East Asian Studies (EAST) 317 - Lecture 01
UNDERSTANDING EAST ASIA
Winter 2007
MWF 10:00-10:50  

Instructor:	Dr. Lloyd Sciban
Office Location:	SS 316
Office Phone:	220-2813
E-Mail:	sciban@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	www.ucalgary.ca/~sciban
Office Hours:	M and F 11:00-12:00, or by appointment

Course Description

East Asian Studies 317 is an overview of the three major civilizations of East Asia--China, Japan, and Korea--with the purpose of describing the essence of each of them, as well as outlining their common characteristics. Subjects covered include physical environment, history, philosophy, religion, social and political order, economy, and arts.

Objectives of the Course

Knowledge of the three major civilizations of East Asia will enable the student to see both the uniqueness and the similarities of the civilizations that constitute East Asia.

Textbooks and Readings:

Collection of readings available at the Bookstore under course number.

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

1. Mid-term exam, 20%; Friday Mar. 02, 2007, based on lectures, readings, and films to date.

2. Registrar-scheduled, final exam, 40%; based on the term's lectures, readings, and films.

3. Essay proposal, 5%; due in class Monday, Feb. 26. Length: one page double-spaced. Your essay proposal should clearly identify your subject and the value that you believe it has. It should also contain a description of the intended development of your essay. It is important that you demonstrate that you understand the assignment is about describing value.

4. Essay, 35%; due in class, Monday, Apr. 02. Length: 2500 words.

Topic: Describe the value of an aspect of East Asian civilization. Value may be taken to be positive or negative. You may take a broad or narrow focus, describing such topics as the East Asian concept of the family or the beauty of a particular Japanese poem. You may also discuss material culture, such as the Korean chaebol. It is necessary to submit an essay in order to pass the course.

Criteria of evaluation: Content: this includes description of the target aspect and its value. You could proceed by describing the target aspect and the value to its civilization. Be careful to identify the aspect that you choose as distinctly East Asian and to emphasize what its value is rather than the fact that it is valued. Beyond this, you could describe the negative value of the target aspect or its value outside the native civilization. For example, let us say your topic is the value of Chinese food. You would want to describe the general characteristics of Chinese food. You could follow by showing that Chinese food has been valued in Chinese history and in contemporary society (e.g., attention is paid to daily meals and many social activities revolve around eating). You would then start to describe the values of Chinese food. For example, you could describe the pleasure of the variety of tastes, the health maintained with low-fat intake, and the joy of socializing with friends and family over a meal. Beyond this, one can describe negative value, such as the long length of time it takes to prepare Chinese food; or the value of the target aspect outside its civilization, such as the advantages to Westerners in adopting a diet more like the Chinese.

Organization: this includes clarity, logic (there should be a logical connection among the points given in your essay), unity (maintenance of the same theme throughout the whole, or a large section, of the essay), coherence (smooth link between minor sections of the essay), and correctness of form (e.g., having foot or endnotes, a bibliography, the use of proper grammar, etc.).

Original thinking: you are strongly encouraged to present your own perspective or views. This could take the form of presenting and supporting your own thesis, or establishing a point that has not been made before. For example, you may argue the thesis that the general good health of the Chinese people, despite a relatively low-standard of living, is due primarily to their diet, or you may prove that it is preferable to consume soup at the end of the meal as the Chinese traditionally do. Original thinking often makes the difference between an outstanding and an average essay.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: Yes

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Penalties: deduction of a letter grade (e.g., B to B-) for essays and .5 for essay proposals for each day late. Note: Please submit assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS 110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox. No electronic submissions will be accepted.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Week Topic

1 East Asia Course explanation and general characteristics of East Asian civilization.

Reading: Edwin Reischauer, "The Sinic World in Perspective," in Foreign Affairs 52.2 (Jan. 1974): 341-48.

2 China Historical overview, physical environment, and early civilization.

Reading: John King Fairbank, China: A New History, 46-71.

3 China Confucian thought, religion, and philosophy today.

Reading: Sources of Chinese Tradition, 27-29, 32-34 (Confucius); A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, 53-60, 65-66 (Mencius).

4 China Social order: education and status of women.

Reading: Herbert Fingarette, Confucius--The Secular As Sacred, 70-79.

5 China Political order: success of Communist Revolution and present day problems and improvements.

Reading: John K. Fairbank, "The Old Order" and "The Political Tradition," in The Chinese, 31-37, and 188-96.

6 China Recent economy.

Reading: Kevin G. Cai, "Is a Free Trade Zone Emerging in Northeast Asia in the Wake of the Asian Financial Crisis," Pacific Affairs 74.1 (Spring 2001): 7-24.

7 China Arts. Essay proposal due Monday, Feb. 26. Mid-term exam on Friday, Mar. 02.

8 Japan Physical setting, people, language, recent history.

Reading: Edwin Reischauer, The Japanese Today, 41-77.

9 Japan Social order and Japanese self-perception.

Reading: Thomas Smith, The Agrarian Origins of Modern Japan, 50-64.

10 Japan Recent economy.

Reading: Peter Frost, "The Japanese Crisis," in Education About Asia 4.2 (Fall 1999): 18-22.

11 Japan Aesthetics. Essay due Thursday, Mar. 30.

12 Korea History, language, and social order. Essay due Friday, Apr. 02.

Reading: Edwin Reischauer, East Asia: Tradition and Transformation, 300-323.

13 Korea Political order, recent economy, and unification.

Reading: Hagen Koo, "Strong State and Contentious Society," in State and Society in Contemporary Korea, 231-49.