Introduction to Asia
Jeff Hornibrook and Amy Mountcastle
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Introduction to Asia |
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ASI
110: Introduction to Asia
This
course is designed as an introduction to the study of Asia and is meant to both
provide you with information about the history and cultures of Asia as well as
introduce you to various disciplinary approaches to the study of this part of
the world. We will begin by studying the three major civilizations: West Asia
which is also known as the Middle East, South Asia which is centered around
India, and East Asia which is centered around China. These three civilizations in turn influenced neighboring
countries while these neighbors retained some of their indigenous culture as
well. China, for example had a
great influence on Japan yet Japan retained some of its own culture.
India did the same for Southeast Asia and to some degree the Middle East
had similar influence on Central Asia. It
is useful then to examine each of the “core” countries or regions and then
compare them with their “peripheries” to see how the cores influenced the
peripheries and to understand the process by which a core and periphery are
created. At the same time, we will
begin to understand similarities and differences between all these regions of
Asia in terms of their culture, politics, economics, religions and societies.
The
second half of the course will allow us to do comparative work as we examine
specific issues of present-day Asia. We
will look at the role of gender and class, the impact of modernization, and the
consequences of imperialism and other issues as they pertain to all of the
regions of Asia. In particular, we
will be able to examine the tragedy of 9/11 and many of the issues surrounding
that event including the role of Islam, and Western Asian and Southeast Asian
supporters and opponents of al-Qaida. Overall,
we can view how modernization is both homogenizing Asia and yet creating
different problems and solutions based upon differences of each society.
Classes:
MWF 10:00-10:50 Yokum Hall #201
Instructor
Information:
Jeff
Hornibrook
Office:
Champlain Valley Hall #225
Office
Hours: MWF 9:00-9:50, W 1:00-1:50 and by appointment
Telephone:
Office: 564-5215; Home 562-2966
E-Mail:
Jeff.Hornibrook@plattsburgh.edu
Web
Page: http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/jeff.hornibrook/
Required
Texts:
Heinz,
Carolyn Brown Asian Cultural Traditions
Van
Gulik, Robert (transl). Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee
Global
Studies: The Middle East
Global
Studies: India
Global
Studies: Japan
Map of “Asia” Purchase at the College Store
Supplemental Readings in Electronic
Reserve
Grading:
In-Class
Participation 15%
Map
Assignment
5
2
Paper Assignments
20
3
Exams
60
100%
Student
Obligations:
Students must complete the assigned readings, attend all lectures, and hand in all written assignments on time. All assignments must be handed in to receive credit for the course. You are encouraged to ask questions when information is unclear.
All assignments are due at the beginning of class for the day they are assigned. Late work will be docked at least 1/3 a letter grade. If work is more than one week late it will be docked by 1/3 grade for each week it is late.
Any paper that plagiarizes published or unpublished materials (including the work of friends or classmates) will receive a Zero (0) and the second offense will result in an E for the course.
Assignments:
In-Class Participation: There are two facets to this part of your grade. First, there will be several in-class group projects that will include short assignments pertaining to the class lectures and readings. These may be collected and cannot be made up. Also, I will take attendance nearly every day and your attendance will be figured into your grade.
.
Map Assignment: You will locate several important geographical sites on a map. This assignment will help to make you familiar with the countries under discussion for this course. (See the last page of this syllabus for the map assignment).
Paper Assignments: There will be two paper assignments that require you to analyze information discussed in this class. These papers should be about 3-5 pages long and should be in formal written form. More detail on the outlines for these papers will be provided when appropriate.
Exams: There will be three in-class exams. Each exam will include short answers and longer essays. I will provide a review sheet before each exam and you may use a 3”x5”notecard with any notes on it you wish.
