Chair: Scott Langton (Fall 2022), Melinda Landeck (Spring 2023)
Faculty: Jennifer Johnson-Cooper
The East Asian Studies program offers students an interdisciplinary introduction to the culture, history, and languages of East Asia, with a focus on China and Japan. Students will examine these two cultures’ interactions through history, their mutual influence on the development of greater East Asian civilization, and the contemporary achievements and tensions of the region. The development of language skills in Japanese, together with the cultivation of an understanding of the cultural dynamics at work in the region, affords students the opportunity to become informed global citizens.
Students who graduated with a major or minor in East Asian Studies have gone on to careers in government, law, finance, health care, consulting, the travel and hospitality industry, and education.
Japanese Language Placement
Those students who have taken Japanese in high school or otherwise have background in the language will begin their college study at a level appropriate to their proficiency. Student placement will be based on an assessment interview at the time of registration. A student who places into Japanese 202 or higher will have satisfied the Austin College language competency requirement.
Students who have been placed by Austin College into Japanese 202 or higher as the first college-level course in that language and who complete the course with a satisfactory grade (S, C-, or above) will receive one additional credit for the preceding level (i.e., Japanese 201 or Japanese 202). This additional credit may be applied toward the EAS major or minor where appropriate.
Degrees Offered in East Asian Studies
Major in East Asian Studies
Minor in East Asian Studies
A major in East Asian Studies consists of:
Cultural Survey Requirement (select 2 courses, 1 from each group)
Group A:
EAS 105 Early East Asian Thought
EAS 110 Origins of East Asian Civilization
Group B:
EAS 120 Transformation of Classical Culture in East Asia
EAS 130 East Asia in the Modern Era
Language Requirement
JAPN 202 Intermediate Japanese II
Electives (select 5 courses)
Lower-Level Electives (no more than 2, no more than 1 may be at the 100 level)
Additional EAS Cultural Survey: EAS 105, 110, EAS 120, EAS 130
EAS 220 Translation and Adaptation
EAS 225 Gender in East Asia
EAS 226 East Asia House
EAS 230 Cinema in East Asia
EAS 245 Samurai in Japanese History & Culture
EAS 250 Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS 265 Environmental Issues in East Asia
EAS 270 Chinese Medicine
EAS 285 Japanese Pop Culture
Advanced Courses (must have 3 courses)
JAPN 301 Advanced Japanese (formerly JAPN 236)
JAPN 350 Advanced Topics in Japanese
EAS 350 Advanced Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS 394 Advanced Student Research
JAPN 464 Teaching and Learning Practicum
EAS 491 Honors Thesis in East Asian Studies
JAPN 491 Honors Thesis
EAS 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Other Considerations When Planning for the Major:
- Students complete Japanese 101, 102, and 201 as needed. These courses are not included in the eight credits for the major.
- Students are highly encouraged to study abroad for a long academic semester in an East Asian country. Language courses completed as part of this course of study may be applied as lower level electives, regardless of stated level. Courses completed abroad may count for advanced credit with approval of the EAS faculty member who teaches the content most closely related to the course in question.
- The cultural survey requirement should be completed as early in the Austin College education as possible and is normally not substituted for courses taken abroad.
- JanTerm courses may not be counted toward the completion of the major.
- With approval of the chair of East Asian Studies, up to two courses from another discipline (religious studies, anthropology, history, sociology, etc.) may be approved as electives.
Total Credits Requirement = 8 course credits
A minor in East Asian Studies consists of:
Cultural Survey Requirement (select 2 courses, 1 from each group)
Group A:
EAS 105 Early East Asian Thought
EAS 110 Origins of East Asian Civilization
Group B:
EAS 120 Transformation of Classical Culture in East Asia
EAS 130 East Asia in the Modern Era
Electives (select 3 at the 200-level or above)
Additional EAS Cultural Survey: EAS 105, 110, EAS 120, EAS 130
JAPN 201 Intermediate Japanese I
JAPN 202 Intermediate Japanese II
EAS 215 Martial Arts Narratives
EAS 220 Translation and Adaptation
EAS 225 Gender in East Asia
EAS 230 Cinema in East Asia
EAS 245 Samurai in Japanese History & Culture
EAS 250 Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS 265 Environmental Issues in East Asia
EAS 270 Chinese Medicine
EAS 285 Japanese Pop Culture
JAPN 301 Advanced Japanese (formerly JAPN 236)
JAPN 350 Advanced Topics in Japanese
EAS 350 Advanced Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS 380 Art and Human Rights in East Asia
EAS 394 Advanced Student Research
JAPN 464 Teaching and Learning Practicum
EAS 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Other Considerations When Planning for the Minor:
- The EAS minor bears no language requirement.
