Director: TBD

Administrative Assistant: Alison Walcott

Asian studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of historical and contemporary Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and India, among others. The curriculum introduces students to the critical and methodological approaches that have informed the study of Asia and encourages them to examine the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and religious formations of different societies in the region. Students may focus on a particular region in its historical and contemporary manifestations or examine a conceptual theme. Themes could include literary, musical, and visual arts; environmental studies; transnational relations; economic development; state-building; cultural identities; gender roles and class distinctions; and social movements and popular protests, among many others. The program gives attention to the dynamic, interrelated, and sometimes contentious nature of the area’s cultures, politics, and economies. Asian studies provides students with the depth of knowledge and critical perspectives they need to understand the diverse societies, cultures, politics, and economics of Asia and their role in a globalized world.

The Major Program

Students considering a major in Asian studies should begin by completing AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies, an interdisciplinary course that examines current events and contemporary social/political/economic concerns in Asia. Students should declare the major by the end of the sophomore year, at which time, in consultation with their advisors, they will choose a primary area of concentration and establish an intellectually coherent schedule of study. The major requires one semester on an approved overseas study program in Asia. Students should work with their advisors to ensure their concentration and overseas study program build a strong foundation for AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The core of the Asian studies curriculum consists of the Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies course, a humanities foundation course, and the Asian Studies Colloquium. Upon declaring a major, students will choose a concentration and design a program of study around a conceptual or theoretical problem. The major is divided into three concentrations: China, Japan, and Asia. The China and Japan concentrations require two years of either Japanese or Chinese language. Core courses are designed to provide the historical, economic, political, and cultural background necessary to commence further investigation into the Asian region. Electives are intended to allow the student to further specialize by region, theory, and/or concept. One out-of-AS curriculum course is allowed, with the approval of the advisor and the program director, to further theoretical and/or conceptual integration. The major culminates in AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The minor in Asian studies enables students to combine a major in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences with a focus on Asian studies.

A major in Asian studies is appropriate for students who desire future employment in diplomacy, consultancy, education, international organizations, public service, international finance, law, academics, translation, and interpretation, among other fields, or who seek a broad, systematic liberal arts background to support further scholarly study in related social science and humanities fields.

Major Requirements

A minimum of 40 semester credits (28 credits must be exclusive to the major).

All concentrations must complete the following requirements:

• AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

• One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

  HIST 110	Early East Asian History
  MUS 236	Music of Asia
  RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia
  or a course at Lewis & Clark or abroad that has been approved by the program director.

• AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium

• Seven courses (28 semester credits) determined by the concentration (see below). At least two of these courses must be from advanced Asian-studies-approved courses at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. Students may apply a maximum of 4 semester credit hours of internship or directed reading toward the elective requirement (approval required).

• At least one semester overseas on an approved program in Asia: China, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, or Thailand. (See the Office of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs for specific program and application information.) Two courses taken on an overseas program may be applied to the major, depending upon the number and level of courses, and pending advisor and program director approval. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

China Concentration (28 additional credits)

• CHIN 202 or higher language course

• 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

  • 16 credits chosen from the China concentration
  • 4 credits chosen from the Asian studies curriculum outside the China concentration

• 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

Japan Concentration (28 additional credits)

• JAPN 202 or higher language course

• 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

  • 16 credits chosen from the Japan concentration
  • 4 credits from the Asian studies curriculum outside the Japan concentration

• 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

General Asia Concentration (28 additional credits)

• 28 credits chosen from Asian studies curriculum (excluding language courses). At least 8 credits must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

Language courses will not be applied to the general Asia concentration.

Minor Requirements

A minimum of 20 credits. 12 credits must be exclusive to the minor.

• AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

• One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

  HIST 110	Early East Asian History
  MUS 236	Music of Asia
  RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia

• 12 credits from the approved Asian studies curriculum. At least four credits must be at the 300 level or above. One course may be an Asian language class. Two courses from an overseas studies program may be applied to the minor, pending approval of advisor and program director. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

Asian Studies Curriculum

China Concentration Courses

ART 150	Chinese Art
ART 361	Modern China
AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
CHIN 202	Intermediate Chinese II
CHIN 230	Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
CHIN 231	Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
CHIN 251	Chinese Conversation
CHIN 252	Chinese Conversation
CHIN 290	Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
CHIN 291	Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
CHIN 310	Readings and Composition in Chinese
CHIN 320	Advanced Readings in Chinese
CHIN 410	Advanced Readings in Chinese: Society and Culture
HIST 111	Making Modern China
HIST 213	Personal Narratives in Chinese History
HIST 288	China in the News: Socio-Anthropological and Historical Perspective on Modern China
HIST 310	China in the World
HIST 311	History of Family, Gender, and Sexuality in China
SOAN 284	Anthropology of Print Media
SOAN 342	Power and Resistance

