Asian Studies

ASIA100 Introduction to Traditional Asia Sections

A survey of the histories and cultures of Asia before 1600 and the coming of the Europeans. Emphasis will be given to parallel themes in the development of the civilizations of South, Southeast and East Asia.

ASIA101 Introduction to Modern Asia Sections

A survey of the emergence of modern Asia. Aims at an understanding of how the various peoples of Asia have maintained distinctive cultural identities despite centuries of political, economic, social and cultural change.

ASIA110 Introduction to Religions in Asia Sections

A survey of religious traditions of Asia, including communities, professionals, practices and beliefs of small-scale and large-scale societies. Approaches and theories drawn from the field of religious studies.

ASIA200 Cultural Foundations of East Asia Sections

A comparative survey of the beliefs, assumptions and values which have shaped the civilizations of East Asia in both traditional and modern times.

ASIA210 Traditions of Yoga Sections

Philosophical, religious, and cultural development of yoga in classical and medieval South Asia and its relation to contemporary globalized practice.

ASIA212 Writing About Japan Sections

Literary, historiographic, religious, and feminist approaches to Japanese myths, legal tracts, religious tales, fiction, and poetry.

ASIA250 Introduction to Buddhism Sections

Origins, basic teachings, development of Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantric traditions, historical spread first through Asia and later the world, and Buddhism in contemporary societies.

ASIA254 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Japanese Literature and Film Sections

The integral role that sex, gender, and sexuality play in literary and cinematic works from Japan. Literary works will be read in translation, movies will be subtitled.

ASIA258 Religion in South Asia Sections

The major religious traditions of South Asia, including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism; the significance of religious thought and practice in premodern India, as well as the continuing impact of religion in today's globalized South Asia.

ASIA300 Writing and Culture in East Asia Sections

Practical, aesthetic, historical, technological and political issues pertaining to the use of Chinese characters - hanzi (Chinese), kanji (Japanese), or hanccha (Korean) - throughout the region.

ASIA305 Asian Horror Cinema: National Nightmares and Specters of Trauma Sections

Engaging with the ideologies, industrial histories, socio-cultural contexts, and aesthetics of horror films - and the genre itself - from various Asian cinemas.

ASIA306 Esoteric Buddhism Sections

Overview of Buddhism's rich and complex esoteric traditions in the Himalayan region and South, Southeast, and East Asia, with particular emphasis on texts, commentaries, and practices from a variety of traditions, locales and time periods.

ASIA308 Myth, Ritual and Epic in Ancient India Sections

Myths of creation Gods and goddesses of the Vedic pantheon. Connections with myths in other parts of the world, particularly in the Indo-European tradition. Literary representations of the myths.

ASIA309 South Asian Beyond South Asia Sections

A history of South Asian peoples and communities that emigrated overseas, including Indo-Canadians.

ASIA311 Tibetan Buddhism Sections

Religious terrain of the Tibetan cultural realm, looking at the history and development of Tibetan Buddhism and key ideas of the four main Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

ASIA313 Tibetan and Himalayan Culture and Society Sections

History and culture of the Himalayan regions, including India, China, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan.

ASIA314 Premodern Japan Sections

Japanese history (political, economic, social and cultural) to 1600.

ASIA315 Japan from Feudal to Modern State Sections

Japanese history from 1600 to the Meiji Restoration. Political, economic, social and cultural forces which were involved in transforming Japan.

ASIA320 History of Early China Sections

History of China from the earliest times to the disintegration of the Tang empire. Students will acquire the analytical skills and tools to understand the origins and foundations of Chinese society.

ASIA323 History of Cantonese Worlds Sections

The history, culture, languages, and identities of the multi-faceted Cantonese worlds, in the context of Chinese history and the Cantonese diaspora.

ASIA324 Literature of Hong Kong Sections

A survey of the literature of Hong Kong, from classical times to the present. Important periods in literary history (imperial, colonial, post-colonial), major authors (locals, visitors, and writers elsewhere), and important genres, including poetry, essays, and fiction.

ASIA325 Hong Kong Cinema Sections

A survey of the cinema of Hong Kong from the post-war period to the present. The influence of Hong Kong on global cinema, and the forces (artists, studios, audiences, etc.) that have given rise to filmmaking styles and genres perceived as "distinctively Hong Kong."

ASIA326 Critical Approaches to Manga and Anime Sections

A critical introduction to Japanese manga and anime in the 20th and 21st centuries.

