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Course Descriptions
Semester Course List - General Course List - Summer Language Programs
If the course you are searching for is not described below, please see the appropriate department for further information.
American Culture - Anthropology - Southeast Asian Language - Asian Studies - Buddhist Studies - Area Courses - History - History of Art - Music Ensemble -
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American Culture
Department
214/215. Introduction to Asian American Studies
Credits (3)
This course will examine the long and diverse history and experiences of Asian Americans (Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, South Asians, and Southeast Asians) in the United States. Migrating "east" from Asian countries since the mid-1800s, Asian Americans represent a significant part of America's history and culture. However, individuals from this multiethnic community continue to be viewed as "exotic strangers" in transit. This course provides an introduction to the study of the experiences of Asian immigrants and their citizen descendants in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century to the present as well as a critical analysis of Asian American contributions to historical, scientific, political, and cultural developments in the United States.
301/WS 253. Asian Pacific American Women.
Credits (3).
This course will explore the conception that individual Asian American and Pacific Islander women have of themselves. The class focuses on oral histories and autobiographies of Asian Pacific American (APA) women, providing a forum to discuss their consciousness of gender, race, and class. The texts might include an introduction to narratives, for example, by Chinese, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, Korean, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and/or Filipina American women; thereby allowing students to compare and contrast the experiences of different APA ethnicities and generations. We will examine how these women became agents of social change, both publicly and privately, at home and in their communities. Assignments include facilitating and participating in class discussion, exams, as well as a final project, such as an oral history of an Asian American or Pacific Islander woman. By gathering new histories, students will contribute to the research on APA women, and in themselves become agents of change.
301. Topics in American Culture: Asian Pacific Americans & the Law
Credits (1).
This course is an overview of how federal and state laws have affected the Asian Pacific American (APA) experience and presence in the U.S. The course will cover the APA historical timeline, exclusion laws, alien land laws, World War II internment of Japanese Americans, affirmative action as it applies to APAs, civil rights and racial hate crime violence, bilingual issues in education and the workplace, and the drive for native Hawaiian recognition and separation, among other topics.
310. Topics in Ethnic Studies: Asian Pacific Americans: Social and Public Policy Issues.
Credits (3).
After the elimination of racially biased immigration policies in 1965, the Asian Pacific American population has grown significantly. It is estimated that the Asian Pacific American population will be about 20 million by the year 2020. Asian Pacific Americans share common concerns over a number of social and public policy issues. At the same time given the diversity of the Asian Pacific American population in terms of economic status, culture, gender, country of origin, the number of generations in the United States and other factors, it is important to understand and address the issues that affect specific groups within this pan-ethnic category. In this course, we will examine a number of social and public policy issues with regard to how they affect Asian Pacific Americans, including immigration, affirmative action, employment, access to health and mental health services, political participation, media representation, and civil rights. The research literature from a number of disciplines such as sociology, political science, psychology, education, economics, law, history, and media studies will be reviewed. The course will provide a general survey of the historical background and current development of the major issues. In addition, we will deal in depth with specific cases in which Asian Pacific American individuals, organizations, and communities mobilized to address these issues on the national and local levels.
311. Topics in Ethnic Studies. Section 002 - Filipino American Experience.
Credits (3)
This course is an upper-division interdisciplinary course on the experience of Filipinos in America. We will examine Filipina Americans' role in historical events, contemporary issues, and how these affect community formation and life in America. By looking at the different waves of Filipina/o migration to the U.S., we will see the Pinoy & Pinay experience in various regions and sectors of American society: education, labor, family, politics, and communities, to name a few. A large focus will be on Filipinos of the midwest. We will also determine how Filipina/o American issues are reflected through historical, sociological, psychological, autobiographical, and literary texts, answering such questions as: Who/What is a Filipino American? What makes the Filipino's experience in America unique from that of other Asian Pacific Americans? How does the complex intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality affect Filipina/os? How are Filipino Americans "positioned" in the society? What are some of the current issues facing Filipinos? How do cultural spaces create strategies of resistance? What roles have Filipina/os played in civil rights and social activism? Overall, how have Filipino Americans strategized their changing places within this society? As we examine these issues, we will also attempt to uncover "new" historical findings within our local Filipina/o American community. Students will launch a new UM project of collecting oral histories of Filipinos of Michigan, with a special emphasis on the Detroit area, in conjunction with the 300 year founding of the city of Detroit. Assignments include facilitating and participating in class discussions, exams, as well as final project that uncovers the history of Filipinos in Michigan.
314/His 378. History of Asian Americans in the U.S.
Credits (4).
