ASIA 267 - Religion, Culture and Society

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

May be taken more than once when the content changes.

Topic for 2015/16b: Imagining China. (Same as RELI 267 ) In this class we examine from a broad comparative perspective some of the many ways China has been imagined - cosmologically, imperially, monastically, textually, mythologically, architecturally, constitutionally - taking into account voices from within and without China, past and present. As we shift from some of the earliest imaginings from within ancient China toward more modern imaginings, colonial representations of China will become a priority as we move into modernity and the formation of the Chinese nation-state. Any imaginings of China must recognize political and cultural diversities as well as a sustained recognition of regionalisms that exist throughout Asia. One of our class objectives will be to better understand what impact acts of imagination have on social formations. Mr. Walsh.

Prerequisite: one course in Religion or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.