01:098:479 Environmental Crises in Southeast Asia
01:098:479 | Environmental Crises in Southeast Asia
Course Description:
This course examines the diversity of human relationships with nature and the various perceptions humans have about environmental crisis. Why do we investigate today’s global environmental problems by focusing on the cultures and histories of Southeast Asia? A region of rich biodiversity and complex histories, Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, or the Philippines have all undergone major worldwide processes like colonial (or semi-colonial) extraction, nationalization of resources, and the search for sustainable development. But environmental crisis is limited neither to developmental nor regional issues. Beyond the debates between economic gains and ecological costs are the various local perceptions of social, cultural, and environmental uncertainties.
01:098:473 The Silk Road: A History of Cultural and Material Exchanges
01:098:473 The Silk Road: A History of Cultural and Material Exchanges
Course description:
This course introduces the history of the Silk Road—a complex network of trade routes that connected China with the rest of the Eurasian continent over land and sea—and its role in fostering cultural and material exchanges between the peoples it connected. The course covers the period between 500 BCE and 1500 CE, during which the Silk Road contributed to the forming and transforming the cultural, ethnic, and religious identities of different peoples, such as Chinese, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and Mongolians, and their perceptions of one another. The course, moreover, explores topics, including conspicuous consumption, cultural diversity, religious pluralism, and nomadic migration, as well as the financial, judicial, religious, and social institutions that were the fruits of these exchanges. The course begins and ends with an analysis of conceptualizations of the “Silk Road” against the backdrop of the “Great Game” that played out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among various colonial powers and its legacy to this day. It also examines the recent push by the Chinese government to establish the so-called “Silk Road Economic Belt” by tapping into its rich legacy.01:098:338 Religious Themes in East Asian Literature
01:098:338 Religious Themes in East Asian Literature
Course description:
This seminar examines prominent religious ideas and practices from Buddhism, Daoism, and Shinto that have colored the Chinese and Japanese literary imagination for generations. We will read literary works from China and Japan, ranging from dramas, hagiographies, ecstatic poetry, and tales of the supernatural to Zen/Ch’an records. Concepts such as enlightenment, impermanence, karma, and rebirth will serve as the centers of the investigation. Practices, including elixir making, demon expelling, meditation, and spirit possession, will be our guide to the world in which the authors and readers of these works lived. The ultimate question we will return to again and again is: how have the same concepts and practices manifested differently in Chinese and Japanese literature, and why?16:217:517
16:217:517 WOMEN AND GENDER IN EAST ASIA RELIGIOSITY
Description: This seminar examines the religious beliefs and practices of and about women in Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and other religious traditions popular in China, Japan, and Korea. It aims to excavate the gender constructs that have shaped East Asian religiosity, as well as their social implications. To this aim, the seminar reviews how the female gender has been perceived and performed, what roles women have played or been prescribed in various religious traditions, and what differentiate the female and male piety. It also investigates how the body has been viewed in discourses of religious salvation. Course materials are organized thematically and include both foundational primary sources in translation (e.g., religious scriptures, ritual manuals, doctrinal exegeses, narrative tales, performative texts, and religious artifacts) and seminal scholarship.
Number of Credits: 3
01:098:477
01:098:477 WOMEN AND GENDER IN EAST ASIA RELIGIOSITY
This seminar examines women's religious beliefs and practices in Buddhism and other East Asian religious traditions. It examines the intricate relationship between gender and religion in East Asian societies. We will explore the cultural and social constructs that have shaped the way women have been perceived and portrayed throughout history. By examining the roles assigned to women in relation to men, the seminar will uncover distinctions between female and male expressions of piety. We will also explore the treatment of the body in religious discourses of salvation, gaining a deeper understanding of the ways in which religion has shaped gender relations in East Asian societies. The course materials are organized thematically and by expressions of faith rather than individual religious traditions. It will be a journey to challenge our preconceptions about the role of women in religion.
Grading: Bi-Weekly Self-assessment Reports 40%, Peer-Review Class Presentations (incl. précis and outline) 25%, Peer-Review Term Paper 25%, Final Self-Assessment Report 10%
This course adopts two interwoven learning approaches: "self-regulated learning" and "collaborative learning." Self-regulated learning gives students the power to monitor their learning process and improve the academic skills of their choosing and at their own pace. It allows students to take charge of their own education. How does it work in the context of this course? I, the instructor, determine the academic framework and content but do not grade you, the students, at all. Rather, you will evaluate your own performance biweekly. Collaborative learning helps you as students learn efficiently and productively by sharing knowledge as you collaborate on reading and writing assignments as well as evaluate the work of your peers (double-blind). The more supportive you are toward your fellow students in providing assistance and constructive critiques, the more you will learn from them. To encourage self-motivation and accountability, B+ is the default final grade for this course. Each of you will give yourself a grade based on an honest reflection of your academic process according to the rubrics I provide in this syllabus. I reserve the right to adjust any grade where I find an unreasonable discrepancy between self-assessments, peer reviews, and normative academic standards. This could mean that I may raise a B+ to an A if I find you’re too harsh on yourself or lower a B+ to a B if I find you unduly lenient on yourself.
Students will:
- Gain an understanding of women’s and gendered experiences in practicing East Asian religions, past and present.
- Acquire and improve academic skills in reading, making presentations, and writing.
- Develop the ability to reflect on and assess their and their peers' learning progress.
For the undergraduate students specifically: This course achieves the Asian Languages and Cultures Departmental Learning Goals specified for the Asian Studies (098) and Chinese (165) major and minor. For the complete statement, see Asian Languages and Cultures Departmental Learning Goals (https://asianstudies.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/learning-goals ).
You can choose whether to wear masks and engage in social distancing while in the classroom. However, masks are strongly encouraged for those who have yet to receive the bivalent booster. Please be reminded that COVID could cause severe long-term health problems and even death. If you test positive for COVID at any point during the semester, you should not return to the classroom until you have a negative test, even if you have no symptoms. Please be advised that the university’s policies may change as conditions require; for the latest information, check the university-wide COVID-19 Information page (https://coronavirus.rutgers.edu/ ).
Attendance is not mandatory for this course, but class participation is. This is the one area I will most likely adjust the grade you give yourself. When in class, please observe the following:
Preparedness: Complete and understand the reading assignment before the class.
Mastery: Demonstrate ability to apply course materials to address questions in discussions.
Engagement: Actively initiate and respond to questions and contribute to discussions.
Teamwork: Be respectful, supportive, engaging and listening to your peers.
Discussion: Focus and clearly articulate your analysis, synthesis & argument.
Overall: Your presence enhances the dynamic and level of discussion in the classroom.
Please be advised that class participation is the one basis on which I will most likely adjust the grade you give yourself at the end of the semester.
I expect you to always uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Violations include plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, facilitation of dishonesty, and academic sabotage. See the current Academic Integrity Policy. Ignorance of the policy is not a mitigating circumstance. Among these violations, plagiarism is the most common. If you are not sure what plagiarism is, watch this short YouTube video.
It is the policy of Rutgers to make reasonable academic accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability and wish to request accommodations to complete your course requirements, please contact the Office of Disability Services.
Course Materials: All readings are available via Rutgers library links or CANVAS Files. If not, please first look it up on Rutgers Library website or consult a Rutgers librarian. Email me if you still cannot locate a copy.