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Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Asian Studies: II. Intermediate |
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ASIA 276 - Experiencing the Other: Representation of China and the West
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHIN 276 ) This course examines representation of China in Western Literature and the West in Chinese Literature from the end of the 17th Century. Through such an examination, issues such as identity, perceptions of the other, self-consciousness, exoticism, and aesthetic diversity are discussed. Readings include Defoe, Goldsmith, Voltaire, Twain, Kafka, Malraux, Sax Rohmer, Pearl Buck, Brecht, and Duras on the Western side as well as Cao Xueqin, Shen Fu, Lao She, and Wang Shuo on the Chinese side. Some feature films are also included. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): One course on Asia or One literature course.
All readings are in English or English translation, foreign films are subtitled.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 280 - Global Powers in Taiwan
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 280 ) This intensive explores the nature of globalization through the lens of Taiwan’s experiences with colonialism and economic development from the seventeenth century to the present. The Dutch, Spanish, Qing, Japanese, Chinese Nationalists, and the United States have profoundly shaped the island and its interactions with the World. Student research projects focus on the ways in which these global powers have shaped Taiwan’s political and cultural identities as well as its international economy. Possible topics may relate to migration, empire, war developmental state, democratization, women’s activism, cross-straits relations, and Taiwanese Americans. This intensive also provides opportunities for interested students to embark on oral history research on the history of Chinese and Taiwanese Americans in Poughkeepsie and New York. Students meet several times as a group with the instructor to unpack the global history of Taiwan and discuss relevant research methodologies. Students also meet one-on-one with the instructor bi-weekly to discuss their term projects. Wayne Soon.
One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 283 - Transnational India/South Asia Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Beginning with the Bhagavad Gita, “the Bible of Hinduism,” we trace Vedic culture through Western (mis)appropriations via the Transcendentalists and Hermann Hesse (in Siddhartha). From there we move to responses by writers like R.K. Narayan and the phenomenon of real and fake gurus, followed by the florescence of American works by writers of South Asian origin, particularly women writers like Bharati Mukherjee, Indira Ganesan, and Jhumpa Lahari. We also examine the new expression of South Asian mythos in American popular culture (Steven Universe and My Little Pony) as well as the unique intersection of genre and identity in the speculative fictional works of Vandana Singh and Amitav Ghosh. The Department.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 285 - Embodied Forms: Reading the Material World of East Asia Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHJA 285 ) This class explores the representations and discourses surrounding material objects, including physical embodiments, in East Asian contexts (Japan, China and Korea). It begins with a broad theoretical exploration of materiality – how should we talk about the physical? And what of embodiment – how can the experiences of the human body become sites of dominant ideologies and socio-political resistance. We then dive into specific examples from Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultural contexts, examining these questions more closely, and dissecting how material forms become linked to broad socio-cultural discourses. Some of the topics this class covers include: bento boxes and socialization, anime figures and ‘database’ consumption, plastic surgery and neoliberal discourses of ’becoming’ in Korean media, gender swapping and social resistance in the Chinese drama Go Princess Go, the multiple languages of food, and Japanese shitamachi ‘downtown’/ local factory dramas. Classwork includes one group project and one term paper as well as short reading response papers. Judit Kroo.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 286 - Asian American Graphic Literature Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
An examination of a spectrum of Asian American narratives in comic book form, focusing primarily on graphic novels and hybrid texts in their complex personal, cultural, and political contexts of representation. Some of the works covered may include: Jean Yang, American Born Chinese; Belle Yang, Forget Sorrow; Mine Okubo, Citizen 13660; Thi Bui, The Best We Could Do; Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki, Skim; Nidhi Chanani, Pashmina; Bryan O’Malley, Seconds; Jen Wang, Koko Be Good; Marcelino Truong, Saigon Calling; and Yang & Shen, eds., Shattered: The Asian-American Comics Anthology. The Department.
Two 75-minute periods.
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ASIA 290 - Community-Engaged Learning Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Prerequisite(s): Two units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 293 - Asian Art in 100 Objects Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
(Same as ART 293 ) This intensive offers students an opportunity to study Asian art with real objects. Together, we critically analyze potteries, bronzes, ceramics, stone carvings, and other art forms from China, Japan, and Korea. This shared experience provides an in-depth examination of objects that are often studied for their visual qualities alone. Jin Xu Jin Xu
Second Six-Week Course
Two 75 minute periods
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 298 - Independent Study Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Prerequisite(s): Two units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.
Course Format: OTH
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Asian Studies: III. Advanced Asian Studies Senior Seminar
The Senior Seminar addresses topics and questions that engage several areas of Asia and Asian Studies as a discipline. Topic may change yearly. The senior seminar is a required course for Asian Studies senior majors; ordinarily it may be taken by other students as well. |
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ASIA 300 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters.