This course provides an overview of Asian/Pacific American history from the time of early migrations to the present. Group to be examined include Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, Chinese, and Japanese Americans. We will place these experiences into a national and international context of comparative race relations and U.S.-Asia relations. Our study will begin with the questions: What does it mean to study history from an Asian/Pacific American perspective? How and why has Asian/Pacific American history become a part of the curriculum? Readings and lectures will engage the following historical issues and themes: 1) pre-World War II immigration and efforts to build community in the face of racial exclusion; 2) the place of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the construction of the U.S. empire; 3) the changing demographics and community composition created by post-1965 immigration; 4) the impact of the Vietnam War and the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees; 5) the construction of gender and the experience of women in Asian/Pacific American communities; 6) the shifting position of Asian/Pacific American labor in the capitalist economy; 7) the emergence of Asian/Pacific American activism in the fight for social justice
498 Pacific Literary And Cultural Studies
This seminar is designed to introduce students to the recent outpouring of literatures (poetry, fiction, drama, film) in English from the Pacific, including Hawai'i, Western Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand. We shall examine, for example, how texts by Maori authors Keri Hulme, Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, and Alan Duff engage with historical, social, political, and cultural contexts in New Zealand and how their writings interrogate previous literary, anthropological, and historical representations of Pacific peoples. In addition to becoming familiar with the historically significant moments of contact with Europeans, we will also look at how the aesthetic politics of these writers may enact a cultural decolonization even as many of these places remain colonized and neo-colonized locations. Additional authors and texts to be studied include Albert Wendt, John Dominis Holt, Gary Pak, Epeli Hau'ofa, Vilsoni Hereniko, Teresia Teaiwa, and films Once Were Warriors and The Piano. Writing requirements include several short 1-2 page response papers, a presentation, a midterm paper (5-7 pp.), and a final paper (10 pp.). As this course is a seminar, your presence and initiative in discussion is of great importance.
498/Musicology 470/570 Music and Dance
This course examines relationships among music and dance as they structure each other in composition, performance, and transmission. This term case studies will be drawn from the Americas, and will include participatory social dancing, ritual dance, ballet, modern dance, and musical theater. Special attention will be given to "ethnic traditions" and how they are situated within "American" cultural discourse. There will be a course pack of readings, and assigned listening and video viewing outside of class. Course requirements will include three short essays, a midterm, and an essay final exam. One goal of this course is to explore vocabulary available for analyzing musical sound and dance movement; thus there are no prerequisites.
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Anthropology
Department
258. Honors Seminar: Culture, Memory & the Production of History (Open to all)
Credits: (3).
This course is about the ways in which people imagine they can know the past, the techniques they use to remember it and how the past is made usable to speak to contemporary concerns in different societies. History is not just something that happened but something produced, crafted, contested, and recorded differently throughout the world. This course explores that production process, its practitioners, and what counts as evidence and proof. It will look at the ways in which a variety of material objects - monuments, photographs, tree stumps, letters, trails, home furnishings - mat reflect notions of a "usable" past, and different cultural and political criteria for what is worth remembering.
323. Pacific Islands Anthropology.
Credits (3).
How well have anthropologists prepared us to understand contemporary Pacific societies? To what degree have relations between Europeans and Pacific Islanders, ranging from 'first contact' to colonialism, and from cargo cults to Christianity, shaped Pacific societies today? Finally, what happens when 'history' and even 'custom' become the subjects of political debate? This course will attempt to answer these questions while providing an introduction to the peoples and cultures of Micronesia, Polynesia, Australia and Melanesia. Among other topics, the course will examine shifting identities in the context of emerging national traditions; response to the environmental impact of logging, mining and nuclear testing; the effects of tourism, video and other global culture flows; and the impact of increased participation in the global economy on local systems of exchange. The course will combine lecture and discussion with ethnographic film forming and integral part of class material. Required readings: several monographs, an edited volume and a course pack. Final evaluation: based on participation, presentations, a midterm exam, a short research paper and a take-home final.
333. Non-Western Legal Systems, I
Credits: (3) Prerequisites: Sophomore standing.
The nature, function, and development of law. Law and society. Problems of social control: why is law obeyed in societies without courts and in societies with courts. Dispute settlement procedures and the judicial process; civil and criminal law; principles of liability for legal wrongs; women, class and community; the impact of Western law on customary, tribal, or aboriginal law. Case studies from Africa, Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Americas. A good introduction to comparative law from an anthropological perspective. Requirements: four 3-5 page papers, or three 6-8 page student papers. Lecture/discussion format.
404. Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia.
Credits: (3) Prerequisites: Anthro. 101 or 222
Emphasis on social structure and economy of tribal and peasant societies of Southeast Asia.
