Asian Studies (AS)

Are you interested in a career related to Asia, or considering studying abroad in Asia? Or maybe you just want to know more about its cultures and histories because your classmates, neighbors, and coworkers are from there? What is Asia, anyway, and who and what should we consider Asian? This class is designed to introduce students to the diversity of Asia and to the resources at UB and beyond for studying Asia and Asian diasporas. Students will develop critical thinking and writing skills while exploring the fields of Asian and Asian-American studies. The class will hear from distinguished UB professors who will discuss the latest research, trends, and resources in the field of Asian and Asian-American studies. Students also will start thinking about the impact of developments in Asia on their career goals and be encouraged to consider study abroad opportunities in Asia.

The Asian American experience from the beginning of Asians' and Pacific Islanders' entry into North America in the eighteenth century to the present. Investigates this phenomenon in connection with national and transnational power relations, economic structures, and political realities. Also considers the construction of American identities in the United States and their impact on Asian American communities and individuals. Goals are to develop a historical and multi-cultural perspective on the Asian American experience, to enlarge students' capacities for analytical and critical thinking, and to achieve a better understanding of the diversity within Asian American communities and of Asian Americans' social status in North America. This course is the same as AMS 102 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Introduction to major themes and events in the histories of China, Korea, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia in early times. Considers the developments of ways of thought, the emergence of and interactions among states and empires, and artistic and literary movements. Our goal is to understand the historical forces and transformations shaping Asia before about 1600. This course is the same as HIS and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Introduction to major themes and events in the histories of China, Korea, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia in recent centuries. Considers the impacts of colonialism and imperialism, the emergence of nationalist and revolutionary movements, decolonization and the Cold War. Our goal is to understand the historical forces and transformations shaping contemporary Asia, the common experiences that different areas of Asia have shared in the recent past, and what distinguishes the histories of particular Asian nations within a comparative perspective. This course is the same as HIS 182 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The one credit UB Seminar is focused on a big idea or challenging issue to engage students with questions of significance in a field of study and, ultimately, to connect their studies with issues of consequence in the wider world. Essential to the UB Curriculum, the Seminar helps transition to UB through an early connection to UB faculty and the undergraduate experience at a comprehensive, research university. This course is equivalent to any 198 offered in any subject. This course is a controlled enrollment (impacted) course. Students who have previously attempted the course and received a grade of F or R may not be able to repeat the course during the fall or spring semester.

The three credit UB Seminar is focused on a big idea or challenging issue to engage students with questions of significance in a field of study and, ultimately, to connect their studies with issues of consequence in the wider world. Essential to the UB Curriculum, the Seminar helps students with common learning outcomes focused on fundamental expectations for critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and oral communication, and learning at a university, all within topic focused subject matter. The Seminars provide students with an early connection to UB faculty and the undergraduate experience at a comprehensive, research university. This course is equivalent to any 199 offered in any subject. This course is a controlled enrollment (impacted) course. Students who have previously attempted the course and received a grade of F or R may not be able to repeat the course during the fall or spring semester.

This course will introduce students to narratives of romance that span Asia's wide variety of religious, literary, theatrical, and cinematic traditions. Rather than defining romance by what it contains, we will instead consider what romance as a genre does. Through this approach, it becomes possible to examine why certain narratives were compelling enough to be transmitted across and preserved within a diverse range of cultures and historical periods. Texts include English translations of Sanskrit drama, a Hindi Sufi mystical work, an early Japanese novel, recent Bollywood cinema, Korean television melodramas, and the worldwide Harlequin Romance phenomenon. There are no prerequisites for this class. We will be covering a wide range of materials, and it is essential that students complete assigned readings before class and actively participate in class discussions. All are welcome in this class, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, ethnicity, or religion. I ask that you keep an open mind towards the course materials and be tolerant and respectful of the opinions expressed by your fellow classmates. This course is the same as ENG 222 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Introduces students to major features of societies in East, Southeast, and South Asia, and may incorporate material on Central and Southwest Asia depending on the instructor. Discusses the ways in which social scientists analyze contemporary societies and survey theories developed by social scientists to explain social phenomena in contemporary Asian societies. This course is the same as PSC 229 and GEO 229 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Examines selected views, traditions or issues in Chinese, Japanese, Indian or Southeast Asian philosophies. This course is the same as AS 252 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Japanophilia. This course is the same as COL 317.