Full year course 300-ASIA 301 .
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 301 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters.
Full year course ASIA 300 -301.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 302 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)
A 1-unit thesis written in the fall or spring semester. Students may elect this option only in exceptional circumstances and by special permission of the program director.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 305 - Advanced Korean Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The goal of this course is to equip students with proficiency in all four language skills, speaking, listening, reading, and writing, beyond the intermediate level. Students are expected to be able to and command a lengthy narrative discourse on personal experience. The medium of the class is mainly Korean, and English translation is given when it is necessary. Claire Kang.
Yearlong course 305-ASIA 306 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 306 - Advanced Korean
1 unit(s)
The goal of this course is to equip students with proficiency in all four language skills, speaking, listening, reading and writing, beyond the intermediate level. Students are expected to be able to and command a lengthy narrative discourse on personal experience. The medium of the class is mainly Korean, and English translation is given when it is necessary. Claire Kang.
Yearlong course ASIA 305 -306
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 310 - Mao’s China in the World: War, Science and Legitimacy
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 310 ) This class examines the history of China’s recent past from 1949 to the present, with an emphasis on the relationship between China and the world. We explore the strategies of Mao Zedong and his comrades in winning and consolidating power, the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party in gaining global legitimacy for the People’s Republic of China vis-à-vis the Republic of China in Taiwan, the critical role of science, medicine, and technology in the Chinese economy and society, and the ways in which gender, class, and race underpinned the revolutionary experiences of the Chinese. This class also pays particular attention to Mao’s legacies on China and the world. Upon completion of the course, students gain the tools to critically examine the growth of contemporary China in the context of its dynamic past. Wayne Soon.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 312 - Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese Diaspora Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 312 ) This seminar explores how members of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora maneuvered challenges of empire, colonialism, war, and revolution to thrive economically in the 19th and 20th centuries. This class also contextualizes the recent protests around the world against China’s interventions into Taiwan and Hong Kong’s autonomy within the longer histories of Taiwan and Hong Kong’s interaction with the Dutch, Japanese, and British empires, Chinese nationalism, and America’s Cold War interests. It will also examine how the Chinese diaspora have negotiated issues of identities, healthcare, and migration in their quest for autonomy. Wayne Soon
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 320 - Studies in Sacred Texts
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 320 ) Examination of selected themes and texts in sacred literature.
May be taken more than once when content changes.
Open to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors only.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 332 - Tantra Seminar
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 332 )
Prerequisite(s): One 100-level course in Asian Studies or Religion.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 337 - Indian National Cinema
1 unit(s)
(Same as FILM 337 ) This course is designed to introduce students to the dynamic and diverse film traditions of India. It examines how these texts imagine and image the Indian nation and problematizes the “national” through an engagement with regional cinemas within India as well as those produced within the Indian diaspora. Readings are drawn from contemporary film theory, post-colonial theory, and Indian cultural studies. Screenings may include Meghe Dhaka Tara / The Cloud-Capped Star (Ritwik Ghatak, 1960), Mother India (Mehboob Khan, 1957), Shatranj Ke Khilari / The Chess Players (Satyajit Ray, 1977), Sholay (Ramesh Sippy, 1975), Bombay (Mani Ratnam, 1995), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham/ Happiness and Tears (Karan Johar, 2001), Bride and Prejudice (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), and Mission Kashmir (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, 2000). Sophia Harvey.
Prerequisite(s): FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 339 - Contemporary Southeast Asian Cinemas
1 unit(s)
(Same as FILM 339 ) This survey course is designed to introduce students to the dynamic and diverse film texts emerging from and about Southeast Asia. It examines how these texts imagine and image Southeast Asia and/or particular nations within the region. More specifically, the course focuses on the themes of urban spaces and memory/trauma as they operate within texts about Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste. The course reading material is designed to provide (1) theoretical insights, (2) general socio-cultural and/or political overviews, and (3) more specific analyses of film texts and/or filmmakers. Sophia Harvey.