440. Cultural Adaptation
Credits: (3) Prerequisites & Distribution: Junior standing. (3). (Excl).
Environmental anthropology. This course considers a range of theoretical perspectives on human-environmental relations. Topics will most likely include: perceptions of the environment, rethinking the nature/culture dichotomy, ritual regulation of natural resources, ethnoecologies and traditional ecological knowledge, debates about common property regimes, environmental history, political ecology, the concept of risk society and contemporary environmental movements. The course format is lecture and discussion. Requirements include class participation, several short essays, a class presentation and a take-home final. The readings include ethnographies, theoretical monographs, edited collections and a course pack.
458. Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Indigenous Political Movements.
Credits (3). Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
This course explores the prospects and limits of contemporary indigenous political movements. In Winter 2001, the course will be held in conjunction with a speaker series on indigenous political movements supported by the Ford Foundation (Crossing Borders Project, "Social Movements and Negotiated Revolutions") and the International Institute. Students will attend the public lectures and the class may also meet separately with the speakers.
The emergence of the 'indigenous' as a political category and social movement has opened up new politics and debates about alternative forms of sovereignty and resource use in many parts of the world. This course examines the efforts of indigenous peoples to ensure their own physical and cultural survival, as well as to protect their environment. The paradox of their position, however, is that in order to protect their rights, they often must become global activists: the maintenance of difference in the political economy of contemporary culture requires movement and translation across cultural, political and geographic boundaries. Working with these activities is a range of actors, each with their own agendas and resulting compromises for the communities that accept their support. These social movements have the capacity to introduce new ideas into the public domain in a compelling fashion, presenting alternatives to the universalizing discourses of science and capital. Topics may include, but are not limited to: definitions and histories of the indigenous; the politics of culture and representation; debates about sovereignty and special rights; social movements and civil society; alternative notions of space, place and time; the intersection of indigenous politics and global environmentalism; and indigenous knowledge and debate about cultural and intellectual property rights. Examples will be drawn primarily from the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Americas, with special emphasis on Melanesia and Amazonia. Readings: several monographs, edited volumes and a course pack. Requirements: short discussion papers, term paper, participation and presentation.
558/His 698. Culture and the Politics Of Sentiment.
Credits: (3). Prerequisites: 400-level coursework in Anthropology and graduate standing. (3). May be repeated for credit.
This course starts from two premises: (1) that sentiments articulate the personal and the political in historically specific ways; and (2) that sentiments are historically located social phenomena with specific histories of their own. Drawing on a range of work in anthropology, history, philosophy, political science, and literacy criticism, this seminar explores how the relationship between thought and feeling, rationality and passion, reason and sentiment has been differently understood. The focus of the seminar will be on sentiment as an index of relations of power and as a tracer of them. Seminar themes will include attention to social inequality and sentiment, state formation and affect, the racial politics of compassion, the colonial history of sympathy, "structures of feeling" and sentiment a a marker of political and social location. The focus is less on anthropological approaches to the emotions than on sentiment as a relationship of power and as an historical and cultural practice. Course requirements include weekly commentaries on the readings, a short review essay and a research paper.
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Asian Languages and Cultures: Southeast Asian Studies Language Courses
Department
111/112. First Year Filipino I & II.
Credits (4).
Filipino/Tagalog is the national language of the Philippines. First Year Filipino is a two-term sequence designed to give the student who has little or no knowledge of Filipino the necessary basis for learning to speak it and to have an acquaintance with the cultural context in which it functions. Filipino is particularly interesting in the way it has integrated the broad influences of both Spanish and English into its own syntactic and semantic systems. The oral approach is greatly emphasized in the classroom, using questions and answers and short dialogues to develop active use of the language in the most natural way possible. This is complemented by the use of taped lessons. There are occasional short quizzes, short dialogues, and a final examination. At the end of the first year, the student should be able to handle brief exchanges in common social situations and to read and write simple dialogues and essays in Filipino. Text is Conversational Tagalog: A Functional-Situational Approach by Teresita Ramos. Supplementary readings and audiovisual presentations will be provided when appropriate.
121/122. First Year Indonesian I & II.
Credits (5).
This course is an introduction to the speaking, reading, and writing of modern Indonesian. Students with previous experience with Indonesian or Malay should contact the department for placement into course. Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, a country noted for its rich and deep cultural heritage as well as for its remarkable cultural diversity. With its 200 million speakers, Indonesian is the sixth most prevalently spoken of the world's languages. The relatively simple syntactic and grammatical structures that characterize Indonesian make it an accessible language for native speakers of English. The elementary course comprises a two-term sequence designed to provide the student with a basic working knowledge of the Indonesian language. The course aims at the acquisition of the four basic language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing in modern Indonesian. The class emphasizes aural-oral exercises and practice and the learning of culture throughout the course. The text used is keyed to a set of tapes for use in the language lab and concentrates on practical knowledge of the language. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final project.