ASIA327 Korean Popular Music in Context Sections

History, contexts, and the genres of Korean popular music. Students will analyze specific artists and songs using a range of approaches. While an understanding of basic concepts of music will be helpful, no previous exposure to ethnomusicology or music performance is required.

ASIA333 Contemporary South Asian Gender and Sexuality Studies Sections

Main theories and key concepts with a particular focus on the changing status of women, and gender and sexual minorities.

ASIA336 Sufi and Bhakti Devotional Literatures Sections

Sufi and Bhakti thought and tradition in South Asia through literary works in translation.

ASIA337 The Korean People in Modern Times (1600 to the present) Sections

The transformation of Korea from a Confucian state into an industrial nation. The rise of nationalism and modern ideologies in Korea. Cultural, social and economic changes Korea has undergone as it has entered the modern world.

ASIA339 The Construction of South Asian Communities in the Diaspora Sections

An examination of contemporary South Asian communities in the diaspora. Topics of particular importance are family life, religious life, notions of space, communal memory, literary and visual representation.

ASIA341 Classical Chinese Literature in Translation Sections

Poetry, historical and philosophic prose writings and the earliest genres of fiction in classical Chinese (ca. 1100 BC ca. 750 AD).

ASIA342 Chinese Literature in Translation: The Vernacular Tradition Sections

Readings in drama and fiction, 800 to 1800 AD. The emergence of vernacular genres as distinct from and sometimes opposed to the existing classical genres.

ASIA346A Topics in Japanese Cultural History II: The Early Modern Age - TPCS JAPN CLT II Sections

Focuses each year on a specific topic related to the culture of early modern Japan.

ASIA347 Traditional Korean Literature in Translation Sections

An introduction to Korean literature from ancient times to 1900.

ASIA348 Poetic Life in Classical India Sections

Cultural explorations in the poetry, theatre, and ornate prose writings of India in the classical period (c. 300-1300 CE).

ASIA351 Modern Chinese Fiction in Translation Sections

Reading of selected novels and stories written between 1750 and the present.

ASIA353 Introduction to Hindi Film Sections

History, aesthetics, politics, and social roles of Bollywood films. Films will be subtitled.

ASIA354 Introduction to Japanese Cinema Sections

Students will be introduced to the work of the major directors (e.g., Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Itami, Oshima, Shinoda). Ideological uses of literary texts and period pieces (e.g., Ugetsu, Life of Oharu, Double Suicide). Impact of depiction of Japanese in American film.

ASIA355 History of Chinese Cinema Sections

Introduction to the work of major directors.

ASIA356 Korean Cinema Sections

Introduction to the work of the major film makers.

ASIA357 Modern Korean Literature in Translation Sections

Selected fiction and poetry written between 1917 and the present.

ASIA359 Afghan History Sections

Afghan history as it unfolded from the Eurasian empires to the modern era of nation-building and internationalism.

ASIA362A Pre-Modern Japanese Fiction (in translation) - PREMOD JAPN FCTN Sections

The influential genre of early tales and fiction in pre-modern Japan.

ASIA363 Fiction and Film from Modern Taiwan Sections

A reading-intensive survey of literary and cinematic culture in Taiwan since the early 20th century: colonialism, the national divide, nativism, trauma, cosmopolitanism, and utopian imaginings.

ASIA364A Modern Japanese Literature in Translation - MOD JAPN LIT TRN Sections

An introduction to the literature and cultural history of modern Japan, with readings drawn from various literary genres, from 1868 to the present.

ASIA365 Punjabi Cinema Sections

Punjabi culture, history, and social values through films. The class includes film viewings and seminar discussions. Films will be subtitled.

ASIA366A Topics in Asian Studies - IRN WOMEN WR-ART Sections

Thematically-organized topics in Asian literature, history, visual culture, religion, or communities. Topics vary from section to section. Consult Department for current offerings.

ASIA366B Topics in Asian Studies - G&S CL PERS LIT Sections

Thematically-organized topics in Asian literature, history, visual culture, religion, or communities. Topics vary from section to section. Consult Department for current offerings.

ASIA367 Contemporary Korean Culture Sections

An introduction to the literature, drama, music, and art of Korea today. Particular attention will be paid to the continuing influence of traditional themes and forms.

ASIA368 Modern Literatures of South Asia in Translation Sections

Fiction, drama, and/or poetry of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and/or Sri Lanka, including works in translation and/or originally written in English.

ASIA371 Foundations of Chinese Thought Sections

Chinese thought from its beginnings until the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) in its historical and cultural contexts. Includes, among others: Confucius; Mo Zi; the Legalists/Authoritarians; Zhuang Zi; the Lao Zi book.