Prerequisite(s): FILM 175 or FILM 210 and permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 341 - The Goddess Traditions of India, China and Tibet
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 341 ) Beginning with a study of the Great Mother Goddess tradition of India and its branching out into China and Tibet, this course considers the history, myths and practices associated with the various goddess traditions in Hinduism and Buddhism. The relationship of the goddess and her worship to issues of gender, caste, and ethics, and spiritual practice are also considered. Rick Jarow.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 345 - Violent Frontiers: Colonialism and Religion in the Nineteenth Century
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 345 ) What is the relationship between religion and colonialism and how has this relationship shaped the contemporary world? During the nineteenth century the category of religion was imagined and applied in different ways around the globe. When colonialists undertook to ‘civilize’ a people, specific understandings of religion were at the core of their undertakings. By the mid-nineteenth century, Europe’s territorial energy was focused on Asia and Africa. Themes for discussion include various nineteenth-century interpretations of religion, the relationship between empire and culture, the notion of frontier religion, and the imagination and production of society. Michael Walsh.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 350 - Comparative Studies in Religion Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 350 ) Topic for 2019/20a: Religious Responses to Suffering and Death. This course examines ways in which various religious and spiritual teachings and traditions understand and address suffering and death, and goes on to focus on existential encounters with dying through contemporary issues such as euthanasia, hospice care, responses to the aids epidemic and natural disasters, terrorism, near death experiences, shamanic journeys, life after death, and the impact of non-Western religious perspectives on our own views of death and dying. The course includes a number of films and guest speakers who are specialists in their fields. On occasion, if speakers cannot be scheduled during class hours, sessions are scheduled on Tuesday evenings. All students are expected to attend. E.H. Jarow.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 351 - Special Topics in Chinese and Japanese Literature and Culture Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHJA 351 ) Topics vary each year. Can be repeated for credit when a new topic is offered.
Topic for 2019/20b: Chinese Linguistics. This course offers a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the history and nature of the Chinese language in terms of its phonology, morphology and syntax in comparison with English. It also highlights the construction and evolution of Chinese characters and explores social dimensions of the language such as language planning and standardization, relations of Mandarin with the dialects, and interactions between Chinese and other languages. Topics also include unique linguistic devices in the Chinese rhetoric and figure of speech. Classes are conducted and readings are done in English or bilingually. Students with background in Chinese can choose to do projects in Chinese at their appropriate levels. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): Two courses in a combination of language, linguistics, literature, culture, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 361 - Youth in Japanese Literature
1 unit(s)
(Same as JAPA 361 ) This course explores the topic of youth and adolescence in Japan. It examines how Japanese modern history, society and culture are presented differently in literary works when the perspective of youth is employed. Key topics of family, sexuality, modernization and civilization emerge to the surface. Issues that young people face are different in each period of time. However, the young commonly try to deal with the idea of “development” into mature adulthood or socially expected manhood and womanhood. Young people’s ideals, disillusionment, frustrations, and struggles are examined through selected literary and cinematic works. Readings include works by Natsume Soseki, Higuchi Ichiyo, Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, Yasuoka Shotaro, and Murakami Haruki. We also expand our horizon to film, music and anime, as well. Hiromi Dollase.
Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 362 - Women in Japanese and Chinese Literature Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHJA 362 and WMST 362 ) An intercultural examination of the images of women presented in Japanese and Chinese narrative, drama, and poetry from their early emergence to the modern period. While giving critical attention to aesthetic issues and the gendered voices in representative works, the course also provides a comparative view of the dynamic changes in women’s roles in Japan and China. Peipei Qiu.
Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
All selections are in English translation.
One 2-hour period.
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ASIA 363 - Decolonizing International Relations
1 unit(s)
(Same as POLI 363 ) Colonial frameworks are deeply constitutive of mainstream international relations. Issues of global security, economy, and politics continue to be analyzed through perspectives that either silence or are impervious to the voices and agencies of global majorities. This seminar challenges students to enter into, reconstruct, and critically evaluate the differently imagined worlds of ordinary, subaltern peoples and political groups. We draw upon postcolonial theories to explore alternatives to the historically dominant explanations of international relations. Himadeep Muppidi.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 364 - The West in Japanese Literature since the Nineteenth Century
1 unit(s)
(Same as JAPA 364 ) This course examines the influence of the West on Japanese literature after the nineteenth century and follows the process of the construction of modern Japanese identity. Authors may include: Natsume Sôseki, Akuagawa Ryûnosuke, Tanizaki Junichirô, Kojima Nobuo, Murakami Ryû and Yamada Amy. Translated Japanese literary works are closely read, and various theoretical readings are assigned. This course emphasizes discussion and requires research presentations. Hiromi Dollase.
Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
This course is conducted in English.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 365 - Imagining Asia and the Island Pacific
1 unit(s)
(Same as ANTH 365 ) Does “the Orient” exist? Is the Pacific really a Paradise? On the other hand, does the “West” exist? If it does, is it the opposite of Paradise? Asia is often imagined as an ancient, complex challenger and the Pacific is often imagined as a simple, idyllic paradise. This course explores Western scholarly images of Asia (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia) and of the island Pacific. It also traces the impact of Asian and Pacific ideas and institutions on the West. Each time offered, the seminar has at least three foci, on topics such as: Asia, the Pacific and capitalism; Asia, the Pacific and the concept of culture; Asia, the Pacific and the nation-state; Asia, the Pacific and feminism; Asia, the Pacific and knowledge. Martha Kaplan.
