Chinese and Japanese Language Minor In Asian Studies

(20 credits, approved October 2008)

Three Required Courses

CHIN 212 (Intermediate Chinese), CHIN 311 (Chinese Conversation and Composition I), CHIN 312 (Chinese Conversation and Composition II) or JAPN 212 (Intermediate Japanese), JAPN 311 (Advanced Japanese I), JAPN 312 (Advanced Japanese II).

Equivalent Chinese- and Japanese-language courses taken abroad can replace any of the above-noted corresponding language courses.

Two Elective Courses at the 300-level:

One course selected from the following: HIST 316 (China in Revolution, 1800-1949), HIST 317 (The People’s Republic of China), HIST 318 (The United States and China Since1800), or HIST 319 (Modern Japan, 1868-Present); and one course selected from the following: ART 300 (East Asian Gardens); ECON 316 (Asian Economies), ENV 312/GEOG 312 (Geography of Asia); MCLT 315 (Chinese Literature in Translation), MCLT 319 (East Asian Literature in Translation), PHIL 339 (Chinese Philosophy); or POLS 346 (Asian Politics), or abroad: CORE 390 (Senior Seminar: China or Japan), HIST 300D (Topics in Modern Japan: Culture and Life), MCLT 319 (East Asian Literature in Translation: Chinese), MGMT 389 (Experiential Learning: China or Japan, designed for MGMT majors only), SA 375 (Ethnology of Selected Cultural Areas: China), SA 375B (Ethnology of Selected Cultural Areas: Japan), SA 398 (Field Experience/Practicum: China), or COLG 280: May Term in China (Economic Development & Social Change in China).

With the approval of the Director of Asian Studies, who serves as advisor to the minor, courses, ILPs, and internships taken as part of the China or Japan study abroad programs may be counted toward the minor. Both 300-level courses must be taken with a CHIN or JAPN option, i.e. a Chinese- or Japanese-speaking professor serves as moderator for the student. Under the guidance of the moderator, the student pursues a portion of the course work (reading, research, writing) in Chinese or Japanese, or undertakes a special project beyond the normal course work that may bring into the course material another perspective, accessible through the Chinese or Japanese language.

Asian Studies Courses: Catalogue Descriptions

Intermediate Chinese (4)
Review and continued study of grammar together with additional training in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing as well as Chinese culture and civilization.

CHIN 311 Advanced Chinese (4)
Chinese conversation and composition I.

CHIN 312 Advanced Chinese II (4)
Chinese conversation and composition II.

JAPN 212 Intermediate Japanese (4)
Review and continued study of language skills. The course will emphasize Japanese culture and civilization. Satisfactory completion of this course fulfills the core foreign language proficiency.

JAPN 311 Advanced Japanese (4)
Japanese conversation and composition I.

JAPN 312 Advanced Japanese II (4)
Japanese conversation and composition II.

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HIST 316 China in Revolution, 1800-1949 (4)
An analysis of China’s transformation from Middle Kingdom to People’s Republic. Explores traditional China’s decline amid rebellion and the Opium Wars with the West; efforts to combat dynastic decay, famine, poverty, foreign domination, warlords and Japanese invasion; U.S.-China relations; and Communism’s victory in 1949.

HIST 317 The People’s Republic of China. (4)
An analysis of China’s socialist revolution since 1949. Explores the rise of Communism in China; the China of Mao, Deng, Jiang, and Hu; and U.S.-China relations since 1972. Previews the integration of the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan into a post-communist “Greater China” during the current “Asian Century.”

HIST 318 The United States and China Since 1800 (4)
This course explores the historical context of the current and future challenges and opportunities facing the United States and China, anchor nations astride the "Asian Century." To this end, we will examine China's ancient traditions and precipitous decline after 1800; trace America's multi-faceted efforts to transform China along U.S. lines during 1850-1949; explore China’s go-it-alone quest for a uniquely Chinese path to national development from 1949 to 1976; analyze ways in which the U.S. and China have interacted on the global stage since normalizing their diplomatic relations in 1979; and speculate on prospects for future U.S.-Chinese interaction. We will pay particular attention to the Midwest’s historic role and your own future in Sino-U.S. relations.

HIST 319 Modern Japan, 1868-Present (4)
A study of Japan’s transformation from feudal mosaic to economic superpower. Analyzes the “modernization” process set in motion by the Meiji Restoration of 1868; the impact of its Asian neighbors and the West on Japan’s economic and military rise; and U.S.-Japan relations since WWII. Examines Japan’s role in the current “Asian Century.”

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ART 300 East Asian Gardens
In the areas now called China and Japan, people have been creating gardens for thousands of years. Each generation links itself to the past through the visual and literary (as well as the edible) fruits of their gardens. Chinese scholars often retired (sometimes in protest) to gardens to write history, having faith that some misty figure of the future would understand and appreciate their gardens of words. Today reinterpretations of some of these early ideas appear in diverse sites ranging from the reconstructed garden at the Minneapolis Institute of Art to the “Lucky Bamboo” sold at Home Depot.

Some of the topics we will investigate include the shift from the garden as a site of agricultural production to a site of aesthetic/cultural production, nature and artifice, gardens as repositories of memory, and the relationship of gardens to the other arts.  Chinese gardens we may consider include painted versions of the Garden of Delight in Solitude and the Garden of the Artless Administrator; reconstructions of the Garden of the Artless Administrator, The Garden of the Master of the Fishing Nets, and the Yuanmingyuan; and contemporary constructions based on historic models such as the Garden of Awakening Orchids in Portland. Japanese gardens we may consider include Temple of the Gold Pavilion, Temple of the Silver Pavilion, Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, tea gardens, and the painted gardens of the Tales of Genji. Our explorations will include visits to the Garden of Pursuing Harmony at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Como Ordway Memorial Japanese Garden in St. Paul.