- EAS 226 may not be counted toward the completion of the minor.
- Students are highly encouraged to study abroad for a long academic semester in an East Asian country. Language courses completed as part of this course of study may be applied as electives, regardless of stated level.
- JanTerm courses may not be counted toward the completion of the minor.
- With approval of the chair of East Asian Studies, up to two courses from another discipline (religious studies, anthropology, history, sociology, etc.) may be approved as electives.
Total Credits Requirement = 5 course credits
COURSES IN EAST ASIAN STUDIES
EAS 105 Early East Asian Thought
This course begins with the emergence of critical thought in early China, examining the core texts of traditions such as Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism, and Mohism, while also examining the import of Buddhism to China, paying attention to the social and political changes that gave rise to these schools of thought. From there, the course traces the spread of these schools of thought throughout East Asia, looking at the adaptations of the traditions in Japan and Korea. The content of this course provides students with an in-depth understanding of many of the thought foundations of East Asian culture and politics. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Foundation Writing Competency. PREQ: Freshman or sophomore standing; juniors or seniors by instructor permission only. (Each spring)
EAS 110 Origins of East Asian Civilization
This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of some of the earliest documented civilizations of human history. The course introduces students to the cultural histories of China, Japan, and Korea, surveying these cultures from their earliest times until they begin their transition into modernity. We examine how these cultures remained distinct while also participating in a single East Asian civilization by devoting attention to social values, philosophical and religious thought, political history, literature, and the visual arts. Readings will include some text materials, but also poems, stories, philosophical writings, and other translated materials. No knowledge of East Asia required. Requirements met: Full Writing Competency, Foundation Writing Competency, Humanities Breadth/Discover, and Global Diversity. PREQ: Freshman or sophomore standing; juniors or seniors by instructor permission only. (Fall terms, even years)
EAS 120 Transformation of Classical Culture in East Asia
This course surveys East Asian history and culture during periods corresponding to the emergence from antiquity, tracing the respective trajectories of China and Japan as they progress toward modernity. As these periods vary significantly in each cultural context, content for China will cover a period extending from the Yuan dynasty (1279) through the time of the First Sino-Japanese War (1895), while coverage of Japan addresses the period of Tokugawa shogunal hegemony, 1600-1867. Students will examine a variety of primary sources (literary and governmental treatises, the visual and performing arts), augmented by secondary scholarship, as they consider social developments and intellectual trends that distinguish these interim eras from, and connect them to, the preceding classical cultures. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Full Writing Competency, Foundation Writing Competency, and Global Diversity. PREQ: Freshman or sophomore standing; juniors or seniors by instructor permission only. (Spring terms, even years)
EAS 130 East Asia in the Modern Era
This survey course introduces students to the historical and cultural developments in East Asia from the 19th century into the 21st century, including regional tensions, rapid modernization, flourishing nationalism, unabashed imperialism, war, revolution, industrialization, and impact these have had on cultural production. Our texts will include primary source documents (cultural and historical), as well as secondary scholarship, that will situate the events and achievements of the modern era within the wider context of the region’s rich cultural history. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Foundation Writing Competency, and Global Diversity. PREQ: Freshman or sophomore standing; juniors or seniors by instructor permission only. (Fall terms, odd years)
EAS 215 Martial Arts Narratives
In this course, we learn about the historical and philosophical foundations of martial arts and examine their many related cultural products: film, literature, comic books, music, art, and more. What about martial arts has inspired and held the imaginations of so many? In answering this question, the course will begin with the earliest aesthetic representations of martial arts and progress to contemporary Hollywood collaborations, examining reception both in the East Asian context and internationally, as well as speaking to questions of national identity, translation, and transnational production. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Advanced Writing Competency. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 220 Translation and Adaptation
What makes a good story? How do we share those stories with people from radically different backgrounds? How do we translate them into foreign languages? This course takes these questions as its central problem. Using alternating “great books” from the East Asian literary tradition (such as Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of Red Chamber, The Water Margin, The Tale of Genji), we will look at specific instances of translation and adaptation. Our examinations of these works will be natural starting points for conversations about the tasks of translation and remake, and the theories and practices that go into these tasks. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 225 Gender in East Asia
This course is a topical exploration of an issue pertaining to gender studies in the East Asian context. Previous topics have included: Women in Pre-Modern Japan, Women in Modern China, and Love, Sex, and Politics in Twentieth Century China. Course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality, and Advanced Writing Competency. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 226 East Asia House
This half-credit course provides residents of the East Asian section of the Jordan Family Language House the opportunity to engage with problem-based learning regarding East Asian culture. Instructor permission required. May be repeated with instructor permission; grading is S/D/U only. 0.50 credits. (Each fall and spring terms)