Prerequisite(s): Previous coursework in Asian Studies/Anthropology or permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 366 - Seminar in Transcending the Limit: Literary Theory in the East-West Context
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHJA 366 ) This course examines various traditional and contemporary literary theories with a distinct Asianist—particularly East Asianist—perspective. At least since the eighteenth century, Western theoretical discourse often took into serious consideration East Asian literature, language and civilization in their construction of “universal” theoretical discourses. The comparative approach to literary theory becomes imperative in contemporary theoretical discourse as we move toward ever greater global integration. Selected theoretical texts from the I Ching, Hegel, Genette, Barthes, Derrida, Todorov, and Heidegger as well as some primary literary texts are among the required readings. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): One literature course or permission of the instructor.
All readings are in English.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 368 - The Court, Consorts, and Courtesans
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHIN 368 ) The course is designed to serve the increasing needs among students with very high or near native Chinese proficiency who want to read more sophisticated literary texts in the original and thereby to benefit their Chinese literary reading and writing as well as their knowledge of traditional Chinese literature and culture. The course chooses primary texts mainly from the Three Kingdoms, Six Dynasties and the Tang times in medieval China and frames them in historical and literary continuum. These texts include Cao Zhi, Xie Lingyun, Liu Yiqing, Gan Bao, Du Fu, Li Shangyin and Tang romances. Some relevant modern texts and criticisms such as Lu Xun, Chen Yinke, and Qian Zhongshu are also incorporated to make up such continuum. Students are required to submit a series of writing exercises in Chinese that analyse, discuss and rewrite the original texts. Students gain great familiarity with how meanings were generated in medieval Chinese poetry and fiction, acquire insights into more personal and intimate perspectives of historical events and social mores, and improve their own Chinese reading and writing. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): Advanced Chinese or its equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Most of the readings are in Chinese.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 369 - Masculinities: Global Perspectives Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as SOCI 369 and WMST 369 ) From a sociological perspective, gender is not only an individual identity, but also a social structure of inequality (or stratification) that shapes the workings of major institutions in society as well as personal experiences. This seminar examines meanings, rituals, and quotidian experiences of masculinities in various societies in order to illuminate their normative making and remaking as a binary and hierarchical category of gender and explore alternatives to this construction of gender. Drawing upon cross-cultural and comparative case studies, this course focuses on the following institutional sites critical to the politics of masculinities: marriage and the family, the military, business corporations, popular culture and sexuality, medicine and the body, and religion. Seungsook Moon.
Prerequisite(s): Previous coursework in Sociology or permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
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ASIA 370 - Early Chinese Literature: Spring and Autumn: Tradition According To Zuo and the Book of Odes Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHIN 370 ) This intensive course reads selections from early Chinese literature including the Book of Odes, and Spring and Autumn: The Tradition According to Zuo, two of the five Confucian classics whose composition dates between 11th and 6th centuries BCE. Poems of later ages which bear clear traces of influence and borrowings may also be added to complement the reading and discussions of the archaic works. Crucial secondary literature and reference works are introduced. Requirements: texts to be read in the original; students should have near native proficiency in modern Chinese, elementary knowledge of literary Chinese a plus. Students are required to do research on assigned texts by using reference books and secondary sources. Memorization, identification and parsing of assigned passages or odes are also required. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): Near native proficiency in modern Chinese. Basic knowledge of literary Chinese preferable.
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 375 - The I-Ching: China’s Great Text of Divinatory Wisdom
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 375 ) One of the great texts of Classical China, The I-Ching (Fu Xi 伏羲, c. 2800 BCE), has emerged as a global phenomenon; connecting to fields of science, architecture, psychology, and to a “situational spirituality” based on the Daoist notion that all things incorporate the wisdom of the Way.
This course offers an intensive study of the text (in translation) along with its corollary subjects of Daoist cosmology, divination, ethics, and “finding the right path” through any situation. The eight archetypal trigrams, sixty-four divinatory modalities, understanding of the nature of change through the permutations of yin and yang are examined, as are the I-Ching’s prominent values of modesty and wu-wei or “effortless effort.” Every student learns how to work with the text, so that its study becomes more than a theoretical exercise. In this spirit of the I-Ching we “Approach with small steps/quantities (小過)”, and “be flexible to constant change in order to be sustainable (易窮則變,變則通,通則久). Rick Jarow.