ASIA372 Development of Traditional Chinese Thought Sections

Chinese thought from the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) to Wang Yangming (1472-1529) in its historical and cultural contexts.

ASIA373 History of Hong Kong Sections

History, culture, and identities of Hong Kong from the early 1800s to the present.

ASIA375 Global Chinese Cinemas Sections

A survey of Chinese cinemas in global perspective, covering films, filmmakers, producers, audiences, markets, industries, and critical discourse since the early twentieth century. Covers both cinematic culture and filmmaking technique.

ASIA378 Philosophical Wisdom of Early India Sections

Epistemological and ontological thought from the Vedic period to the period of the rise of philosophical schools or systems Philosophy in the Mahabharata, Gita; early Buddhist and Jain views on knowledge and reality; views on language.

ASIA382 Buddhism in China Sections

History, thought, and practices of Chinese Buddhism from its beginnings until the twentieth century.

ASIA386 Chinese Grammar and Usage I Sections

Analysis of modern Chinese grammar and its usage in various discourses, situating its form and function in relation to social and cultural contexts.

ASIA387 Japanese Religions Sections

An introduction to traditional Japanese religions including Shinto, Buddhism, Shugendo, Confucianism, new religions and folklore, and their roles in Japanese history, culture and society.

ASIA390 History of the Indian Ocean World Sections

Societies and empires shaped by voyages of exploration, religious pilgrimages, trading diasporas and forced migration in the world of the Indian Ocean.

ASIA392 Classical Persian Literature in English Translation Sections

Works of classical Persian literature dating from the tenth to the seventeenth century.

ASIA393 History of Iran from the Sasanians to the Safavids Sections

Iranian history from the fall of the Sasanian empire and the Arab conquest of Iran to the rise of Iranian dynasties in the east, the reign of Turkic and Turko-Mongolian rulers, and the formation of a Shi'ite Iran under the Safavids.

ASIA394 Post-Revolutionary Iranian Cinema Sections

Gender politics, family relationships, and women's social, economic, and political roles in post-revolutionary Iran as shown through Iranian cinema.

ASIA395 Modern Persian Literature Sections

Modern Persian literature, including fiction, drama, and/or poetry, of Iran, Afghanistan, and/or Tajikistan dating from the mid-19th to the 21st century (in English translation).

ASIA396 Chinese Grammar and Usage II Sections

Analysis of modern Chinese grammar and its usage in various discourses, situating its form and function in relation to social and cultural contexts. Continuation of ASIA 386.

ASIA397 The Idea of India Sections

History of cultural ideas that led to India's transformation from a traditional, colonial society tied to the British empire to a postcolonial, pluralistic, development oriented parliamentary democracy.

ASIA398 Narrative Literature in Premodern India Sections

Stories of gods, goddesses and religious heroes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Avadanas and in classical poetry and drama.

ASIA410 International Relations in Premodern East Asia Sections

International relations, particularly between Korea and Japan in the premodern East Asian context, focusing on migration, trade, diplomacy, war, collective memory, mutual perceptions, and the context of the Sinocentric international order.

ASIA411 Chinese Political Thought and Institutions Sections

Chinese theories and practices of government and administration from earliest times to 1949.

ASIA412 Pre-Modern Chinese Poetry (Pre-Qin to Tang) Sections

Features and evolution of major pre-Chinese poetry from the 11th century B.C.E. to the 10th century C.E.; analytical reading of signature poems by selected poets in English translation in the pre-modern Chinese poetic tradition during this historical period.

ASIA419 Economic History of India Sections

Examines the material foundations of Indian history. Considers India's place in the premodern world, different phases of globalization, processes and legacies of European colonial rule, and the development of India's modern economy.

ASIA430 International Relations in Modern East Asia: Korea and Japan Sections

Trade, diplomacy, war, imperialism, militarism, colonialism, collective memory, mutual perceptions Korean-Japanese relations are examined as an exemplary case for exploring the dimensions of international conflict and partnership.

ASIA441A Masterworks of Chinese Fiction and Drama in Translation - CHIN FIC&DRAM TR Sections

Reading of a classic novel or play, with attention to intellectual, social, and political subtexts as well as aesthetic dimensions and problems of interpretation.

ASIA443 National Narratives in Chinese Literature and Film Sections

Nationhood as it is constructed, deconstructed, and continuously contested in Chinese literature, film, and other media from the late imperial period to the 21st century in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Chinese diaspora.