This course will examine the different ways in which gender is constructed through Asian literature, theatre, and film. It is intended to introduce students to the literature of Asia, foregrounding the ways in which gender shapes different types, or genres, of text, and how different genres of text in turn shape notions of gender. Our task in this course will be to discover the cultural underpinnings of historical and contemporary conceptions of gender, sexuality, and love. Inasmuch as we play out our gender roles our social life, this course will also serve to introduce students to the ways in which performance is embedded in the public culture of Asia. Throughout the semester, students will be required to apply the skills we acquire in our readings on theory to a broad set of materials, including authors from across the length and breadth of Asia. There are no prerequisites for this class and all readings are in English. This course is the same as ENG 327 and GGS 327 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course is a chronological exploration of Hindi cinema, stretching from the 1940s to the present. With its flashy item numbers, chocolate, heroes, masala films, and playback singers, Bollywood films offer delights that no other genre can. But beneath its flashy exterior, Bollywood also offers moral lessons for social uplift, provides examples of changing class and family dynamics, tracks the influence of the West on a decidedly South Asian art form, and has its finger perennially on the cultural pulse of India.

The purpose of this course is to expose students to the wide variety of poetic and prose literary forms associated with Islam, including contemporary English-language novels and translations from Arabic, Bengali, Persian, and Urdu originals. We will explore literature through a variety of themes and genres common to the literary traditions of these languages. This will serve to frame larger questions central to the study of Islamicate literatures. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Surveys contemporary issues for women in East Asia and South East Asia namely, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia Malaysia. One of the main objectives is to analyze the impact of development on various aspects of social life of women in Asia. Examines women's roles and opportunities in the process of development, including women of poor and working class households as well as women from middle class and professional backgrounds. This course is the same as GGS 340 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The course examines Indonesian history from the beginnings of the nationalist movement in the early twentieth century, through the Japanese occupation during World War Two and the anti-colonial revolution that followed it. It then looks at the decline of constitutional democracy and the subsequent establishment of martial law, as well as the tragic killings in the mid-1960s that led to the rise of the 32-year long regime of President Suharto.

This course explores contemporary Korean popular culture by engaging in social and cultural representations from the Korean War to the present day. This course will help students to understand current Korean popular culture as well as the Korean Wave (Hallyu) that is spreading across the globe. This course will also help students to grasp contemporary Korean culture and Korean identity; as well as the values and images depicted in modern Korea. It explores diverse topics including music (K-pop), movies, K-dramas, K-beauty, fashion, food, gaming culture, leisure activities, as well as sports. This course is the same as KOR 345 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

In the past three decades Japanese popular culture has surpassed the technology industry to become Japans largest export. In particular, anime (Japanese animation), the most profitable form of Japanese popular culture, has become increasingly visible all over the world. Although anime fandom in the U.S. is anchored by several works of mass appeal, it remains a subculture whose increasingly influential devotees occupy a cultural fringe. This course introduces students to this unique subculture and introduces an academic approach to viewing the anime art form. In addition to the focus on specific genres of anime, this course will pay special attention to four influential anime directors; Oshii Mamoru, Satoshi Kon, Hosoda Mamoru and Miyazaki Hayao. This course is designed to be interactive, while it builds a rigorous understanding of the anime medium through its history, its artists, and its institutions. Not only will the course focus on critical analysis of films, it will use anime as a medium by which to study Japanese culture at large, with some attention given to production. Taught in English.

This course introduces the study of Japanese culture through the media of modern Japan. Japanese popular culture is traced from its roots in the early twentieth century to today.

This course is an introduction to Chinese film and visual culture from the earliest days until the present. Chinese film and media studies are rich fields with links to literature, theater and opera, and visual art. This class invites students to watch, read, and discuss films from several periods and traditions, including auteur films (films by famous directors), genre films (for example, martial arts films), and animated films. This is a film and media studies course. Students will be graded for discussion and participation, short response papers, and one final written essay. This course is taught in English. The films are subtitled in English and the readings are also in English. There are no prerequisites for this course, just an interest in Chinese film and visual culture. This course is the same as CHI 364 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

What is food for? This simple question invites us to ponder myriad ways that food connects to our lives, from cooking to eating, from spice to medicine, from the expression of the self to the mediation of social relationship. Not surprisingly, food constitutes a vital aspect of Asian culture that figures saliently both in Asia and beyond. Even without going to Asian, we may all have the experience of tasting sushi, General-Tso¿s chicken, or curry. This course probes the history of food in Asia, exploring both the rich culture of food within Asia and its fast spread to the rest of the world in recent past. Topics covered in this course include the techniques of cooking (we may try ourselves), the religious meanings of food, regional features, food trade, food and colonialism, food and national identity, and Asian food in America. In the end, the course seeks to use the study of dishes and drinks in Asia as a gateway to not just understand the fabric of Asian society but also illuminate our dietary habits and ways of living here and now. [No prior knowledge in Asian languages or history is required.] This course is the same as HIS 367, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Japan's emergence as a modern state. This course is the same as HIS 368LEC, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.. AAL