Prerequisite(s): Any 100-level Asian Studies, Chinese/Japanese, or Religion course, or permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 376 - Asian Diasporas: from empires to pluralism
1 unit(s)
(Same as ANTH 376 and GEOG 376 ) Focusing on Asian Diasporas, this course engages discourses in diaspora studies and pluralism from the Vassar campus to the wider world. Our goal is both to introduce theories of migration, diaspora, cultural transformation, world system, transnationalism, and globalization, and examine some of the complex history of movements of people from Asia to other parts of the world and their integration in diverse communities. Organized chronologically, the course begins by considering the deep history of movement and interconnection in Asia and beyond with particular focus on the Asia-centered world system of the 13th and 14th centuries. We then study the movements and experiences of indentured laborers and of merchants during the era of European colonial domination. Here we engage a range of topics including the role of religion in plantation life, the role of diasporic communities and racial politics in creating post-colonial nations, the emergence, conflicts and coalitions of ethnic identities in the United States and elsewhere, and key political and cultural moments in the history of Asian-America. We then examine recent forms of nationalism and transnationalism of Asian diasporas in the context of post WWII decolonization, late capitalism, disjunctive modernity, and identity politics in the contemporary era. The principal cases are drawn from East Asian and South Asian communities in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States.
As a seminar, the course material is multi-disciplinary, ranging from political-economic to cultural studies and engages material at a high level of sophistication. We have also tried to include diverse geographical regions. Asia and Diaspora are vast topics and not every topic can be covered in the course. You have further opportunity in your research paper to discuss topics and areas of your interest. Martha Kaplan and Yu Zhou.
Prerequisite(s): 200-level work in Asian Studies, Anthropology or Geography, or permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 380 - Environmentalism in Japan Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as JAPA 380 ) A study of environmentalism in Japan under the intensive mentoring of two Japanese faculty members. The course examines Japan’s environmental issues such as earthquake and tsunami, nuclear pollution, air and water pollution, diseases caused by pollution, waste management, etc. The learning activities include reading and reseaching by using Japanese sources, weekly meeting and discussions, short reports and a long research paper written in Japanese, and the final presentation of the research result at the International Student Conference to be held at Vassar College toward the end of the Spring of 2020. Hiromi Dollase and Peipei Qiu.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: INT
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ASIA 381 - Transnational Korea Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
From “Azaleas” to jombi (zombies): we will cover a wide spectrum of Korean and Korean American texts beginning with folktales, legends, and origin myths and ending with the fiction and films of post-“Korean Wave” international auteurs like the writer/director Lee Chang-dong. We will examine religious syncretism, fantasy, and depictions of gender in “classical” narratives like The Nine Cloud Dream (from the 17th-century) as well as the effects of colonialism, war, and frenetic economic development in the “post-wired” culture of contemporary Korean diaspora (with some attention to pop-culture phenomena like commercial music and genre films). We will be reading and watching the works of Korean Americans, dystopian South Koreans, and North Korean dissidents, paying special attention to works by women. The Department.
One 2-hour period.
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ASIA 385 - Asian Healing Traditions
1 unit(s)
(Same as RELI 385 ) This seminar offers a comprehensive view of the traditional medical systems and healing modalities of India and China and examines the cultural values they participate in and propound. It also includes a “laboratory” in which hands-on disciplines (such as yoga and qi-gong) are practiced and understood within their traditional contexts. From a study of classical Ayur Vedic texts, Daoist alchemical manuals, shamanic processes and their diverse structural systems, the seminar explores the relationship between healing systems, religious teachings, and social realities. It looks at ways in which the value and practices of traditional medical and healing systems continue in Asia and the West. Rick Jarow.
Prerequisite(s): RELI 231 or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASIA 387 - Modern China: Wealth, Power and Revolution
1 unit(s)
(Same as HIST 387 ) The search for wealth and power in China has been profoundly shaped by the country’s twentieth-century revolutionary experiences. In contextualizing China’s ambitions from its history from the eighteenth century to the present, this seminar critically explores the rise and fall of an expansive Qing Empire, debates the vibrancy of Republican-era Chinese society, and investigates the contingencies and legacies of the communist revolution. In addition, we explore the multifaceted experiences of intellectuals, cadres, diplomats,politicians, businessmen, scientists, artists, students, workers, and peasants living in the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan through the lens of gender, ethnicity, work, diaspora, and ideology. Students understand the rise of China today within the context of its dynamic recent past. Wayne Soon.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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ASIA 399 - Senior Independent Study Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Prerequisite(s): Two units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.
Course Format: OTH
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Astronomy: I. Introductory |
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ASTR 101 - Solar System Astronomy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
A study of the solar system as seen from earth and space: planets, satellites, comets, meteors, and the interplanetary medium; astronautics and space exploration; life on other planets; planets around other stars; planetary system cosmogony. Colette Salyk.
