jihad in Islamic and Western scholarship. It particularly explores the meaning and significance of jihad as exemplified in the history of Islamic civilization extending from the time of Muhammad to our contemporary contexts. In addition to exploring various forms of jihad, it examines the view that jihad is waging war against “the other,” including non-believers, polytheists, apostates, followers of other religious and the West. This course also traces Western encounters with jihad and its impact on the clashes and dialogues between the West and the Muslim world. Among the questions discussed are: What is jihad? Does jihad mean the same thing to all Muslims? Does the Qur’an support jihad? Did Muhammad demand Muslims to do jihad? How do Muslims of various schools interpret the notion of jihad? Is jihad the same thing as waging war against the West? Does jihad connote wars against unbelievers, apostates, and followers of other religions? If so, what justifies Muslims to engage in jihad as physical struggle against the other? Does jihad pose danger to humanity? Does Al-Qaeda’s terrorism count as jihad? Does Osama bin Laden’s fatwa to retaliate against the West substantiate jihad? If so, how do we respond to jihad? (Kafrawi; WeFr 3:00PM - 4:25PM)