Language Flyer
161/162. First Year Thai I & II.
Credits (5). Standard Thai, the language of Thailand, is typical of several Asian languages in its grammar and tonal pronunciation. The class teaches the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing of Thai. Focus of the course is the use of language in everyday situations. Upon successful completion of the two-term sequence, students will be able to conduct conversation dealing with several survival concerns, e.g., introduction, ordering food, transportation, banking, post-office trip, shopping, etc. From the first day of class, students will learn Thai scripts and will be able to read course materials and short passages in Thai at the end of the term. Writing assignments are also assigned. Thai cultures, history, geography, etc., will be offered both in the content of the language lessons and supplementary presentations. This is an introductory course for students who have never had any exposure to the Thai language.
175/176. First Year Vietnamese I & II.
Credits (5).
Vietnamese 115-116 is the introductory course in reading, listening, speaking and writing the only language of more than 74 million speakers, from the South to the utmost northern part of Vietnam. This country now adopts the free market economy and needs foreign capital and know-how. With the normalization of U.S.-Vietnamese relations, a knowledge of the Vietnamese language and culture will be a crucial asset in enabling one to participate in many opportunities. This first half of the two-term sequence course is designed to accommodate students with no knowledge of the Vietnamese language, as well those with some knowledge who want to develop the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and to improve their knowledge in Vietnamese history and culture. The format will be as follows: four class hours a week will be focused on the aural-oral approach in reading, dialoguing, translating, and responding to the content of the texts using a question-and-answer format. One class hour a week will be devoted to quizzes and tests. In addition, there will be written assignments and works in the language lab. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to communicate in Vietnamese, and classes will be largely conducted in Vietnamese to develop the students' ability to acquire sufficient automaticity and fluency in spoken Vietnamese. Students will be graded on classroom performance, class attendance, homework assignments, and a final examination.
211/212. Second Year Filipino I & II.
Credits (3).
This course is designed for the student who has some knowledge of Tagalog and who wishes to develop some fluency in spoken Tagalog and to be acquainted with Tagalog literature. It is a two-term sequence that is essentially a continuation of what has been learned in the first year but there will be more emphasis on reading and writing. Students who have not taken first year Tagalog (South and Southeast Asian 107/108) may take this course if they pass a placement test to be given by the instructor. The format will be as follows: two class hours a week will be devoted to reading and writing, one class hour a week will be devoted to guided conversation. Readings will be assigned and these will provide the framework for the conversation and discussion of Tagalog grammar. There will be written assignments, occasional quizzes, and a final examination. By the end of the second year, students should have acquired sufficient competence to handle longer conversations, write letters and brief essays, read certain plays, and (with the aid of a dictionary) newspapers and magazines. Course text is Intermediate Tagalog, Developing Cultural Awareness Through Language by Terisita Ramos and Rosalina Morales Goulet. Supplementary readings and visual aids will be provided when appropriate.
221/222. Second Year Indonesian I & II.
Credits (4).
This course is a two-term sequence aimed at increasing the student's proficiency in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in modern Indonesian. Although increasing emphasis is given to the development of reading and writing skills, listening and speaking constitute an integral part of the course, which is conducted entirely in Indonesian. Vocabulary building and instruction in matters of cross-cultural sensitivity are of great importance. The primary text used is keyed to a set of tapes for use in the language lab and concentrates on practical knowledge of the language. Supplementary materials introduce the student to reading modern Indonesian literature. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final project.
Language Flyer
261/262. Second Year Thai I & II.
Credits (4).
This course continues and extends the four skills students developed in Thai 101-102. Reading and discussion as well as written assignments from authentic materials will be covered. Also, discussions on topics interesting to students will be covered in order to increase speaking fluency. Class is conducted largely in Thai. Students are required to actively participate in class.
275/276. Second Year Vietnamese I & II.
Credits (4).
This course is a continuation of Beginning Vietnamese 115-116. It is designed for the students who have some knowledge of spoken and written Vietnamese and who wish to develop the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) learned in the two-term Beginning Vietnamese course. The format will be as follows: four class hours a week will be focused on the aural-oral approach in reading, dialoguing, translating, and answering questions on the content of the texts. In addition, there will be homework assignments and quizzes or tests. Throughout the course, the students will be encouraged to communicate in Vietnamese, and classes will be largely conducted in Vietnamese. Course grades will be based on classroom performance, class attendance, weekly assignments, and a final examination. SSEAS 401/402. Advanced Thai Credits (3). In this course students will complete the move from material written specifically for foreign language learners to "real" Thai, including such genres as newspaper articles, essays, and fiction. Class discussion of the reading selections and other topics will be in Thai, giving students the chance to acquire more sophisticated oral skills such as those of advancing and supporting opinions and interpretations. Written assignments will advance students' facility at writing Thai.