Open to all classes.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 105 - Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course is designed to acquaint the student with our present understanding of the universe. The course discusses the formation, structure, and evolution of gas clouds, stars, and galaxies, and then places them in the larger content of clusters and superclusters of galaxies. The Big Bang, GUTS, inflation, the early stages of the universe’s expansion, and its ultimate fate are explored. Debra Elmegreen.
Open to all classes.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 150 - Life in the Universe
1 unit(s)
An introduction to the possibility of life beyond Earth is presented from an astronomical point of view. The course reviews stellar and planetary formation and evolution, star properties and planetary atmospheres necessary for a habitable world, possibilities for other life in our Solar system, detection of extrasolar planets, the SETI project, and the Drake equation. Debra Elmegreen.
Prerequisite(s): High school Physics and Calculus.
Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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Astronomy: II. Intermediate |
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ASTR 220 - Stellar Astrophysics Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The physical theory of stellar interiors, atmospheres, and energy sources. Stellar evolution. Spectral sequence and its origin. Supernovae, white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Debra Elmegreen.
Prerequisite(s): PHYS 114 , or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 230 - Planetary and Space Science Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Atmospheres, surface features, and interiors of the planets. Interaction of the sun with the other members of the solar system. Planetary formation and evolution. Life on other planets. Space exploration. Colette Salyk.
Prerequisite(s): PHYS 114 , or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 240 - Observational Astronomy Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course introduces the student to a variety of techniques used in the detection and analysis of electromagnetic radiation from astronomical sources. All areas of the electromagnetic spectrum are discussed, with special emphasis on solid-state arrays as used in optical and infrared astronomy. Topics include measurement uncertainty, signal-to-noise estimates, the use of astronomical databases, telescope design and operation, detector design and operation, practical photometry and spectroscopy and data reduction. Students are required to perform a number of nighttime observations at the college observatory. Colette Salyk.
Prerequisite(s): PHYS 113 or PHYS 114 , or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 290 - Community-Engaged Learning Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Execution and analysis of an off-campus field study in astronomy. The course requirements are to be arranged with an individual instructor. The department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT
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ASTR 298 - Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Intermediate-level execution of an independent observational, theoretical, or library study in astronomy. The course requirements are to be arranged with an individual instructor. The department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor.
Course Format: INT
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Astronomy: III. Advanced |
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ASTR 300 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
Investigation and critical analysis of a topic in observational or theoretical astronomy. Observational research may include building or experimenting with a non-trivial hardware or software system. A written thesis and oral presentation of results to the department are required for the course. A student electing this course must first gain the support of at least one member of the Astronomy department faculty, who will determine the format of final deliverables for the course. The Senior Thesis is a 1-unit course with 1/2 unit graded provisionally in the Fall and 1/2 unit graded in the Spring. The final grade, awarded in the Spring, shall replace the provisional grade in the Fall.
Yearlong course, ASTR 300-301 .
One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor.
Course Format: INT
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ASTR 301 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Continuation of 300. The Senior Thesis is a 1-unit course with 1/2 unit graded provisionally in the Fall and 1/2 unit graded in the Spring. The final grade, awarded in the Spring, shall replace the provisional grade in the Fall. The department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Yearlong course, ASTR 300 -301.
One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor.
Course Format: INT
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ASTR 320 - Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium
1 unit(s)
A study of the observations and theory related to interstellar matter, including masers, protostars, dust, atomic, molecular and ionized gas clouds. Radiative transfer, collapse and expansion processes, shocks and spiral density waves are discussed. Debra Elmegreen.
Prerequisite(s): One 200-level physics course or One 200-level astronomy course, Junior or Senior status, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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ASTR 322 - Galaxies and Galactic Structure Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Observations and theories of the formation and evolution of galaxies. Properties of star-forming regions; contents, structure, and kinematics of the Milky Way and spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies. Active galaxies, interacting galaxies, clusters, and high redshift galaxies. Debra Elmegreen.
Prerequisite(s): PHYS 114 and either ASTR 105 or ASTR 220 , or permission of the instructor; not open to first-year students.
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ASTR 330 - Extrasolar planets and planet formation Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
A study of current research on extrasolar planets and planet formation, and connections between the two. Course involves close reading and presentation of field-specific articles. Research topics include observational techniques such as adaptive optics imaging, interferometry and spectroscopy, as well as theoretical investigations of the physics of protoplanetary disk evolution and planet formation. Colette Salyk.
Prerequisite(s): ASTR 230 , junior or senior status, or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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Athletics and Physical Education: I. Introductory |
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PHED 101 - Indoor Rowing
0.5 unit(s)
This course is designed to teach a working knowledge of cardiovascular and low impact muscular endurance training. The proper technique and use of the rowing machines as well as strategies for training and developing a training program are taught to achieve and maintain fitness goals.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 110 - Introduction to Athletic Injury Care Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course exposes students to the techniques necessary both to prevent and also to recognize, treat, and rehabilitate common sports injuries. Anatomy and the function of joints, as well as the spine, groin, head and face injuries, are studied. Hands-on involvement in the course is required.
