A Survey of East Asian Civilizations
HIST 2260 (Fall of 2008)
Community College of R.I.
Instructor: Dr. Jon Q. Lu
Introduction:
This is a survey course of East Asian history, politics, society, economy, philosophy, religion, literature and arts from the ancient times to the modern period, with the emphasis on the last century and a half. The course attempts to treat the region as a part of world history, offering some comparisons designed to show the ways that the East Asian experience has been both like and unlike that of other regions. To provide a meaningful learning experience for you all, this course covers a substantial amount of materials. This means that you should plan to spend at least five hours per week to read the relevant materials. Therefore, this course requires considerable motivation and self-discipline.
Required Readings:
East Asia: A New History by Rhoads Murphey (4th edition, Longman, 2006)
Video materials will also be used to help visualize the cultures and societies we are learning.
Other pertinent materials will be handed out in class irregularly.
We will have three group discussions related to China, Korea and Japan.
Course Requirements:
Requirements: There are three open-book, multiple-choice tests and a three-page book report. The final grade will be the average of the four grades (25% each). The tests will consist of simple questions, covering the content of the lectures, video, handouts and the textbook. No test is cumulative.
Make-up exams will take the form of a six-page book report, either for the China test or the Korea test. The makeup option can be used only once and it is not available for the Japan test.
Penalties: If you have managed to complete only three of the four assignments at the end of the semester, the final grade will be the average of the three, with a mandatory deduction of 20 points off the average. Late book report is subject to a 10-point deduction penalty.
Incentives: A perfect attendance will earn you 5 extra points on top of your grade average.
Office Location and Contact Information:
My office is in Room 1236 in the faculty lounge. I am also available to respond to individual questions via telephone at 401-333-7357 (O) or by e-mail:
Office Hours:
12:00-1:00 p.m. (M.T.W.Th.)
Weekly Reading Schedule:
Week 01 / Murphey: p 24-52 --- Early China
Week 02 / Murphey: p 74-96, 122-139 --- Imperial Tang and Ming dynasties
Week 03 / Murphey: p 147-167 --- China and the West
Week 04 / Murphey: p 346-363 --- China in the early 1900s (discussion
Week 05 / Murphey: p 407-431--- China since 1949
Test One / China
Week 06 / Murphey: p 187-202, 338-344 --- Southeast Asia
Week 07
/ Murphey: p 460-471 --- Southeast AsiaWeek 08 / Murphey: p 170-185, 325-329 --- Ancient Korea
Week 09 / Murphey: p 452-460 --- 20th-Century Korea, (discussion)
Test Two / Korea and Southeast Asia
Week 10 / Murphey: p 203-224 --- Early Japan
Week 11 / Murphey: p 226-243 --- Feudal Japan
Week 12 / Murphey: p 306-323 --- Meiji Japan (Book Report Due, Nov. 18)
Week 13 / Murphey: p 374-405--- Japan before 1945
Week 14 / Murphey: p 434-450 --- Japan since 1945 (discussion)
Week 15
/ Murphey: p 474-475 --- Future US-East Asia RelationsTest Three
/ JapanHow to Read Your Textbook?
1. Try to have a clear understanding of the chronological evolution of history in these three countries: e.g. the change of dynasties and kingdoms. Focus on those dynasties that survived more than a century.
2. Pay attention to the discussion of cultural comparisons. Although both Japan and Korea borrowed heavily from China initially, yet they were not totally Sinicized. There were/are many commonalties as well as differences between these three cultures.
3. Follow those important individuals who made an outstanding contribution to the historical development in a particular period and those events in which they were involved.
4. Anything unique to one particular culture is of great importance, e.g. flower arrangement as a form of art in Japanese culture.
5. Popular misperceptions about these three cultures are discussed and refuted throughout the book, e.g. Chinese history is repetitious and static or Japanese feudalism is the same as that in medieval Europe.
6. American involvement in East Asia: when did it start? Was there any change over the years? How many wars did the US get involved in East Asia and for what reasons? What is America's future role in that part of the world?
The Book Report Requirements:
1) Which book to use?
The book or an article from a professional history journal selected for this review must be relevant or supplementary to the content of this survey course. Chronologically, it must be within the time period that this course covers. In terms of content, a book on a specific topic/period in East Asian history is preferred. Please AVOID reading another SURVEY type of book like our textbook.
2) What is the length?
3 pages (8.5 x 11) = class assignment (Due in class, Nov. 18)
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6 pages (8.5 x 11) = makeup option
What are the requirements for the six-page makeup report?
Page 1: the title page
Your name, course number and instructor's name
Title of the book/article
Author of the book/article
Publisher/journal of publication
Publishing date/issue number
Pages 2-5: the content pages
-Summarize the book/article's content: who? when? what? where? why?
-Compare it with the content covered in our textbook or certain points this course has discussed (including the differences, similarities between the two authors.)
-Comment on, critique, and evaluate these differences in content, style, approach between the two and how this new material complements our course.
Page 6: bibliography/notes
A Bibliography and Endnotes
(You can use footnotes instead of endnotes if you know how to manipulate the computer.)
Note:
Standard textbooks and articles from encyclopedia or other web-based reference sources are not considered proper materials for this book report assignment.
All book reports should be computer-processed. They should be double-spaced, and justified on both sides. Please use font 12 only.