Japan Concentration Courses

AS 156	The Art of Tea in Japanese Culture I
AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
HIST 112	Making Modern Japan
HIST 209	Japan at War
HIST 313	Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History
HIST 316	Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History
IS 249	Japan Past and Present (The limit on overseas courses does not apply to this course.)
JAPN 202	Intermediate Japanese II
JAPN 230	Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 231	Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 251	Japanese Conversation
JAPN 252	Japanese Conversation
JAPN 290	Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 291	Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 310	Readings and Composition in Japanese
JAPN 320	Readings and Composition in Japanese II
JAPN 410	Advanced Readings in Japanese: Society and Culture
JAPN 420	Advanced Readings in Japanese: Fiction and Nonfiction

General Asian Studies Courses

ART 401	Art After 1945 (when Asia-focused)
ART 451	Theory in Practice (when Asia-focused)
AS 251	Contemporary Korean Culture
AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
HIST 110	Early East Asian History
HIST 113	Introduction to Korea: Origins to the 21st Century
HIST 217	The Emergence of Modern South Asia
HIST 259	India in the Age of Empire
HIST 400	Reading Colloquium (when Asia-focused)
MUP 121	Gamelan Ensemble
MUP 153	Hindustani Voice Private Lessons
MUP 155	Sitar Private Lessons
MUP 157	Tabla Private Lessons
MUS 106	Workshops in World Music (when Asia-focused)
MUS 236	Music of Asia
MUS 307	Topics in Music (when Asia-focused)
PHIL 207	Indian Philosophy
RELS 241	Religion and Culture of Hindu India
RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia
RELS 243	Buddhism: Theory, Culture, and Practice
RELS 357	Family, Gender, and Religion: Ethnographic Approaches
RELS 362	Zen Buddhism
RELS 452	Seminar in Asian Religions
RELS 462	Zen Buddhism
SOAN 250	Southeast Asia: Development, Resistance, and Social Change
SOAN 281	South Asian Cultures
SOAN 282	Pacific Rim Cities
SOAN 321	Theory Through Ethnography
SOAN 347	Borderlands: Tibet and the Himalaya
SOAN 367	Anthropology of Tourism: Travel in Asia

Social Science Courses

SOAN 250	Southeast Asia: Development, Resistance, and Social Change
SOAN 262	Gender and Sexuality in South Asia
SOAN 281	South Asian Cultures
SOAN 282	Pacific Rim Cities
SOAN 284	Anthropology of Print Media
SOAN 321	Theory Through Ethnography
SOAN 342	Power and Resistance
SOAN 347	Borderlands: Tibet and the Himalaya
SOAN 367	Anthropology of Tourism: Travel in Asia

Honors

The honors program is based on student performance in AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium. All Asian studies majors who have a GPA of 3.500 or higher in the major are eligible. Qualifying students will be reviewed by the professor leading the Colloquium and faculty in the Asian Studies Program. Students whose Colloquium work is judged to be of superior quality will be nominated for honors upon graduation.

Faculty

Sepideh Azarshahri Bajracharya. Assistant professor with term of anthropology. Political culture of violence, communal politics, memory, narrative, urban ethnography, anthropology of space, South Asia. PhD 2008 Harvard University. BA 1999 Wesleyan University.

Andrew Bernstein. Associate professor of history. Japanese history. PhD 1999, MPhil 1996, MA 1994 Columbia University. BA 1990 Amherst College.

David A. Campion. Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Associate Professor of History, director of Academic Awards and Fellowships. British and South Asian history. PhD 2002, MA 1997 University of Virginia. BA 1991 Georgetown University.

Keith Dede. Professor of Chinese, chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Chinese language and linguistics. PhD 1999, MA 1993, BA 1988 University of Washington.

Susan Glosser. Associate professor of history. Chinese history. PhD 1995 University of California at Berkeley. MA 1985, BA 1983 State University of New York at Binghamton.

Jennifer Hubbert. Professor of anthropology. Chinese public culture, anthropology of the state, politics of popular culture and public protest, anthropology of policy, paradiplomacy. PhD 1999, MA 1994 Cornell University. MA 1987, BA 1986 Stanford University.

Meiru Liu. Instructor in Chinese. Chinese language. PhD 1996, MA 1991 Portland State University. MA 1987 Beijing Foreign Studies University. BA 1980 Tianjin Normal University.

Kabir Mansingh Heimsath. Assistant professor with term of anthropology. Visual anthropology, space/place theory, borderlands, tourism, cities and bodies. PhD 2011, MSc 2005 University of Oxford. MA 1996 University of Washington. BA 1992 University of California at Berkeley.

Kaley Mason. Associate professor of music. Music of South Asia, Francophone popular music, creative economies, social movements. PhD 2006 University of Alberta. BMus 1999 Queen's University at Kingston.

Dawn Odell. Associate professor of art history. Early modern East Asian and European art history. PhD 2003 University of Chicago. MA 1992 Harvard University. BA 1986 Carleton College.

Jessica D. Starling. Associate professor of religious studies, chair of the department of Religious Studies. East Asian religions, Buddhism. PhD 2012, MA 2006 University of Virginia. BA 2000 Guilford College.

Bruce Suttmeier. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, associate professor of Japanese. Japanese language, contemporary Japanese literature. PhD 2002, AM 1994 Stanford University. BS 1991 University of Rochester.

Courses