ECON 316 Asian Economies (4)
Examines the rise of the Asia-Pacific as an important economic, cultural, and geopolitical region. Concentrates primarily on the post World War II growth performance of the “Asian Tigers” in East, Southeast, and South Asia. Studies how these countries transformed themselves from peasant societies into global industrial powerhouses within their regional and international contexts.

ENV 312/GEOG 312 Geography of Asia (4)
Asia is a complex and diverse part of the world with more than half of the world’s population, some of the world’s fastest growing economies, and diverse countries and cultures that are fundamentally linked to our everyday lives in North America. In this upper-division, reading-intensive course, students will be introduced to the natural environments, political-economies, and cultures of Asia. The course will emphasize globalization, current events, and cultural issues, and will draw on varied sources of information including books, academic and popular articles, films, and novels.

The course is organized by a regional approach, and will include study of South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. For each region, students will understand important elements of the physical environment, including climate, landscape, and the challenges presented by factors such as pollution, desertification, and global sea level rise; cultural practices, including social and religious traditions; current political and socio-economic position of the countries in the region, as measured by comparison with other parts of the world; gender relations, including cultural pressures and demographic consequences; and key historical points and current events, especially as they relate to interactions with the United States.

MCLT 315 Chinese Literature in Translation (4)
Study of selected translated Chinese literary texts. Students will examine the periods from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to present-day China.

MCLT 319 East Asian Literature in Translation (4)
A study of Chinese and Japanese literary traditions.

PHIL 339 Chinese Philosophy (4)
An introduction to the Chinese philosophical tradition through selected foundational texts like the Tao Te Ching, the Chuang Tzu, the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius, the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch and selections from the writings of Chu Hsi. Students will also study early Chinese philosophical teachings concerning the nature of male and female and their appropriate social roles, contemporary analyses of the role Confucian teachings played in constructing these gender categories and institutions, and philosophical discussions of the compatibility of Confucian teachings with contemporary (Western) egalitarian gender sensibilities.

POLS 346 Asian Politics (4)
Examination of the politics and economics of three Asian countries, namely India, China and Japan. Contemporary politics is examined through a broad study of history, cultural and social traditions, and economic conditions. The U.S. relationships with each of these nations are also studied in light of distinct foreign policy approaches.

Applicable Study Abroad Courses

JAPN 216 Intermediate Japanese II Abroad (4)
Japanese conversation and composition abroad

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CORE 390 Senior Seminar (4)
The goal of the Senior Seminar program is to develop the student's ability to make good moral judgments on issues that affect our lives. This senior seminar will touch, in some way, on a form or manifestation of moral judgment(s) encountered in the site country or culture. A course description will be provided by the program director after students are accepted for the program.

HIST 300D Topics in Modern Japan: Japanese Culture and Life (4)
This course consists of two sections: Japanese traditional arts and culture and Japanese contemporary life and popular culture. The traditional section will include lectures and practical studies of the performing arts (Kabuki, Kyogen, Noh, Tama-sudare), literature (Haiku, folk tales, poetry), refined culture (tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy), sports (Sumo, Judo, Kendo, Karate), and children's games (Kendama, Otedama, Ayatori, Origami). The contemporary section will include lectures and practical studies of family life, formal ceremonies, education, annual festivals, popular entertainment, and food. Mandatory and optional excursions. Term papers and class participation are required.

MCLT 319 East Asian Literature in Translation (4)
An introduction to Chinese literature including some short stories, poetry, and drama with attention to the historical and social context and setting. The course will use a comparative approach whenever possible.

MGMT 389 SA Experiential Learning (1-2)
This course is designed for students participating in Study Abroad. Students will write a series of essays integrating their knowledge of theory with their personal observations and reactions. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of culture on business. The course will be taught by a professor at CSB/SJU, using distance learning to maintain contact with students located in a variety of countries. Students should purchase the required textbook, Adler’s International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, from the CSB Bookstore before departure for the program site. Restricted to MGMT majors/minors.

SA 375 Ethnology of Selected Culture Areas: China and Japan (4)
Study of the culture of a CSB/SJU international program host country. Topics include: history and sociology cultural development, institutions, social change, contemporary issues and comparative value systems.

COLG 280: May Term: Economic Development & Social Change in China (2)

This region-appropriate course focuses on rapid economic development and social change in South China. Given its proximity to Hong Kong, China's historic gateway to the outside world, Guangdong province has been at the forefront of economic development and social change in China during the past 25 years. This course analyzes economic modernization in a rapidly-developing country and the impact of global trade and foreign direct investment on emerging markets; assesses the historical, political, and social consequences of rapid economic change; studies the role of government on social and economic development as well as environmental change at local, county, provincial, and national levels; examines diverse forms of intercultural communication; and explores new ways of seeing other peoples through cross-cultural immersion.

The course includes a study tour -- featuring lectures by local experts, group discussions, and visits to historical, manufacturing, educational, government, academic, cultural, and community facilities at important sites stretching from Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta westward to Zhanjiang -- and a series of classes on intercultural communication as well as Chinese language, history, culture, and martial arts, field trips, and home stays arranged by Zhanjiang Normal College (ZNC).