Course Format: CLS
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PHED 111 - Weight Training Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
This course is designed to provide the student with a thorough understanding of strength training and how to develop a lifting program. Students actively participate in the fitness room performing a weight training program based on their individual weight training goals.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 115 - Triathlon Training Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
An introduction to the disciplines of swimming, cycling and running in a comprehensive training program which prepares class members to compete in triathlons. Primary topics include strategies for training and designing training programs. Students must have experience in each discipline.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 121 - Bowling Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
This is a beginning-bowling course designed to introduce physical education students to basic skills and knowledge involved in bowling. The course includes instruction in selection of bowling equipment (bowling balls and shoes), approach and starting positions, the pins including their numbers and names, their arrangement and how they fall, and the fundamentals for the approach and delivery of the ball. The fundamentals of the delivery include starting position, the push away, footwork, arm-swing: both back swing and forward swings, the release of the ball, finishing at the foul line, and the follow through. Also covered include mechanics of the hook ball, strike angles, spare angles, increasing and decreasing speed of the ball, aiming methods emphasizing the spot bowling method of targeting, keys of major faults and minor faults.
Additional fee may be required.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 125 - Beginning Golf I Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
The course is designed for individuals with limited or no previous golf experience. The objective of this course is to provide the student with the basic skills of golf. Upon completion of the course the students should be familiar with golf equipment and set make up; have a knowledge of the fundamentals of the golf swing, chipping and putting; have a knowledge of the game of golf and how to play, and have a general understanding of the rules and etiquette of golf.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 126 - Beginning Golf II Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
This course is a continuation of PHED 125 for individuals with limited or no previous golf experience. The objective of this course is to provide the student with the basic skills of golf. Upon completion of the course the students should be familiar with golf equipment and set make up; have a knowledge of the fundamentals of the golf swing, chipping and putting; have a knowledge of the game of golf and how to play and have a general understanding of the rules and etiquette of golf.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 130 - Beginning Badminton Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Introduction to the basic overhead and underhand strokes and their use in game situations. Singles and doubles strategy and rules of the game. Designed for the student with no previous instruction in badminton.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 135 - Flag Football
0.5 unit(s)
The course is intended to introduce students to the basic concepts, rules, skill, and offensive and defensive strategies of flag football. Skills and strategies are developed and utilized in scrimmage situations.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 137 - Fundamentals of Soccer
0.5 unit(s)
This course is designed to teach the basic skills necessary to play soccer. Students learn fundamental techniques and strategies of the game. The course is largely practical, but it also provides theoretical discussion in exercise physiology and biomechanics allowing students to learn the science of soccer.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 140 - Beginning Basketball
0.5 unit(s)
This course develops individual skills (ball handling, shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense) as well as offensive and defensive strategies.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 142 - Fencing Fundamentals Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the three basic weapons (foil, epee, sabre). Body stance and positions, footwork, bladework, basic fencing strategy and tactics, history of the sport and progression from controlled bouting to open fencing is taught. Equipment is provided.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 144 - Intermediate Fencing Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
This course reviews and builds upon the basics of Epee and Sabre and then moves into the tactics and strategy of all three fencing weapons. Fencing rules and proper referencing are discussed in an effort to provide a greater understanding of competitive fencing at all levels of the sport. Equipment is provided.
Prerequisite(s): PHED 142 , or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 145 - Volleyball Fundamentals Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
This course develops individual skills (passing, setting, spiking, and blocking) as well as offensive and defensive strategies. This course is for students with little or no vollyball experience.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 150 - Beginning Swimming I Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
The course is intended to develop a physical and mental adjustment to the water in students who have a fear of the water or little or no formal instruction. The course includes the practice of elementary skills applying principles of buoyancy, propulsion, and safety.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 151 - Beginning Swimming II Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
The course is designed for students who have the ability to float on front and back and who are comfortable in the water but have limited technical knowledge of strokes.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 190 - Fundamentals of Conditioning Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
A course designed to give the student an understanding of fitness, its development and maintenance. Included are units on cardiovascular efficiency, muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, weight control, weight training, and relaxation techniques.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 191 - Beginning Squash I Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
An introduction to the basic shots of the game and their use. Introduces the rules and provides basic game situations. Assumes no previous experience or instruction in squash.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 192 - Beginning Squash II Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Further development of the basic shots and strategies of the game.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 193 - Beginning Tennis Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Introduction of the basic strokes, rules of the game, and match play.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 197 - Low Intermediate Tennis Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)
Continued work on basic strokes and tactics.
