History 413: The Middle East in World History, 600-1453
This course covers the Middle East in world history from the birth of Islam in the early seventh century to the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Using primary sources in translation the course will seek to bring to life several aspects of the region: its politics and society, scientific explorations, technological enterprises, cultural diversity, the pursuit of the creative arts, travel and spirituality.
History 421: Gender in East Asia
The evolution of sex and gender as they have been influenced by traditional thought systems and by social and economic developments over time. Topics include ideas about masculinity and felinity, division of labor, economic and legal status of women, marriage and dowry, sexuality and the female body.
History 422: Medieval and Early Modern Japan
The history of Japan from the earliest times to the beginning of the nineteenth century, focusing on religion, politics, economic development, social trends and elements of the history of ideas. The course also examines Japan's mythic tradition, culture and social structure and its interaction with mainland civilizations.
History 423: Modern Japan
All major aspects of Japanese history since 1800, including politics, economic trends, sociocultural and intellectual changes, and foreign relations. Important themes include the conflict between local and foreign ideologies, the socioeconomic roots of World War II from the Japanese perspective, the development of Japanese science and technology, and Japan's contemporary economic and political prominence.
History 424: Early and Medieval China
This course is a survey of the early history of China—the genesis of characteristic Chinese institutions and modes of thought from antiquity to the fall of the Tang dynasty (618-907). Topics include the archeological origins, rise of textual traditions, development of political and economic institutions, philosophical debates, social structures, popular religion, and foreign relations.
History 425: China from 900 to 1800
This course examines the bureaucratic-gentry elite, the growth of urban centers, and the spread of print technology and its role in the dissemination of elite and popular cultures during the Song dynasty (960-1279); the Mongol conquest of China and its impact on native political institutions and cultural expression; the founding of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and the reverberations of the sixteenth-century economic boom in the realms of social mobility, intellectual ferment, and gender norms; and the splendors and tensions of the multiethnic Qing dynasty (1644-1911) in the eighteenth century.
History 426: China since 1800
This course reviews the fall of the Qing dynasty, the impact of Western imperialism, reform efforts, the rise of Chinese nationalism, new political structures, World War II, and the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The course then focuses on the PRC from 1949 to the present. Topics include the Communist Party and the structure of the state, interpretations of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, foreign relations, intellectuals and society, peasant life, human rights, and recent economic developments.