Topics
and Readings
Week 1) 1/26-1/30:
Introduction to Asia and “Orientalism”
Heinz: chpts. 1, 2
Van Gulik “Preface”
Week 2) 2/2-2/6:
East Asia/China Part I
Heinz: chpts. 3, 7
Van Gulik chpts. 1-5
Electronic Reserve
Readings: Analects of Confucius, Ban Zhao on Women, Buddhist texts
Week 3) 2/9-2/13:
East Asia/China Part II
Heinz pp. 333-336, 345-354
Global Studies: Japan pp. 55-62, 67-70
Van Gulik chpts. 6-11
2/13:
Map Assignment Due
Week 4) 2/6-2/20:
Japan
Heinz chpt. 8
Van Gulik chpts. 12-17
Global Studies: Japan pp. 29-42
Electronic Reserve Readings: Kaibara Ekken and Kaibara Token on Women, Buddhist Texts
Week 5) 2/23-2/27:
South Asia/India Part I
Heinz chpt. 5
Van Gulik chpts. 18-21
Electronic Reserve
Readings: Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita
Week 6) 3/1-3/5:
South Asia/India Part II
Heinz pp. 336-345
Global Studies: India pp. 44-59
Van Gulik chpts. 22-28
3/1: Exam #1
Week 7) 3/8-3/12:
Southeast Asia
Heinz chpts. 4, 6
Global Studies: Japan pp. 51-54, 63-65, 71-75, 131-135
Global Studies: India pp. 65-68
Van Gulik chpts. 29-30
3/12
Turn in Paper # 1 on Van Gulik
3/15-3/19—Midterm
Break
Week 8) 3/22-3/26:
West Asia and Central Asia
Global Studies: The Middle East pp. 4-19, 60-82, 134-40, 158-66, 178-83
Global Studies: India pp. 60-64, 81-87
Electronic Reserve Readings: Qu’ran, Mohammed’s Last Sermon, Wife of Suleiman the Magnificent
Week 9) 3/29-4/2:
Imperialism
Global Studies: India #34
Global Studies: Japan #1, 6,15
Global Studies: Middle East #2
Week 10) 4/5-4/16:
Family and Gender
Global Studies: Japan #4, 5, 7
Global Studies: India #18, 19, 20, 27, 32
Electronic Reserve Readings: Muslim Women
4/5: Exam #2
Week 11)
4/12-4/16: Class
Global Studies: Japan #9, 16, 23
Global Studies: India #17, 28
Global Studies: Middle East #6
Week 12)
4/19-4/23: Modern Economies and Political Systems
Global Studies: Japan #3, 8, 10, 19, 20, 21
Global Studies: India #6, 8, 14, 15, 25
Global Studies: Middle East #3, 4, 7
Week 13)
4/26-4/30: War and International Conflict
Global
Studies: Japan #17, 18
Global
Studies: India #2, 3, 7, 23,
24, 26, 35
Global
Studies: Middle East #5, 9,
11, and pp. 20-36
Electronic
Reserve Readings: To Be Announced
Week 14) 5/3-5/7:
Human Rights and Western Norms in Asian Society
Global Studies: Japan #9
Global Studies: India #5
Global Studies: Middle East #10
5/7:
Turn in Paper #2 on Global Studies
5/10 Finals Week
Exam
#3
Map
Assignment
China
Beijing (Peking)
Shanghai
Yangzi
River
Yellow River
Guangzhou
Mongolia
Ulan Bator
Gobi Desert
Korea
Pyongyang
Seoul
Taiwan
Taibei (Tai-pei)
Tibet
Lhasa
Tarim Basin
Japan
Tokyo
Kyoto
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi
Cambodia
(Kampuchea)
Thailand Laos
Malasia
Singapore
Papua New Guinea
Indonesia
Jakarta
Boneo Island
Java
Island
Philippines
Manila
India
Delhi
Bombay
Calcutta
Madras
Ganges
River
Himalayas Mountains
Nepal
Bangladesh
Myanmar (Burma)
Bhutan
Pakistan
Lahore
Sri Lanka
Afghanistan
Kabul
Kashmir
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan
Iran
Tehran
Persian Gulf
Iraq
Baghdad
Syria
Damascus
Jordan
Amman
Saudi
Arabia
Kuwait
Red Sea
Israel
Tel Aviv
Jerusalem
Turkey
Azerbaijan
Georgia