EAS 230 Cinema in East Asia
This course explores cinema in East Asia as a narrative art form, as a repository for traditional values and aesthetics, as a vehicle for social commentary, and as a site of cultural development. Topics may include the cinema of specific filmmakers, actors, eras, genres or themes, and films examined may come from one country, from several countries, or may even be transnational projects. Assigned texts and class discussions will introduce filmmakers, the milieu in which each film was made, and the fundamental vocabulary of film studies. In addition, class discussions and assignments will cultivate students’ understanding of and ability to describe the style of various directors and the characteristics of important genres, and will facilitate students’ ability to speak and write critically about films in their cultural and historical context. Course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 245 Samurai in Japanese History & Culture
Japan’s warrior class, the samurai, dominated politics and society for more than half of Japan’s recorded history. This course traces samurai culture from its emergence in the 10th century through the formal dissolution of the samurai class in 1877 and onward, into the contemporary era. Course materials will consider the historical origins of continued references to the spirit of the samurai in global culture and analyze the historical accuracy of persistent modern myths about Japanese warriors manifest in the visual arts, medieval war tales, poetry, philosophical treatises, traditional theater and modern mass media, including film and television. Students will consider the popularity of the samurai as a unique marker of Japanese identity and will be coached in the critical evaluation of samurai-themed cultural productions ranging from 18th-century kabuki plays to contemporary animated cartoons. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Advanced Writing Competency. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 250 Intermediate Topics in Asian Studies
A study of selected topics for beginning students based on faculty and student interests. Offered on an occasional basis. Course may be repeated when topic varies. 1 course credit.
EAS 265 Environmental Issues in East Asia
This course provides a topical examination of the manner in which East Asian nations address environmental concerns at both the state and individual levels, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Topics might include: China’s Modern Environment, Disaster Management in Japan, East Asia’s Industrialization and the Global Environment, Climate Change Response in East Asia. Course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 270 Chinese Medicine
Will feeding a child the shell of a cicada really cure their night terrors? What could possibly have prompted someone to try this? This course takes on this kind of question by looking at the cultural origins of the broad range of practices of what is now known as “traditional Chinese medicine” (zhongyi), which have become so popular over the last thirty years that they are frequently investigated by western medical journals and introduced to practitioners of western medicine as part of their education. With practices stretching back up to 5000 years, Chinese medicine is distinct from its Western counterparts in that the origins of its practices are found in myth, literature, and anecdote. With twentieth-century efforts to integrate modern evidence-based science, traditional Chinese medicine is one of the most complete living examples of the evolution of the practice of science. In this course, we will read the classic treatises of Chinese medicine. We will learn about the traditional Chinese model of the human body (which still informs much of the modern practice of traditional Chinese medicine) and how the world surrounding it is theorized to affect it. We will study the “strange” ingredients of traditional Chinese pharmaceuticals in the context of the literature that prescribes them. Using their writings, we will follow in the footsteps of the founders of Chinese medicine, diagnosing the patients they saw and grappling with the complications they faced. Our journey will naturally lead us to reflect upon collaboration between science and the humanities. No knowledge of China, Chinese language, or medical science is required, though the course is a good fit for anyone interested in one or more of the three. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Advanced Writing Competency, and Global Diversity. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 285 Japanese Pop Culture
The production of culture for a popular audience, rather than strictly for elite patrons, has been a phenomenon in Japan since at least the 17th century. This course examines popular culture across the centuries—from kabuki to Takarazuka Revue, from kokkeibon to manga, from naniwabushi to J-Pop—with the objective of discerning its reflection of the social issues confronting Japanese through time, and the differences and similarities between 21st century Japanese and their forebears. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 335 The Two Koreas
This course explores the history and culture of the Korean peninsula from the late Joseon period (17th century) to the present, striving to place Korea and its peoples in the broader context of East Asia. Students will acquire a familiarity with figures, events, ideologies, and patterns in the historical development of Korean society and explore key components of mainstream and marginalized Korean culture. Units will explore issues such as the formative impacts of Neo-Confucianism on Korean statecraft and family structures, responses to Japanese imperialist aggression, the fraught nature of foreign relations between North Korea, South Korea, and other nations, the persistent social legacies of the Korean War, as well as the future trajectories of denuclearization and the possibility of political reunification. Students will explore the factors driving Korea’s emergence as a new nexus of global “soft power” disseminated through the growing global appeal of Korean drama, K-pop music and Korean cuisine. PREQ: At least one East Asian Studies course or instructor permission. Requirements met: Global Diversity and Advanced Writing Competency.
