2023-2024 Course Catalog

Please note: The information displayed here is current as of Wednesday, May 8, 2024, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

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East Asian Studies

ProfessorK. Sung (Chinese and Japanese, Wendy and K.K. Tse Professor of East Asian Studies)
Associate professorsB. Jenike (Anthropology, Edward F. Mielke Professor of Ethics in Medicine, Science and Society), C. Kassor (Religious Studies), N. Lin (Art History), B. Vance (History, chair)
Visiting Assistant ProfessorA. Adler (Chinese and Japanese)
InstructorM. Wegehaupt

The program in East Asian Studies is dedicated to the study of the civilizations, cultures, and contemporary importance of East Asia. The rich cultural heritages and the political and economic significance of the region are covered by courses in anthropology, art history, history, government, literature, and religious studies. To achieve in-depth and critical understanding of East Asia, the East Asian Studies major combines the study of Chinese or Japanese language to the advanced intermediate level with breadth of coursework on East Asia taught in English. Majors typically further strengthen their Chinese or Japanese language skills by studying in China or Japan through an off-campus program. In addition to improving language skills and filling out the student’s program in regionally specific courses, studying abroad in China or Japan enhances the students’ academic program through firsthand cultural experience in East Asia.

Beginning with foundational coursework in traditional and modern East Asian history, students gain an understanding of the basic historical development of East Asian political and cultural traditions. Students then draw from this historical knowledge in their subsequent seminars to analyze in depth how these traditions have evolved with modernization, and to examine contemporary areas of social change. Through a disciplinary focus as well as coursework that situates East Asia in a global context, majors also learn how to relate the relevance of the study of China, Japan, or South Korea to a broader international or academic context.

The major in East Asian Studies thus seeks to prepare students intellectually, linguistically, and personally for further graduate work or professional careers as East Asian specialists.


Required for the major in East Asian studies

Students who major in East Asian studies will demonstrate an understanding of the basic historical development of East Asian political and cultural traditions and use this knowledge to analyze how these traditions, in either China, Japan, or Korea, have evolved with modernization, which may include analysis of contemporary areas of social change. Students will be able to relate the relevance of the study of East Asia to a broader international or academic context. In the culmination of the major, students will critically analyze an aspect of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean history, philosophy, art, culture, society, economics or politics in a clearly written, thesis-driven project, and will utilize some target language sources, as primary or secondary literature, in carrying out their research.

The major in East Asian studies requires the following:

  1. At least one language course: CHJA 301: Advanced Intermediate Chinese or CHJA 311: Advanced Intermediate Japanese, or higher
  2. EAST 212/HIST 212: East Asia in the Premodern World
  3. EAST 213/HIST 213: East Asia in the Modern World
  4. Three 6-unit elective courses in EAST, one of which must be a mid-level seminar or higher (300-level or higher). One elective course taken on an off-campus program may, upon approval of an EAST faculty advisor, count for one of these three courses.
  5. One course that situates East Asian culture in a broader academic, comparative or international context, such as:
    • ANTH 110: Cultural Anthropology
    • ANTH 364/EAST 364: Ethnography of East Asia
    • ANTH 377: Culture and Aging
    • ANTH 552: Disability and Culture
    • ARHI 285/EAST 285: The Transformation of the Modern City: Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai (1860-1945)
    • ARHI 345/EAST 345: Theorizing the Female Body in East Asian Art
    • EAST 380: Asian Women and Feminism
    • GOVT 215: Democracy in Comparative Perspective
    • GOVT 245: Comparative Politics of Less-Developed Countries
    • GOVT 340: International Politics
    • GOVT 480: International Organizations
    • HIST 105/EAST 105: Cross-Cultural Interactions Along the Silk Road, 200 BCE - 1400 CE
    • HIST 206: Perchance to Dream: A Comparative History of Dreams from Antiquity to Present
    • HIST 295: Nationalism in the Modern World

    (Note: EAST courses listed above may satisfy either this requirement or the elective requirement, but not both.) Courses in other disciplines than those listed can also fulfill this requirement. Students should consult with the East Asian studies program director to select a course appropriate to their interests. See the East Asian studies Advising page for additional course suggestions.

  6. EAST 699: Independent Study in East Asian Studies (6 units) or other 600-level course with approval of the East Asian studies program director, resulting in the completion of a substantial research paper or project. Students should consult with their East Asian studies faculty advisor in spring term of their junior year to develop a plan for their senior experience.
  7. At least nine 6-unit courses should be taken at the Appleton campus.