Course Format: OTH
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Athletics and Physical Education: II. Intermediate |
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PHED 210 - Nutrition and Exercise Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Students learn about elements that lead to a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition and exercise as a means of disease prevention is discussed. Students also learn about the benefits of exercise and how to develop an exercise plan. The digestion, absorption and biochemical breakdown of food is analyzed. Attention is given to the body’s use of macro and micronutrients.
Course Format: CLS
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PHED 225 - Intermediate Golf I Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
(Same as Expectation is that there is some technique with woods and irons and experience playing on a course. The student is put through a thorough analysis of basic swings and develops consistency and accuracy with all clubs. The student is expected to master history, rules of the game, etiquette, and all aspects of tournament play.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 226 - Intermediate Golf II Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
A continuing development and refinement of all aspects of the game.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 230 - Intermediate Badminton Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Review and further development of basic strokes and tactics. Instruction in advanced strokes and strategy for singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Designed for the student with previous badminton experience.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 250 - Intermediate Swimming I
0.5 unit(s)
Stroke technique and propulsive skill development, primarily focused on freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, and some butterfly.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 251 - Intermediate Swimming II
0.5 unit(s)
Further development of swim stroke technique and efficiency.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 270 - Intermediate Squash I
0.5 unit(s)
This course is for the intermediate player who wants to improve and build upon basic technique and tactics. It is designed to continue racquet skills development, variation of pace, deception, offense, defense and knowledge of the rules.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 271 - Intermediate Squash II
0.5 unit(s)
Review and further development of advanced strokes and strategies.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 272 - Intermediate Tennis I Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
This class is for the intermediate player who wants to improve and build upon basic technique. The course is designed to continue work on groundstrokes, volleys and serves, as well as develops more specialty shots and strategies. These include topspin, slice, approach shots, overheads and lobs, spin serves, and service returns and singles and doubles strategy.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 273 - Intermediate Tennis II Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Further development of stroke technique, specialty shots and strategies.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 290 - Community-Engaged Learning Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Course Format: INT
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PHED 297 - Reading Course Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 298 - Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Permission granted by the chair of the department for the study of a topic in depth.
Course Format: OTH
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Athletics and Physical Education: III. Advanced |
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PHED 378 - Advanced Swimming and Aquatic Conditioning
0.5 unit(s)
This course teaches stroke technique refinement and in-water conditioning and training skills. Goals are to improve lap swimming efficiency and physical conditioning.
Prerequisite(s): Satisfactory completion of the Intermediate course, the Red Cross Level V course, or the ability to perform the equivalent swimming skills.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 390 - Water Safety Instructor’s Course
1 unit(s)
Fulfills the requirements for the American Red Cross instructor rating. Includes skill development, stroke analysis, learning progressions, class organization, and practice teaching. Prepares the student to teach basic and emergency water safety, infant and preschool aquatics, and all levels of swimming.
Prerequisite(s): Advanced skill in swimming, Red Cross Lifeguard Training certification or Emergency Water Safety certification, and permission of the instructor.
Note: Additional fee is required to complete the Red Cross certification and to receive academic credit.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 393 - Advanced Tennis
0.5 unit(s)
Emphasis on advanced strokes, analysis of errors, tactics for singles and doubles.
Prerequisite(s): Good ground strokes, serve, and volley.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: OTH
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PHED 399 - Senior Independent Work
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Course Format: OTH
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Biochemistry |
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BIOC 290 - Community-Engaged Learning
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Course Format: INT
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BIOC 298 - Independent Research Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5, 1 to unit(s)
The intensive experience can include an individual project, multiple students working on different aspect of the same project, group work on a single laboratory project, or an individual library project. The Department.
Course Format: INT
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BIOC 300 - Senior Thesis Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
The senior thesis involves the design and execution of a substantial independent original research project under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Students are expected to complete research work throughout their senior year (both Fall and Spring semesters are required). The project follows a set of defined deadlines for completion of the work. The project culminates in a substantial manuscript-style thesis submitted to the research mentor and a second reader from the Faculty, and an oral presentation. The Department.
Course Format: INT
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BIOC 326 - Biophysical Chemistry
1 unit(s)
Concepts of thermodynamics and equilibrium phenomena, chemical kinetics, spectroscopy, and structure determination as pertains to biological systems are discussed. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): CHEM 244 and 245 , BIOL 272 /CHEM 272 .
This course will be offered in 2020/21.
Three 50-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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BIOC 356 - Biochemistry Senior Seminar Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
An intensive study of selected topics at the molecular, subcellular, and cellular level. Specific topics will vary. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and research with course material being drawn from the recent biochemical literature. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 106 or the equivalent, CHEM 125 or the equivalent, CHEM 244 and 245 , BIOL 272 /CHEM 272 .
This course will be offered in 2020/21.
Three 50-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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