East Asian Area Studies Course List
Spring 2010 East Asian Area Studies Undergraduate CoursesPast Semester Course Lists
Fall 2009 East Asian Area Studies Undergraduate CoursesSummer 2009 East Asian Area Studies Undergraduate Courses
USC Catalogue Course List
This is a comprehensive summary of East Asian studies courses as listed in the 2009- 2010 university catalogue and offered across the university in a variety of departments, interdisciplinary programs, and professional schools. Most courses listed below are not offered every semester or even every year. See the schedule of classes for a list of courses offered during a particular semester.
Category |
Course number |
Description |
| Anthropology | *100g Principles of Human Organization: Non-Western Societies | Universal social organizational themes and their culture-specific variations are explored across five non-western societies. |
| 324 Regional Ethnology: China | Anthropological perspective of the ordinary citizens of the People's Republic of China: peasants, workers, bureaucrats, students, and women. | |
| 435x Ethnic Diversity in China/Inner Asia | Tibetans, Mongols, Muslims and other minorities on the China and Inner Asian frontier will be surveyed through ethnohistories, lectures, films, and guest lectures. | |
Architecture |
415 Asian Architecture and Urbanism |
Overview of Asian architecture emphasizing that the built environment is as diverse as the histories and cultures that make up the region. |
454 Contemporary Asian Architecture: |
Exploration of various "Asian"
architectures, comparisons of areas, identifying current trends and impact of
Asia on Southern California and Los Angeles. |
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| Art History | 125g Arts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300 | An introduction to the major art forms and monuments of religious art in India, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan from prehistory to 1300. |
| 126g Introduction to Asian Art: 1300 to the Present | A survey of the art and architecture of India, China, Korea, and Japan from 1300 to the present. | |
| 282 Korean Art | Introduction to the richness and complexity of artistic expression in Korean art through study of painting, sculpture, and architecture through the 19th century. |
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| 284 Art in Context: Introduction to the Chinese Visual World | A survey of Chinese art from antiquity to the early modern period, emphasizing the context in which art objects were produced, displayed, circulated and consumed. | |
| 384 Early Chinese Art | A survey of Chinese architecture, ceremonial bronzes,sculpture, ceramics and painting within the context of Chinese intellectual history. | |
| 385 Later Chinese Art | A survey of Chinese painting from 900 to the present,emphasizing the role of painting within the context of Chinese intellectual history. | |
| 386 Early Japanese Art | A survey of Japanese Buddhist and secular architecture, sculpture and painting from antiquity to 1333, stressing the relation of art to cultural context | |
| 387 Later Japanese Art | A survey of Japanese architecture, garden design,ceramics, and painting from 1333 to the present, stressing the role of art within cultural context. | |
| 481 Studies in Japanese Art | In-depth exploration of specified topics within the area of Japanese art and architecture. | |
| 484 Studies in Chinese Art | In-depth exploration of specified topics within the area of Chinese art and architecture. | |
| Arts and Letters | 100g Chinese Imagination: Culture in Fiction | |
| 100g Korean Literature and Thought | ||
| 100g Japanese Fiction and Film | ||
| 100g Modernology: Reading, Writing, Looking and Collection in Twentieth-Century Japan | ||
| 100g The World of the Red Chamber Dream | ||
| 100g Contemporary Korean Film and Culture | ||
| 100g Sacred Sites of East Asia | ||
| Comparative Literature | 264g Asian Aesthetic and Literary Traditions | A comparative study of the Asian aesthetic heritage of poetry, painting, music, and drama; of literary themes, trends, and myths. |
| 382g Zen and Taoism in Asian Literature | Studies of the presence and influence of Zen Buddhism and Taoism in Asian literature, with a focus on China and Japan. | |
| 453 Bildungsroman in Modern East Asia | Enroll in EALC 454 | |
| 460 Love, Self and Gender in Japanese Literature | Enroll in EALC 460. Examines conceptions of love, self, gender, and sexuality in Japanese literature and culture of the modern and pre-modern periods with comparisons to European and Chinese literature. | |
| 499 Special Topics:Self and Nature in East-West Poetry | Intensive study of selected author or authors in the context of a major literary tradition. | |
| Critical Studies | *201 History of International Cinema II | The development of international cinema from World War II to the present. Lectures, screenings, and discussions. |
| 303 Japanese Anime | Explores the visual, dramatic and social conventions of Japanese animation in film and television. | |
| 403 Studies in National and Regional Media: Korean Cinema | Detailed investigation of traditions, achievements, and trends of film and/or electronic media in a particular country or region | |
| *411 Film, Television and Cultural Studies | Detailed examination of film/television from the perspectives and insights of Cultural Studies; focus on the production and reception of cultural texts, practices, and communities. | |
| *494 Advanced Critical Studies Seminar | Rotating topics involving detailed study of the historical, cultural and aesthetic analysis of film, television, and new media technologies. Open only to majors in the School of Cinema-Television. | |