311/312. Third Year Filipino I & II.
Credits (3).
Various approaches will be used to improve students' proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking the Tagalog/Filipino language. Students will be assigned a composition on various topics to write each week. Letters to email-pals or articles written in a web page will also be assigned. Several times during the academic term, the students will be required to listen to audio-cassettes or view videotapes concerning the history, culture, and/or politics of the Philippines in order to use them for their compositions or discussions. Readings will include articles of topical interest, stories, poems, essays, and others. Class members are expected to give several brief presentations and lead the subsequent discussions (in Tagalog). The final grade will be based on the compositions as well as class participation. Class will be conducted primarily in Tagalog.
321/322. Third Year Indonesian I & II.
Credits (3).
The course aims at further development of the students' proficiency in the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in modern Indonesian. The course work is designed to improve the students' command of basic grammatical structures as well as to build advanced vocabulary. Socio-cultural orientation will increase the students' familiarity with the important socio-linguistics aspects of Indonesian language use and production. The texts used for the course stress active manipulation of a practical vocabulary for both formal and informal language situations. The materials selected are meant to further the students' knowledge of modern Indonesian literary and political cultures. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam or project.
Language Flyer
361/362. Third Year Thai I & II.
Credits (3).
In these courses students will complete the move from material written specifically for foreign language learners to real Thai, including such genres as newspaper articles, essays, and fiction. Class discussion of the reading selections and other topics will be in Thai, giving students the chance to acquire more sophisticated oral skills such as those of advancing and supporting opinions and interpretations. Written assignments will advance students facility at writing Thai.
375/376. Third Year Vietnamese I & II.
Credits (3).
This course aims at improving the students' proficiency in reading and writing, although increasing emphasis is given to text analysis and discussion. A wide selection of materials, ranging from literary books to newspapers, folk stories and other economic and cultural articles, will provide the students opportunities to get acquainted with various sociocultural aspects of Vietnam. Course evaluation will be graded on classroom attendance and performance, homework assignments, and a final examination.
421/422. Reading Indonesian I & II.
Credits: (3). Prerequisites: ASIANLAN 322.
The course is designed to introduce the student to critical readings of modern Indonesian texts. A reading and speaking knowledge of modern Indonesian is prerequisite. With an emphasis on text analysis, the student is required to produce critical commentaries on (and sometimes translations of) selected passages from a variety of assigned texts. The course is run as a seminar with discussion conducted in Indonesian. Evaluation is based on the written assignments and classroom performance.
Language Flyer
499. Independent Language Study.
Credits: (1-5). Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
A course for students who want to arrange a program of individual directed study of a Southeast Asian language.
603. Old Javanese-Kawi.
Credits: (2-3). Prerequisites:
604. Old Javanese-Kawi.
Credits: (2-3). Prerequisites:
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Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies
Department
112 / His 152. Southeast Asian Civilization.
Credits (4).
Southeast Asia is one of the world's most culturally diverse regions, home to Buddhist, Muslim, Confucian, and Christian civilizations. It boasts ancient monuments of surpassing grandeur and symbolic complexity. It was the scene of the bloodiest conflict since 1945, the Vietnam War. Until recently it had the world's fastest growing regional economy, and it remains an area of great importance to Japan as well as the United States. This course offers an introduction (and thus assumes no prior knowledge) to Southeast Asian history from the earliest civilizations, through the colonial conquest, the indigenous political reaction - of which Vietnamese Communism and the Vietnam Wars were one expression - and the contemporary economic scene. The course seeks to define Southeast Asia's uniqueness as well as its evolving ties to the rest of the world.
220/Bud 220/Rel 202. Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions.
Credits (4).
This course is an introduction to the study of Asian religions. We will consider representative material drawn from some of the major Asian traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, etc.), from ancient times down to the present day. The course, however, is not intended to be a comprehensive or systematic survey; rather than aiming at breadth, the course is designed around major conceptual themes, such as ritual, death, image veneration, mysticism, meditation, ancestor worship, religious violence, and so on. The overarching emphasis throughout the course will be on the hermeneutic difficulties attendant upon the study of religion in general, and Asian religious traditions in particular. AS 226. Other Hearts and Other Minds: Poetries of Asia. Introduces students to traditions of poetic theory and practice in times and places distant from their own: the poetries of China, Korea, Japan, India, and Indonesia. The primary objective of the course is to explore a range of different conceptions of what poetry is, how it should form (or transform) the ways in which people interpret their lives, and what relation it should have to other parts of social life.