EAS 350/450 Advanced Topics in East Asian Studies
An investigation of selected topics for more advanced students based on faculty and student interests. Offered on an occasional basis. Course may be repeated when topic varies. 1 course credit.
EAS 380 Art and Human Rights in East Asia
Is artistic expression an inalienable human right? Perhaps more importantly, can artistic expression influence how human rights are defined and exercised in a given context? In an attempt to answer these questions, this course looks at the case of East Asia. The region shares critically important cultural foundations and starting assumptions about human nature, but its dense population is governed by radically different political regimes ranging from democracy to dictatorship. What role does the artist occupy in each of these societies? What can we understand about the role art takes in advocating for basic human freedoms and dignity? These inquiries will force us to think of the assumptions we ourselves bring to bear upon the works we will encounter in the course, which provides a natural segue-way into a consideration of the motivations of the various forms of international attention visited upon artists who take up human rights as their cause. Was Mo Yan’s award of the Nobel Prize for Literature a way of criticizing Chinese society? Would Ai Weiwei be as internationally acclaimed if he was not in conflict with a regime that concerns the United States on both economic and national security fronts? Can a democracy have dissident artists? Under a dictatorship, is all art propaganda? Does the society that surrounds you influence the type of artist you are allowed to become? Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. Requirements met: Advanced Writing Competency. (Offered occasionally)
EAS 394 Advanced Student Research
Intended for advanced students to develop and execute a research project related to East Asian studies suitable for public dissemination under mentorship of a faculty member. Students are expected to present the results of their research in a public forum. Typically, this work results in a formal presentation, written work, or creative works. Course credit varies from 0-1.00. PREQ: Instructor permission required.
EAS 430 Issues in Contemporary East Asia
This course approaches an important issue in contemporary East Asia through the frameworks of humanities scholarly inquiry methods to help students gain a holistic understanding of the issue as a cultural phenomenon. Issues will change according to regional developments and have included Hong Kong student protests and the coronavirus outbreak. Requirements met: Humanities Breadth/Discover. PREQ: East Asian Studies 130 or instructor permission.
EAS 491 Honors Thesis in Asian Studies
Extensive independent study in the major in a topic of special interest culminating in a bachelor’s thesis with oral examination by thesis committee resulting in a bachelor’s degree with Honors upon completion. See Departmental Honors Program for more information. Completed in last three semesters before graduation. Offered for variable course credit from 1.00-2.00.
EAS 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Student-driven independent study in a topic related to the major completed at an off-campus site. See Off-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
COURSES IN JAPANESE LANGUAGE
JAPN 101, 102 Beginning Japanese
Introduction to the Japanese language. PREQ: Japanese 102: Japanese 101 with a grade of C- or higher or instructor permission. (101, each fall; 102, each spring)
JAPN 201, 202 Intermediate Japanese
Continuation of the study of Japanese, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. PREQ: Japanese 201: Japanese 102 with a grade of C- or higher or equivalent course. PREQ: Japanese 202: Japanese 201 with a grade of C- or higher or equivalent course. Requirements met with 201: Language Competency. Requirements met with 202 only: Language Competency, Humanities Breadth/Discover, and Global Diversity. (201, each fall; 202, each spring)
JAPN 301 Advanced Japanese
Further development of proficiency in grammatical and stylistic structure of Japanese. Continued emphasis on honing oral/aural and cultural fluency. Special focus is placed on enhancing reading skills through the study of progressively complex texts in the original Japanese. Prerequisites: Japanese 202 or instructor permission. Requirements met: Language Competency, Humanities Breadth/Discover, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Each Fall)
JAPN 350 Advanced Topics in Japanese
A study of selected topics for advanced students based on faculty and student interests. Offered on an occasional basis. Course may be repeated for credit when topic varies. Prerequisites vary. 1 course credit.
JAPN 394 Advanced Student Research
Intended for advanced students to develop and execute a research project related to Japanese suitable for public dissemination under mentorship of a faculty member. Students are expected to present the results of their research in a public forum. Typically, this work results in a formal presentation, written work, or creative works. Course credit varies from 0-1.00. PREQ: Instructor permission required.
JAPN 464 Teaching/Learning Participation
An individualized study that includes sharing in the instructional process for a particular Japanese course under the supervision of the faculty member teaching the course. Open only to certain highly qualified juniors and seniors by invitation. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information.
JAPN 491 Honors Thesis in Japanese
Extensive independent study in the major in a topic of special interest culminating in a bachelor’s thesis with oral examination by thesis committee resulting in a bachelor’s degree with Honors upon completion. See Departmental Honors Program for more information. Completed in last three semesters before graduation. Offered for variable course credit from 1.00-2.00.
JAPN 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Student-driven independent study in a topic related to the major completed at an off-campus site. See Off-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.