| East Asian Area Studies | 150g East Asian Societies | Main patterns of change in modern China, Japan,and Korea; historical framework and the insights of geography, economics,political science, and other disciplines. |
| 160gm China and the World | Advanced-level introduction to China and its relations with the wider world in historic and contemporary perspective. | |
| 360 Global East Asia | Summer Study Abroad Program to China, Japan, or Korea with a focus on Globalization. | |
| 499 Special Topics | Interdisciplinary examination of various areas of East Asian studies. | |
| East Asian Languages and Cultures | 102 Language, Art and Culture: Calligraphy | This course introduces students to the origin of the basic Chinese scripts and the basic principles and styles of calligraphy. |
| 103(a, b) Online Chinese I | Basic listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities in Mandarin Chinese. Instruction includes individual meetings and online content. (Duplicates credit in EALC 104). |
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| 104 Chinese I | The sound system of modern Chinese; aural comprehension, oral expression, basic patterns, and writing system. | |
| 106 Chinese II | Dialogue practice and conversation; reading of simple stories and essays; comparison of Chinese and English grammar; writing of paragraphs. Prerequisite: EALC 104. | |
| 108 Reading and Writing Chinese | The basics of reading and writing modern Chinese; intensive reading and writing of paragraphs, essays, and stories;extensive reading of beginner-level authentic materials. | |
| 110g East Asian Humanities: The Great Tradition | Introduction to the major humanities traditions of China, Japan, and Korea through an examination of representative works drawn from literature, aesthetics, philosophy, religion, and historical writing. | |
| 115 Korean I | Aural comprehension and oral practice; the writing system; grammar drill, sentence patterns. Lecture, 5 hours; additional hours for drill and laboratory. | |
| 117 Korean II | Continuation of EALC 115. Progressive drill in dialogue,reading, and writing. Lecture, 5 hours; additional hours for drill and laboratory. | |
| 120 Japanese I | Basic Japanese conversation practice, basic grammar and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana (Japanese alphabetical systems). |
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| 122 Japanese II | Basic Japanese conversation practice, basic grammar and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana and basic kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 120 | |
| 125g Introduction to Contemporary East Asian Cinema | An introduction to and overview of the contemporary cinemas of East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea. | |
| 130g East Asian Ethical Thought | Introduction to the history of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ethical thought; perspectives on human nature, historical writing, religious options, and aesthetic implications. Conducted in English. | |
| 134 Conversational Cantonese I | The sound and tone system of Cantonese; aural comprehension and oral expression. Basic grammar. Not applicable to foreign language requirement of the college. | |
| 136 Conversational Cantonese II | Continuation of EALC 134, to improve facility in comprehension and expression. Prerequisite: EALC 134. Not applicable to foreign language requirement of the college. | |
| 145 Introduction to Chinese Culture, Art and Literature | Introduction to the civilization, art and literature of pre-modern China through the lens of the cultural products of identity. | |
| 204 Chinese III | Conversational practice; reading of stories and essays; writing of short essays. Prerequisite: EALC 106 | |
| 206 Chinese IV | Continuation of 204, with emphasis on reading and writing, frequent interaction with native speakers. Prerequisite: EALC 204 | |
| 215 Korean III | Drill to increase proficiency in dialogue, reading, and writing; intermediate level readings. Prerequisite: EALC 117 | |
| 217 Korean IV | Advanced level reading of Korean and exercises in written composition. Prerequisite: EALC 215 | |
| 220 Japanese III | Continuation of EALC 122. Conversation practice, basic to intermediate grammar, and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana with additional kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 122 | |
| 222 Japanese IV | Continuation of EALC 220. More sophisticated grammar and vocabulary for natural conversation. Enhancing fundamental reading and writing skills, expanding the knowledge of kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 220 | |
| 264g Asian Aesthetic and Literary Tradition | A comparative study of the Asian aesthetic heritage of poetry, painting, music, and drama; of literary themes, trends, and myths. | |
| 304 Advanced Modern Chinese I | Reading selections from different styles of modern Chinese writings, analysis of stylistic techniques and syntactic structure, composition, and translation. Prerequisite: EALC 206 | |
| 306 Advanced Modern Chinese II | Continuation of EALC 304; composition exercises in different styles of writing. Prerequisite: EALC 304 | |
| 315 Advanced Korean I | Advanced readings in modern Korean materials; improvement of skills in conversation, composition, and translation. Prerequisite: EALC 217 | |
| 317 Advanced Korean II | Continuation of EALC 315, with emphasis on the use of Chinese characters, translation, and composition exercises. Prerequisite: EALC 315 | |
| 318 Readings in Contemporary Korean | Selected readings in a variety of Korean styles. Materials are from essays, short stories, and newspapers. Prerequisite: EALC 222 | |
| 320 Advanced Japanese I | Strengthen intermediate Japanese language proficiency. Oral/aural communication skills as well as reading and writing skills. Prerequisite: EALC 222 |