230/Bud 230/Rel. 230/Phil. 230. Introduction to Buddhism.
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies, Bud 230.
444. The Southeast Asian Village.
Daily life, religion, customs, ceremonies, music, drama, arts, and crafts are examined to provide a view of Southeast Asian village life. An analysis of the village economy, society, and political organization relates the peasant village tradition to the greater urban traditions of Southeast Asia.
461/SSEA 461 /CompLit 461. Southeast Asian Literature: Text, Performance, and Politics in Island Southeast Asia.
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Southeast Asia Area Courses, SSEA 461.
462/SSEA 462. Writing, Culture, and History: Perspectives on Indonesia.
See Asian languages and Cultures: Southeast Asia Area Courses, SSEA 462
463/MHM 463. Music of Southeast Asia.
See Music Ensemble, MHM 463
492. The Philippines: A Many Splendored View
This course will examine the Philippines from a variety of viewpoints.
Six outside guest speakers will combine with seven UM faculty to present
their views of the Philippines. The views will be informed by the disciplines
of anthropology, economics, geography, history, language and literature,
political science, urban planning and sociology. The course ends with three
weeks on dance and choreography by a leading Philippines choreographer.
492/INSTHUM 411/WOMENSTD 481 Re-reading "Letters from a Javanese Princess"
Credits (1)
A series of seminars on the traces of the "West" in Indonesian political and literary ideas, using translations of the letters of Kartini, the daughter of a Javanese regent at the beginning of the twentieth century, as a primary source for discussion. The main topics to be covered include the questions of woman, Islam, and the nation.
492/AAPTIS 593 Indonesian Islam
Credits (1).
This course explores the past development and current place of Islam in Indonesia. It begins with a brief overview of history of Islam in Indonesia, tracing the region's Islamization beginning in the 15th century, Islam and politics in the nationalist movements of the late 19th and early 20th century, and Islam and the Indonesian revolution in the late 1940s that led to country's independence in 1949. Particular attention will be given to Islam in contemporary Indonesia, addressing such topics as the characteristics and diversity of Islamic practice, Islam as a focus of nationalism, and Islam and politics. The course is open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Requirements: Classes will consist of orientation lectures and directed discussions of assigned readings. Students are expected to attend four 3-hour class sessions (9:00-12:00 on September 6, 13, 20, and 27) and one of two public lectures to be given by the instructor. A 10-page paper on themes raised in the course will be due on the last day of class.
499. Independent Study-Directed Readings
Directed readings or research in consultation with a member of the Asian Studies faculty.
563/MHM 563. Music of Southeast Asia.
See Music Ensemble, MHM 563
798. MA Essay SSEA.
The Master's Essay is a substantial research paper reflecting interdisciplinary training and the ability to use Western language literature and SSEA language sources. The thesis is usually undertaken in the last term of the degree program, under the supervision of two Center faculty. Students in the joint degree programs should refer to the appropriate sections in the handbook for additional requirements specific to their program.
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Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies
220/AS 220/Rel 202. Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions.
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies, AS 220
230/Rel. 230/AS 230/ Phil. 230. Introduction to Buddhism.
Credits (4)
Introductory readings and lectures on the history and literature of Buddhism in India and Tibet followed by a discussion of the basic problems of Buddhist religion and philosophy in the light of selected Buddhist texts in translation.
699/AS 699. Directed Readings
799/AS 799. Seminar in Buddhist Study
Credits (1-3). Prerequisites: Permission of the department. Graduate standing.
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Area Courses
SSEA 461/AS 461/CompLit 461. Southeast Asian Literature: Text, Performance, and Politics in Island Southeast Asia.
Island Southeast Asia composes a mosaic of cultures that have developed through centuries of multicultural interaction. In the unique literary and artistic productions of modern Indonesia and the Philippines are traces of the Indian classics, Islamic mystical texts, and Christian passion plays. Literary art in the islands is often self-consciously political; that is, it is concerned with social criticism and transformation. Many of these Southeast Asian literary texts are brought to life as performance art. In this seminar we will consider how art and life mutually inform one another in Southeast Asian social and political contexts. We will do this by exploring a variety of Southeast Asian artistic and cultural productions (literature, theater, film.) Our perspective will be historical and interdisciplinary. We will consider the spectacular wayang shadow plays of Java, exploring the form as visual and textual art and as historical-cultural formation. We will venture into the prophetic and poetic worlds of 19th.-c. Java. And we will explore contemporary works of a 20th-century Indonesian exile (the award-winning novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer.) We will contemplate revolutionary anti-colonial writings of the early Filipino nationalists, including the works of Jose Rizal, father of the Philippine nation. And we will explore several contemporary Southeast Asian films, noting especially the cultural and sexual politics that inform them.