In addition to the requirements listed above, majors are strongly advised to have a disciplinary focus to frame their Senior Experience. EAST coursework in a discipline of interest such as anthropology, art history, history, religious studies, government, linguistics, economics, or literature, as well as additional coursework in methods and theory in that same discipline, should be completed prior to the Senior Experience course.

Majors are also encouraged to further strengthen their Chinese or Japanese language skills by studying in China or Japan (see Off-Campus Programs) and/or in one of several intensive summer language programs offered in the U.S.


Senior Experience in East Asian studies

EAST 699: Independent Study in East Asian Studies (6 units): Individualized senior-level advanced research under the guidance of an East Asian studies faculty advisor, culminating in the completion of a substantial paper or project derived from previous coursework in the discipline or related fields or field experience.

Students with sufficiently advanced Chinese or Japanese language skills are encouraged to use some target language sources in carrying out their research. Students are encouraged to share the results of their work in a public forum prior to graduation.


Required for the minor in East Asian studies

  1. Six courses, as follows:
    1. EAST 212/HIST 212: East Asia in the Premodern World
    2. EAST 213/HIST 213: East Asia in the Modern World
    3. Four 6-unit elective courses in EAST
  2. One additional advanced course (400-level or higher) on East Asia or a 6-unit independent study (EAST 399 or 599) in an area of interest

Courses - East Asian Studies

EAST 105: Cross-Cultural Interactions Along the Silk Road, 200 BCE - 1400 CE

The so-called "Silk Road" was the world's first superhighway, linking East Asia to the Mediterranean. The peoples along the way not only traded luxury goods, but also ideas, technology, and more. This course offers a thematic examination of the dynamic, cross-cultural interactions along the ancient and medieval Silk Road. (G & C)
Units: 6
Also listed as Global Studies 105, History 105

EAST 175: The Arts of East Asia

An introduction to artistic traditions in China, Japan, and Korea, from prehistory to the 21st century, including tomb and temple sites, gardens, calligraphy, ink painting, woodblock prints, tea ceremony vessels, and contemporary art. Through a balance of broader art historical readings, primary texts, scholarly essays, and close-looking at objects, students will explore how an object’s visual and material properties contribute to its function.
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 175

EAST 191: Directed Study in East Asian Studies

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 212: East Asia in the Premodern World

An introductory survey of premodern East Asia. Focus on multi-disciplinary approaches to understanding the diverse cultures in the region and the historical processes that bound those cultures together. (EA)
Units: 6
Also listed as History 212, Global Studies 212

EAST 213: East Asia in the Modern World

An introductory survey of modern East Asia. Focus on the ways in which East Asian cultures overlapped and interconnected with distinct experiences of modernity, empire, colonization, and semi-colonization. (EA)
Units: 6
Also listed as History 213, Global Studies 213

EAST 216: Buddhism in China and Japan

An introductory survey of Buddhist thought and practice in China and Japan. The history of key Buddhist concepts and schools in East Asia is the primary focus. Readings include translations from East Asian Buddhist canonical works.
Units: 6
Also listed as Religious Studies 216

EAST 265: Introduction to Japanese Language and Culture

A survey introducing major characteristics of Japanese language with reference to the structure of Japanese society. Topics include honorifics, use of pronouns, loan words, age and gender differences in the language. The course will also familiarize students with various aspects of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; CHJA 112 recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 265, Linguistics 265
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; CHJA 112 recommended

EAST 283: Chinese Philosphy

A survey of topics in Chinese Philosophy, which may include Classical Chinese philosphy, Buddhism and religion and comparative philosphy. We will discuss how the quickly changing historical and political climates affect the major schools of thought and influence pertinent philosphical questions for the region or topic. Assignments include papers and in-class assignments/presentations. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Philosophy 283
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

EAST 284: The Spectacle of Edo Japan

This course will focus on the diverse artistic production and consumption practices within Edo-period Japan (1603-1868). Topics include the revival of classical Heian narratives like The Tale of Genji, the rise of an urban bourgeois culture, the prints and paintings depicting kabuki actors, courtesans, and ghosts, the reification of the tea ceremony and encounters with the West through trade. PREREQUISITES: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Global Studies 284, Art History 284
Prerequisite: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing

EAST 285: The Transformation of the Modern City: Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai (1860-1945)

This course explores the transformation of the cityscape in Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai. Topics include the emergence of the modern artist, the search for an “avant-garde” of the East, the modernization of public and private spaces, the introduction of film and photography and the rise of the “modern girl.” PREREQUISITES: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 285, Global Studies 285
Prerequisite: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing

EAST 286: The Politics and Power in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art

Over the past century, China has witnessed the arrival of Western Imperialism, mass rebellion, revolution, and radical reconstruction under the Communist regime. This class will trace how artists attempted to intervene in social life to change its course of development and how art continues to affect radical social change. PREREQUISITES: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Global Studies 286, Art History 286
Prerequisite: ARHI 101 or 175 or sophomore standing

EAST 287: Word and Image in the Tale of Genji

This course will be a close reading, looking, and writing course on the 11th century text, the Tale of Genji, written by one of the earliest female novelists, Murasaki Shikibu. We will closely read the text throughout the term while also examining the art works, theatrical performances, parodies, and later pop culture adaptations as well as the major secondary scholarship that have been generated by this work in the last three centuries. The aim will be to cultivate both skills in visual formal analysis but also literary formal analysis through continuous writing exercises and revision, in order to help students consider how a sustained engagement with one text can evolve with a deeper and more intimate study.
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 287

EAST 308: Half the Sky: Chinese Women's History

This course examines important questions about the lives of women in the last thousand years of Chinese history. Through an exploration of primary sources in translation, classic works of fiction, film, memoirs, and oral histories, we will address theoretical questions fundamental to both women’s studies and Chinese history. (G & C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Global Studies 308, History 308
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

EAST 310: Introduction to East Asian Linguistics

Survey of genetic, regional, and typological classification of East Asian languages; writing systems for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan languages; descriptive and comparative analyses of phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures of East Asian languages. More than one language may be investigated in detail. PREREQUISITES: LING 150 and sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 310, Linguistics 310
Prerequisite: LING 150 and sophomore standing

EAST 331: Topics in East Asian Art

An examination of a particular topic in East Asian art history. Students are expected to carry out independent research through a series of guided assignments. The topic will change periodically. Course may be repeated when the topic is different. Not open to students who have previously received or need to receive credit for ARHI 430.
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 331
Prerequisite: One 200-level course in art history or consent of instructor

EAST 345: Theorizing the Female Body in East Asian Art

This course explores how the female body and the gendering of space has been addressed in murals, paintings, performance, film, and popular culture during the course of East Asian art history. We will discuss how social and political issues were defined through images of bodies in Japan, Korea, and China in the context of national identity formation, historical reconstruction, subjectivity, and sexuality. Students will also work to develop and refine the quality of their communication skills by presenting and debating their ideas throughout the course. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 345, Gender Studies 345
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing

EAST 350: Modern Chinese Literature and Cinema in Translation

A survey of 20th-century Chinese fiction and cinema. Iconoclastic works of modern Chinese vernacular fiction from 1919 through the post-Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) will be juxtaposed alongside films dealing with the same period, such as Red Sorghum (1987) and Farewell, My Concubine (1992) made by the so-called Fifth Generation of film directors (born after 1949, when the People’s Republic was founded). Class conducted in English. No knowledge of Chinese required. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 350, Film Studies 350
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 recommended

EAST 355: History of the Chinsese Language (in English)

This course covers the history of the Chinese language, including the structural characteristics of the language, invention and evolution of the writing system, general survey of the major dialects, dichronic changes, spread and influence of the Chinese lexicon in East Asia, birth of the common language putonghua, evaluation of traditional versus simplified characters, and challenges of the language in the modern era. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; one year of Chinese recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 355
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; one year of Chinese recommended

EAST 360: Chinese Contemporary Film in English

Using feature films and documentaries from the so-called Fifth [1982-] and Sixth Generations [beginning in the 1990s] of film directors in China, this course provides a visual record of the immense political, economic, and social changes in China since the Reform and Opening up period at the end of the Cultural Revolution. Taught in English. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 or EAST 420 recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 360, Film Studies 360
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 or EAST 420 recommended

EAST 361: Western Encounters with China: Perceptions and Misperceptions

This course examines Western encounters with China since the thirteenth century, from Marco Polo to contemporary journalists, such as Peter Hessler. Students will analyze and assess Western perceptions and misperceptions of China through a variety of primary sources in translation and relevant secondary studies. (G & C or E) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Global Studies 361, History 361
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing

EAST 364: Ethnography of East Asia

A critical and comparative examination of key areas of sociocultural change in present-day East Asia. Focusing on China, we address new areas of research in East Asian anthropology such as demographic change, modernization, urbanization and stratification, gender and the body politic, sexuality, pop culture, consumption, ethnic minorities and national cultural identities. PREREQUISITES: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Anthropology 364
Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing

EAST 366: Ethnography of Japan

Critical examination of social and cultural (re)presentations of Japan from the postwar to the postmodern. Exploration of diversities of lived reality and social change in contemporary Japan. Topics include: nationalism and historical consciousness, family and gender ideologies, invisible and visible others, sexuality, pop culture, and the Heisei recession. PREREQUISITES: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Anthropology 366
Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing

EAST 370: Chinese Traditional Literature and Thought (in English)

An introduction to the texts and schools comprising traditional Chinese literature and thought. Reading across time and genre, from ancient classics such as Shijing to Tang poetry, to later Ming novels Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, students will explore the breadth of the Chinese literary tradition while engaging with primary texts from the Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist traditions that shaped it. Lecture, discussion and exams.
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 370

EAST 371: Traditional Japanese Literature and Thought

With lectures and discussion, the course introduces students to the canon of texts comprising classical Japanese literature and thought. Reading across time and genre, we look at myth-histories, poetry compilations, Chinese-inspired literature, the birth of fiction and women's literature. Monks and warriors expand our scope into the areas of religion, philosophy, and military theory and we culminate with an introduction to the dramatic arts of the Muromachi.
Units: 6
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 371

EAST 377: History of the Japanese Language (in English)

This course explores the history of the Japanese language, including theories of its origin, the importation of the Chinese characters, Kanji, the invention of the Japanese syllabaries, Kana, the development of the writing system, lexical influence of loan words, and the evolution of both written and spoken forms in modern Japanese. The course also investigates two other lanuages in Japan, the Ainu and the Ryukyu languages. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing; one year of Japanese recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Linguistics 365, Chinese and Japanese 365
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; one year of Japanese recommended

EAST 380: Asian Women and Feminism

This course will focus on the history of women and feminism in Asia, with an emphasis on Indian and East Asian women's histories. Past and present religious, political, economic, and artistic thought and practices of women will be examined to analyse how they have responded to and resisted patriarchal cultures. This course can be counted as the equivalent of GEST 280. PREREQUISITES: GEST 100 or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: GEST 100 or consent of instructor

EAST 388: Early Modern Japan

This discussion course offers an overview of the early modern history of Japan. Through an analysis of literature, woodblock prints, documents, and secondary historical studies we will explore selected issues in the social and cultural history of the Tokugawa. (G & C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as History 388
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

EAST 390: Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies

Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 391: Directed Study in East Asian Studies

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor

EAST 399: Independent Study in East Asian Studies

Individualized advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 418: Korean Modern History through Literature and Film

Using fiction, feature films, and historical texts, this course provides an in-depth introduction to modern Korean history, from the end of the Chŏsun dynasty in 1910 to contemporary North and South Korea. Students will gain an understanding of Korea’s colonial experience, civil war, dictatorships, development, democratization, and gender politics. PREREQUISITES: EAST 150 or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Film Studies 419
Prerequisite: EAST 150 or consent of instructor

EAST 430: Topics in Asian Art

An examination of a particular topic in East Asian art history. Students are expected to carry out independent research through a series of guided assignments. The topic will change periodically. Course may be repeated when the topic is different. Not open to students who have previously received or need to receive credit for ARHI 331.
Units: 6
Also listed as Art History 430
Prerequisite: One 200-level course in art history or consent of instructor

EAST 492: The Art of Healing: A History of Chinese Medicine

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of the history of Chinese medicine. Students will study the canonical literature of the discipline, and analyze the ways in which those texts and ideas have been reshaped in modern and contemporary practice. Topics include: forensic medicine, gender, religion, and public health. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing
Units: 6
Also listed as History 492
Prerequisite: Junior standing

EAST 510: Seminar on Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is perhaps the most widely known form of Buddhism in the West and also the most widely misunderstood. This course provides a detailed look at the history and doctrines of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Combining the use of original source materials (in translation) with an emphasis on intellectual history, the course covers specific doctrines that have differentiated the major schools of Zen. PREREQUISITES: RLST 220 or RLST 216
Units: 6
Also listed as Religious Studies 510
Prerequisite: RLST 220 or RLST 216

EAST 590: Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies

Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 591: Directed Study in East Asian Studies

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 599: Independent Study in East Asian Studies

Individualized advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 690: Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies

Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 691: Directed Study in East Asian Studies

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

EAST 695: Internship in East Asian Studies

The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Units: 1 TO 98

EAST 699: Independent Study in East Asian Studies

Individualized senior-level advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper for the senior experience, or for submission for honors. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.