ASIA445 Japanese Crime Fiction Sections

Examines representations of crime and criminality in modern and contemporary Japanese literature.

ASIA451 Modern Chinese Authors in Translation Sections

Study of one influential modern Chinese author, such as Lu Xun, Shen Congwen, Eileen Chang, Yu Hua, Mo Yan, or Wang Anyi.

ASIA452 Literature of the Korean Diaspora Sections

A survey of literature, in translation, from the Korean diaspora, focusing on writing by ethnic Koreans in North America, Europe, and Japan.

ASIA456 History and Culture of Taiwan Sections

The major social, economic, political, and cultural changes in Taiwan since the seventeenth century; the post-World War II process of democratization and Taiwan's place in the contemporary world.

ASIA461 Gender and Sexuality in Modern Iranian Narratives Sections

Literary, cinematic, folk, and/or popular culture texts from modern Iran. Emphasis on constructions and contestations of masculinities and femininities, as they intersect with sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, and/or religion.

ASIA484 The History of the Choson Dynasty Sections

Political, social, and cultural history of Korea's Choson Dynasty, focusing on how it lasted from 1392 to 1910 and why it collapsed so quickly at the beginning of the twentieth century. Credit will be granted for only one of ASIA 484 or ASIA 587.

ASIA490H Asian Classics - Fourth Year Seminar - ASIA CLSSCS SEM Sections

Focus changes from year to year. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor and fourth-year standing.

ASIA491 India and the Persianate World Sections

Histories of Muslim Empires, spanning Iran, India and Central Asia, from 1000-1800 CE. Examined through the conceptual lens of the Persianate World with emphasis on Persianate culture and power in South Asia.

ASIA498 Asia in Museums and Beyond Sections

Museological representations of Asia in colonial and post-colonial contexts, including exploration of art and photography at museums. Credit will be granted for only one of ASIA 498 or ASIA 598.

ASIA499 Honours Thesis Sections

Restricted to fourth-year students admitted to the Honours Program in Asian Studies.

ASIA501A Research Methods and Source Materials in Classical Chinese Studies - CHIN RESEAR METH Sections

ASIA502A Modern Chinese Fiction in Global Perspective - MOD CHIN FICTION Sections

Modern Chinese literature in relation to concepts such as world literature, the Sinophone, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, globalization, and critical theory.

ASIA505A Critical Approaches to Hong Kong Studies - CRIT HK STUDIES Sections

ASIA511B Readings in Chinese Religious Texts - CHIN RELG TEXTS Sections

Selected readings from primary texts in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and popular religion.

ASIA514A Topics in Modern Chinese Literature - TPCS MOD CHIN LT Sections

ASIA519 Popular Cultures in Asia Sections

Critical engagement with different disciplinary approaches to the study of Asian popular cultures.

ASIA525A Topics in the Social History of Japanese Religions - TPCS SOC HIS JPN Sections

ASIA533A Topics in Modern Japanese Literature - TOP MOD JAPN LIT Sections

ASIA552A Topics in Asian Visual and Material Culture - POST-REV IRN CIN Sections

ASIA570A Approaches to Asian Literature - APPR TO ASIA LIT Sections

ASIA570B Approaches to Asian Literature - APPR TO ASIA LIT Sections

ASIA576A Topics in South Asian Studies - TPC SAS Sections

ASIA580A Directed Readings - DIRECTED READING Sections

ASIA580B Directed Readings - DIRECTED READING Sections

ASIA584B Topics in Traditional Korean Literature - TPCS TRD KORN LT Sections

ASIA587A The Choson Dynasty - CHOSON DYNASTY Sections

Credit will be granted for only one of ASIA 587 or ASIA 484.

ASIA590 Theories and Methods "Thinking with the Body" Embodied Cognition and the Study of Culture Sections

Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.

ASIA591 Critical Issues in Asian Studies Sections

Proseminar introducing major methodological and conceptual themes in the contemporary study of Asia, modern and pre-modern. Required of all Asian Studies PhD students, normally in their first year.

ASIA592 The Profession of Asian Studies Sections

Introduction to essential skills for academic and professional work in Asian Studies. Outlines career trajectories in the PhD and beyond, including grant applications, cv-writing, and job searches. Required of Asian Studies PhD students, normally in their first year.

ASIA598 Asia in Museums and Beyond Sections

Credit will be granted for only one of ASIA 498 or ASIA 598.

ASIA599B Master's Thesis - MASTERS THESIS Sections

ASIA699 Doctoral Dissertation Sections

In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or South Asian Studies only.