This course traces roughly two thousand years of Korean history, from tribal federations to the rise of early states that vied with one another for supremacy and the eventual establishment of political rule over the peninsula by a succession of dynastic states Silla, Kory, and Chos. The goal is to familiarize students with the major social, cultural, political, intellectual and religious developments in the Korean peninsula up to the start of the nineteenth century, while at the same time placing these historical developments within the wider regional context of Korea¿s relations with China and Japan. For most of East Asia's history, the people of Korea had more culturally extensive and historically significant contacts with its two neighbors than they had with each other. For this reason learning about Korea¿s history provides a unique window onto premodern East Asia, and the history of these interconnections in turn reveals something important about the formation of a distinctive Korean identity. In addition to reading and being tested on primary and secondary sources on Korean history, students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to discuss and think critically about the material through written assignments. This course is the same as HIS 369 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course looks at the historical transformations that shaped Korean society, culture and politics in the peninsula from the late 19th century to the present. Attention will be given to Korea¿s interconnections with events occurring elsewhere in East Asia and other parts of the world as we examine the fast moving events following Korea¿s forced ¿opening¿ in 1876 by Japan. Included among the major historical events and issues that will be covered in this course on modern Korean history are imperialism and self-strengthening efforts, the period of Japanese colonial rule and its effects on Korean society and politics, the division of the country after 1945 and the Korean War, authoritarianism and military dictatorship in the South, along with the concurrent industrialization and economic development of the 1960s and 70s, student protests and democratization in the South, post-war developments in North Korea, current problems in inter-Korean relations and the prospects for unification in the peninsula. This course is the same as HIS 370, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course traces the history of Buddhism from its origins in India to its introduction and subsequent growth in East Asia. How did the transmission of Buddhism through Central Asia influence its development? How did Buddhist doctrines and practices change as the religion became part of the social fabric in China, Korea, and Japan? What impact did it have on those countries? After spending a few weeks becoming familiar with the basic outlines of Buddhism in India, we will examine more closely the development of East Asian traditions of Buddhist thought and practice and the roles they played not only in the spiritual lives of people living in China, Korea, and Japan, but also in the political, diplomatic, material, artistic, and social arenas. The links tying the Buddhist traditions of all countries together will be emphasized, but we will also consider the significant differences they exhibited over time. Although a wide range of Buddhist concepts and doctrines will be introduced and discussed, students are not expected to have any prior knowledge either of Buddhism or East Asian history. This course is the same as HIS 372.

This course traces the introduction and spread of Christianity in Asian history, focusing primarily on East Asia and giving special attention to Korea. It begins with an examination of Jesuit missions to Japan and China, as well as the role that India played in the establishment and maintenance of these missions. The different Jesuit strategies for accommodating or rejecting indigenous religious beliefs and customs are compared and considered, as well as the Nestorians in China much earlier. Then we turn to the unique way in which Catholicism was subsequently established in Korea, where Christianity has enjoyed unparalleled success in East Asia. We will look closely at how Christianity has affected and been affected by socio-political developments, its interactions with and influence upon traditional Asian religions, its relationship to nationalism since the late 19th century, and its tensions and conflict with colonialism and Communism in the 20th century. It concludes by asking what factors might have enabled Christianity to have such success in Korea (and the Philippines) and compare these to the situation in China and Japan. This course is the same as HIS 374 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

A survey of relations between the U.S. and East Asia from the eighteenth century to the present.

Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, claimed to have discovered the key to eliminating suffering. Suffering, he thought, arises because our most basic experiences of the world are mistaken. In the thousands of years that followed, his philosophical and psychological insights have been developed by thinkers around the world. This course will present an introduction to the basic philosophical positions of Buddhist philosophy and their development. This course is the same as PHI 376 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Continuation of CHI 280. Surveys major cultural and traditional elements that have influenced various aspects of contemporary Chinese life. Topics include Chinese philosophical ideals, religion, women, family, education, Chinese language and symbolic reference, literature and art in both traditional and modern China. This course is intended to introduce Chinese culture at its deep level or philosophical value of the Chinese culture. The correspondence with previous Chinese culture course CHI 280 is addressed. Taught in English; requires no knowledge of Chinese language. An optional course for Chinese Minor. This course is the same as CHI 380 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The idea of India has long attracted the attention of people from afar. Whether in search of gold or enlightenment, the India carried in the traveler's imagination often conflicts with the India that is actually encountered. This course is intended to serve not just as an introduction to the motivations and experiences of travelers to India, but also to the forms of knowledge that are produced in the wake of such travels. We will begin by examining the accounts of early Greek ambassadors and sailors and Chinese pilgrims seeking wealth and knowledge. Both Muslim and Christian adventurers produced travelogues that describe the marvels of India in the medieval period. The Mughal court fascinated Europeans sojourners, while Indian travelers were in turn both delighted and disgusted by what they observed in Europe. Hippies more recently and in their own way reenact quests by colonial British officials for the sublime and picturesque. The diversity of perspectives that these works present challenges readers to consider what it means to be an outsider looking in on a culture, compelling us to consider arguments for and against treating certain geographic and political regions and temporal periods as coherent cultural zones. By reading and discussing a wide range of both primary and secondary source materials, students will develop a broad familiarity with the history, literatures, religions, and geography of South Asia. All of the readings are in English and no background in South Asian languages, history, or literature is expected. This course is the same as ENG 388, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course examines key moments and longer-term dynamics of Southeast Asia's maritime history. We will consider how the sea affected state-building from its earliest days, its impact on pre-colonial international relations, its role as a conduit of the desire for conquest and for exotic goods, and the question of piracy, past and present. This course is the same as AS 389, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements..

This course surveys the history of Chinese medicine seen through world history. It focuses on the continuous and dynamic exchange of medical ideas, practices, and materials between China and the rest of the world from antiquity to the present. Rather than treating Chinese medicine as a monolithic, stable, and isolated system of healing, the course highlights its active interactions with other healing cultures throughout history. By offering revealing comparisons and identifying unexpected connections, this course seeks to not just enrich our understanding of the global history of Chinese medicine but also utilize historical knowledge to illuminate our ways of living today. This course is the same as AS 390, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Survey of Chinese views of the world order, exchanges in material culture across China's borders, and the ways in which Chinese governments and people have interacted with the world from the imperial era to the present era of the rise of China. This course is the same as HIS 391, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Provides an overview of the major religions of Asia (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) in the light of their sacred texts, and focuses on the theological underpinnings, stories, and practices of each tradition. This course fosters a better understanding of religion in general, and familiarity with the spiritual values that shape everyday lives in many different locales worldwide.

Varying topics in Asian studies, chosen by the instructor.

Varying topics in Asian studies, chosen by the instructor.

Varying topics in Asian studies, chosen by the instructor.

Varying topics in Asian American studies, chosen by the instructor.

Provides students with knowledge of communication and its related issues in Asian countries, which are one of the world's focal points for economy and politics in the age of globalization and the post-cold war era. This course is the same as COM 410, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course explores topics related to language and society, and intercultural communication, and provides students with opportunities to address questions concerning these topics. The primary goal of this course is to enhance students' knowledge of intercultural and sociolinguistic aspects that contribute to the property and use of the Japanese language. Although this course is appropriate for students of Japanese and/or linguistics, the course is appropriate for students who have a serious interest in issues of language, society, and communication, and their relationship. Prior knowledge of Japanese is not required and English translation is provided for Japanese language data used for discussions and analyses. Taught in English. This course is the same as JPN 421, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Introduces Korean culture and society, including readings and discussions of Korean history, politics, economy, art, literature, and language. Taught in English. This course is the same as KOR 421, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Examines selected views, traditions or issues in Chinese philosophy.

What is a poison? How do we understand the effects of poisons on our body? How do we make the best use of these potent matters that can benefit us and the society at large? These are some of the fundamental questions to the history of medicine, and driving ones for this course. Examining the history of poisons through twelve case studies, we will explore the complexity of poison materiality by contemplating the intimate relations between poisons, medicines, and foods. We will learn how the experiences of the body shaped the conceived values of poisons. We will examine the circulation of poison knowledge across social and geographical domains. Using specific poisons as the anchor of our analysis, we will explore the social fabric and cultural milieu in which particular ideas and practices of poisons emerged, flourished, or diminished. One key aspect of the course is to introduce a comparative perspective to the study of medical history. By studying above topics in both European/American and Asian contexts, we will identify surprising parallels, striking differences, and hidden connections between these traditions. Finally, we will ponder how knowledge of poisons in the past illuminates our notions and habits of ingesting and experiencing drugs today. This course is the same as HIS 492.

A capstone course required for all majors in Asian Studies. Research, writing, and oral presentation of project carried out under the guidance of a faculty member.