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| 322 Advanced Japanese II | Continuation of EALC 320. Improve and strengthen abilities to speak, listen, read, and write, coping with more involved materials and situations. Prerequisite: EALC 320 | |
| 332 Korean Literature in English Translation | Examination of the literature of the Korean people, both native writings as well as works written outside of Korea. | |
| 335m Literature of the Korean People | Examination of the literature of the Korean people, both native writings as well as works written outside of Korea. | |
| 340 Japanese Civilization | Survey of the main characteristics and development of art, literature, philosophy, religion, political and social institutions through different periods. |
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| 342g Japanese Literature and Culture | Japanese literature from the earliest times to the present; development of prose, poetry and the novel; evolution of theatre; Japanese literature under Western influence. | |
| 345 Korean Civilization | Survey of the main characteristics and development of Korean art, literature, philosophy, religion, political and social institutions through different periods. | |
| 350g Chinese Civilization | Characteristics and aspects of Chinese civilization; interpretation of philosophy, literature, religion, art, music. |
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| 352g Chinese Literature and Culture | Readings of Chinese poetry, prose,novels and drama; influence of the West on Chinese literature and culture in modern times. Conducted in English. | |
| 354g Modern Chinese Literature in Translation | Readings in modern Chinese poetry, fiction, and drama since 1919. |
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| 355 Studies in Chinese Thought | Chinese thought, particularly as formulated in the three great traditions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism. | |
| 365 Studies in Japanese Thought | Influence of native traditions and imported Chinese traditions on Japanese civilization; religious, ethical, aesthetic, and political aspects. | |
| 374 Language and Society in East Asia | The interaction of language with society in countries of East Asia; language and identity, the politicization of language, language change, language and gender. | |
| 375 Women and Gender in China: Past and Present | An examination of changes in sex roles and in constructs of the female as influenced by traditional Chinese thought and later social developments. |
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| 380 Cultural Topics in East Asian Literature | Selected themes, genres, and periods in East Asian literature, e.g., Taoism and Buddhism, women, folktales. | |
| 383 Later Chinese Art | Enroll in AHIS 383. A survey of Chinese painting from 900 to the present, emphasizing the role of painting within the context of Chinese intellectual history. | |
| 384 Early Chinese Art: | Enroll in AHIS 384. A survey of Chinese architecture, ceremonial bronzes, sculpture, ceramics and painting within the context of Chinese intellectual history. | |
| 386 Readings in Modern Korean Literature | Selected readings from modern Korean short stories, novels, plays and essays. Readings will be in English and Korean. Prerequisite: EALC 217 | |
| 387 Early Japanese Art | Enroll in AHIS 387. A survey of Japanese Buddhist and secular architecture, sculpture and painting from antiquity to 1333, stressing the relation of art to cultural context. |
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| 388 Later Japanese Art | Enroll in AHIS 388. A survey of Japanese architecture, garden design, ceramics, and painting from 1333 to the present, stressing the role of art within cultural context. | |
| 390 Special Problems | Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. |
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| 400 Classical Chinese I | Introduction to the classical styles, selections from classical style writings, contrastive analysis of modern and classical Chinese, translation and writing practice. Prerequisite: EALC 206 |
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| 402 Classical Chinese II | Continuation of EALC 400. | |
| 404 Advanced Modern Chinese III | Readings in modern Chinese literary, documentary, and epistolary styles; stylistic and syntactic analysis; composition; translation. Prerequisite: EALC 306 | |
| 406 Advanced Modern Chinese IV | Continuation of EALC 404. | |
| 407 News and Web Chinese | Reading selections from newspaper articles and online reports to further develop proficiency in advanced Chinese and understanding of the society and culture. Prerequisite: EALC-306 |
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| 410 Chinese-English Translation | Structure, vocabulary, and techniques or written translation and oral interpretation; classroom and laboratory practice; English-Chinese and Chinese-English. Prerequisite: departmental approval. | |
| 412 Business Chinese | Practice in the basic vocabulary and idioms of foreign trade and other commercial transaction in Mandarin. Prerequisite: EALC 206 | |
| 413 Business Japanese | Practical Japanese business terms and their usage in a variety of business situations; cultural insights on Japanese customs that underline business transactions in Japan. Prerequisite: EALC 222 | |
| 415 Advanced Korean III | Selected readings in Korean texts, pre-modern and modern, in various literary and non-fiction genres; focus on developing reading and translation skills. Prerequisite: EALC 317 |
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| 417 Advanced Korean IV | Continuation of EALC 415. | |
| 418 Korean Writing in Mixed Script | Selected readings in Korean texts written in mixed script; a systematic study of Chinese characters and translation of text. Prerequisite: EALC 217 | |