SSEAS 462/AS 462. Writing, Culture, and History: Perspectives on Indonesia.
Credits: (3).
Drawing on materials concerning Indonesian culture, history, and literature, the course will consider the colonial and postcolonial formation of Indonesia as a subject of scholarly study. Among the questions the course will address are: how is the Indonesian past recalled and how is Indonesian culture represented? SSEAS 493. Undergraduate Reading. Credits: (1-3). Prerequisites: Permission of the concentration advisor. May be repeated for six credits with permission of concentration advisor. An independent study course for undergraduates.
SSEAS 495. Senior Honors Reading Course.
Credits: (1-3). Prerequisites: Permission of department.
SSEAS 699. Directed Readings
Credits (1-8).
Designed for individual students who have an interest in a specific topic (usually that has stemmed from a previous course). An individual instructor must agree to direct such a reading, and the requirements are specified when approval is granted.
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History
152/AS 112. Southeast Asian Civilization.
Credits (4).
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies, AS 112.
History 218. The Vietnam War, 1945-1975.
Credits (4).
A survey of the war in Vietnam and in the other countries of Indochina (Laos and Cambodia) from the August Revolution of 1945 to the final fall/liberation of Saigon in 1975. Although the primary emphasis is on events in Indochina itself, the origin and evolution of the United States involvement in the war are also be considered, as is the impact of the war on American society. Readings range from analyses of grand strategy to memoirs of infantrymen in the field.
378/AC 314.
See American Culture, AC 314
453. Modern Southeast Asian History.
Credits (3).
The evolution of Southeast Asian independence, tracing the growth of western concepts as they influenced native leaders who sought to integrate such ideas as nationalism, democracy, and communism within their respective societies. Special attention is paid to the catalytic effect of the Japanese occupation.
552. Topics in the Early Modern History of Mainland Southeast Asia.
Credits (3).
The course examines the history of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam from roughly 1400 to 1850, on the eve of European colonial conquest.
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History of Art
No courses are being offered at this time. Contact the History of Art Department for further information.
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Law
881 Cambodian Law and Development
Credits (2).
This seminar addresses problems and topics in law and development in the modern context of Cambodia. Students are exposed to general theories of law and economic development; the history, culture and legal institutions of Cambodia; and a series of legal and development-related problems facing Cambodia. The seminar meets one hour a week during the entire academic year and students are required to enroll in the course for both the fall and winter terms. Students are required to write two 15-20 page research papers. An effort will be made to link paper topics to actual problems being addressed by organizations working in Cambodia. Permission of the instructor is required to enroll.back to top
Music Ensemble
463/Asian Studies 463. Music of Southeast Asia.
Credits (2). Undergraduates only.
Survey of the musical cultures of the Indonesian archipelago including Java, Bali, and Sumatra.
467(461). The Music of Asia II.
Credits (3).
Examines some of the better known musical traditions from West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Musical examples are studied in relation to their cultural environments, their history, prevailing religious philosophies and contemporary significance.
563/Asian Studies 563. Music of Southeast Asia.
Credits (2).
Survey of the musical cultures of the Indonesian archipelago including Java, Bali, and Sumatra.
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Natural Resources and Environment
270/RCES 270 Our Common Future
Credits (4).
An interdisciplinary foundation of the concepts and strategies of sustainability from an ecological economic and socio-political perspective. The quest for sustainable development is the most critical yet challenging issue of our times. Defining what sustainable development is and how it ought to be accomplished is profoundly influencing government, academics, business, science and people's culture and livelihoods at the local, regional, national and global scale. The disciplines of ecology, economics, sociology and politics are experiencing major paradigm shifts that seek to re-address our proper role and influence on the planet and its resources. Is knowledge ( traditional, scientific and/or technical) relevant for addressing issues of sustainability? Can more accurate pricing, accounting and open markets redress environmental degradation and resource depletion? What are we sustaining? For whom? For how long? Who are the 'stakeholders' ? Is sustainability and economic growth incompatible? Is a new global ethic essential? Whose ethic? Is resource access and assignments, we will explore the discourse, perspectives, methodologies and limitations of interrelated disciplines- all essential for charting a new common future. Full (book) case studies in environmental and natural resource issue from three major professional perspectives are presented as real working examples of how environmental policies and outcomes are shaped in practice. The complex 'real world' of competing interests, conflicting ideologies together with incomplete understanding are important components when assessing realistic solutions to multifaceted problems. The aim is to foster critical thinking and to evaluate what we all can contribute to the pursuit of a sustainable biosphere.
