EASIA Course Descriptions

East Asian (2009-2010)

An introductory survey of the history and cultures of East Asia with particular reference to China, Japan and Korea.

An examination of the leading religious and philosophical ideas that have shaped the cultures and histories of East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan. Folk, Shamanic, Confucian, Taoist, Shinto, and Buddhist traditions will be examined.

An examination of religious phenomena in the history of Japan, including their impact on art, literature, philosophy, and politics. Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, folk beliefs, new religious movements, and other traditions will be explored.

An examination of religious phenomena in the history of China, including their influence on art, literature, philosophy, and politics. Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, folk beliefs, new religious movements, and other traditions will be explored.

An introduction to Chinese literature in the classical and modern languages; historical writing, belles lettres, poetry, novels and drama.

This course examines the evolution of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean communities in Canada as well as their significance for Canadian economic, social, and political life in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

An intensive study of the culture and language of an East Asian country. With the guidance of a Course Director, students will complete readings, attend lectures, and visit cultural sites for six weeks or more on location.

This course explores key topics in the international relations of East Asia after WWII. Classes examine literature on major developments of East Asian relations, including the Cold War, East Asian regionalism, and the foreign policies of China, Japan and Korea.

This course surveys several key topics in the politics and diplomacy of contemporary Japan, particularly in its relations with its Asia-Pacific neighbours. Topics may include the Pacific War and its legacies, the Japan-US security alliance, the Okinawa problem, and Japan-Canada relations.

This course is designed to explore the rise of the East Asian economy since the end of World War II. The subject is pursued through examining some of the most important aspects of the so-called Asian miracle/model, including the historical background of the Asian miracle, the role of the state in the region's economic development, the relationship between Asian culture and economic development, social development, and East Asia's business system and practice.

An examination of Pure Land Buddhism, including its origins, development and influence in India, China, Korea, Japan, and the West.

This course will deal with selected topics in East Asian Studies. Subjects will be dependent upon the research and/or instructional interests of faculty.