301: Ecological Issues
Credits: (4).
Course Homepage
Ecological Issues provides students with knowledge on the breadth and complexity of environmental problems. Emphasis is placed on ecological principles and interdisciplinary approaches to matters concerning the allocation of natural resources and environmental quality within the context of our society. Attention will be given not only to ecology, but also to economic, legal, political, social, and psychological ramifications of environmental problems. Material is presented through lectures, recitation, readings, and films. Lectures and readings in the early part of the course deal with ecology. Once a basic ecological framework has been established, case studies illustrating the multifaceted nature of environmental problems will be examined. The recitation sections break the course down into groups of 20 students for discussion, to supplement the lectures with debates, film and slide presentations, and to complete group projects. Each student will write a term paper of roughly ten pages or become involved with a term project dealing with an environmental topic of his/her choice.
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Political Science
454. Governments and Politics of Southeast Asia.
Credits (3). Prerequisites: Two courses in political science.
An analysis of political developments in the countries of Southeast Asia defined in terms of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
650. Political Development
Credits: (3). Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
This seminar will offer a comprehensive introduction to the field of comparative development, from the 1950's to the 1990's. We will critically review the major theoretical approaches to development, including modernization theory, dependency theory, state-society approaches, the new institutionalism, and post-structuralism; we will also consider the major substantive debates, covering democratization, the politics of economic policy, the role of international financial institutions, and the problems of nationalism and ethnic conflict.
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Religion
202/Bud St 220/AS 220. Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions.
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies, AS 220.
230/AS 230/Bud 230/Phil 230. Introduction to Buddhism.
See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies, Bud 230.
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RC Environmental Studies
270/NRE 270 Our Common Future
See Natural Resources and Environment, NRE 270.
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RC Humanities
Hum 235 Topics in World Dance
Credits (3).
This course will survey a diversity of dance traditions throughout the world. Students will gain insight into the functions, aesthetics, history, and cultural context of dances within specific societies. Theatrical, religious, popular, and social dance traditions will be examined in a variety of cultures including groups in Africa, Japan, India, South America, Aboriginal Australia, Indonesia (Bali, Java), the Mideast, and others. A variety of broad comparative issues will be explored: How does dance reflect the values of the society which produces it? How are gender, class, relationships between individual and group, as well as political and spiritual values displayed through dance structures and movements? What is the creative process for producing these dance works? How is the visual imagery of dance movement designed and how can an audience decipher it? What are the basic elements of dance choreography? How do choreographic structures differ cross- culturally? How do the training, preparation, and performance practices of dancers differ cross-culturally? How do the dances of these cultures employ or integrate other art forms such as music, theater, and costume design? How are dance productions evaluated and critiqued within different cultures? In addition to lectures and readings, the class will feature several guest artist/speaker presentations, viewings of films and videos, and observations of dance rehearsals, classes, and performances.
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Studies Abroad
These programs combine required language study with courses taught in English about the host country, supplemented by local day trips and longer excursions to places of special interest. Indonesia: Indonesian language and a course on contemporary Indonesian society along with an area studies course from among anthropology, Javanese performing arts, development studies, and Indonesian literature. Electives in batik, wood carving, gamelan music, and dance also available. Thailand: Thai language and a survey course that explores the political, economic, and cultural aspects of contemporary Thai society. English-taught electives include ecology and development studies and Thai literature in translation. Both internships and directed independent study are also possible. Vietnam: Courses in Vietnamese language, contemporary society, and history; studio art is offered depending on the level of interest. Please contact the Office of International Programs for more information .
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Urban Planning
658 Urban and Regional Planning in Developing Countries
Credits (3).
This course is designed to emphasize the theories that underlie planning interventions in countries that are newly industrialized or industrializing. Countries such as India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Guatemala, China, Thailand, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and Egypt, varying in size and historical antecedent, will be used for drawing illustrative case studies. The demographic, technological, and ideological changes that have resulted in unprecedented population growth and migration during the development decades will be reviewed. Responses to migration, housing scarcity, need for physical and social infrastructure, for jobs and amenities will be studied.
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Women's Studies
Women Studies 253
Credits: (3).
Course Homepage: No homepage submitted.
See American Culture 301.001.
342/ AC 301 Special Topic: Oral History & Autobiography of Asian Pacific American Women
See American Culture 301.
WS 342/AC 301. Filipino American Women.
See American Culture 301.
The center is committed to promoting a broader and deeper understanding of Southeast Asia and its peoples, cultures, and historiesby providing resources for faculty, students and the community to learn and disseminate knowledge about the region.
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