| 419 Newspaper and Documentary Korean | Selected readings from newspapers, magazines, and other journalistic publications; analysis of styles and practice in writing articles. Prerequisite: EALC 217 |
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| 422 Advanced Readings in Japanese I | Students develop advanced levels of Japanese linguistic knowledge and communication skills through speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities using authentic Japanese texts and discourse. Prerequisite: EALC 322 | |
| 424 Advanced Readings in Japanese II | Students continue to improve their Japanese language competence in the course of acquiring Japanese pragmatic skills and cultural knowledge. | |
| 426 Classical Japanese | Introduction to the fundamentals of classical grammar; readings from various classical works, both poetry and prose; translation practice. Prerequisite: EALC 322 | |
| 427 Women’s Lives in Premodern Japanese Literature | The social lives of women in ancient and medieval Japan as viewed through poetry, memoir, tale literature, legal documents, and personal correspondence. | |
| 428 Nature and the Environment in Japanese Literature | Examination of cultural perceptions about nature and how they affect attitudes toward the environment: includes comparisons to Euro-American as well as other East Asian traditions. | |
| 429 Gender in Korean Film and Literature | Changing representations of gender in Korean films and literary works over the course of the twentieth century. |
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| 431 The Taoist Tradition | Close reading of primary text(s) of early Chinese Taoist thinkers (in translation), along with analysis of relevant secondary scholarship. |
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| 452 Chinese Fiction | Development of Chinese fiction and readings from English translations of major Chinese novels such as the Dream of the Red Chamber, All Men are Brothers, and others. |
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| 454 Bildungsroman in Modern East Asia | Comparative study of core narratives of youth and its destiny in modern literature from China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. | |
| 455 Japanese Fiction | Japanese fiction from early to modern times; literary, philosophical, and social aspects of tales and novels. | |
| 460 Love, Self, and Gender in Japanese Literature | Examines conceptions of love, self, gender, and sexuality in Japanese literature and culture of the modern and pre-modern periods with comparisons to European and Chinese literature. | |
| 470 Introduction to East Asian Linguistics | Survey of the sound systems, writing systems, grammatical systems, historical development, and social environments of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. | |
| 481 Studies in Japanese Art | Enroll in AHIS 481. In-depth exploration of specified topics within the area of Japanese art and architecture. |
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| 484 Studies in Chinese Art | Enroll in AHIS 484. In-depth exploration of specified topics within the area of Chinese art and architecture. |
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| 490x Directed Research | Individual research and readings. | |
| 499 Special Topics | Varies per semester | |
| Economics | 343 Economic Development of East Asia | Contemporary economic problems of East Asian countries: management, labor, technology, trade, investment. Determinants of their high growth rates in the late 20th century. |
| 346 Economics of Transition and Development: China | A focus on the Chinese economy, its reform and transition to a market economy, its relation with East Asian countries and integration into the world economy. | |
| Gender Studies | 375 Women and Gender in China: Past and Present | Enroll in EALC 375. |
| 499 Special Topics: Movements for Social Equality in Modern Japan | Study of a selected problem, period, or theme through interdisciplinary approaches. | |
| Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 450 Traditional Eastern Medicine and Modern Health | Overview of traditional Eastern approaches toward health and disease; relevance to modern health issues, emphasizing a comparison between traditional Chinese and modern Western medicine. |
| History | 105g The Korean Past | A topical and chronological study of the major political, social, and intellectual forces that have shaped the history of Korea. |
| 106g Chinese Lives: An Introduction to Chinese History | Study of the lives of selected individuals who have helped to shape Chinese politics and culture. | |
| 107g Japanese History | Japan from the earliest times to the present; social, cultural, and political dimensions. |
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| 266g: Business and East Asian Culture, 1800-Present | Business history of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) as related to culture, politics, and society. | |
| 275g The Worlds of the Silk Road | Exploration of the two millennia of economic exchanges and cross cultural interaction between Asia and Europe. | |
| 333 Korea: The Modern Transformation | Examination of selected topics on Korea's transition to the modern era; focus on the traditional roots of 20th century developments. | |
| 334 History of the Samurai | Development of the Samurai from a warrior elite to political hegemons between the 8th and 12th centuries; use of primary sources, introduction to divergent historiographies. | |
| 335 History of Japan to 1550 | Growth of Japanese civilization from the mythological "age of the gods" through the feudal "age of the samurai"; foundations of a great Asian power. | |
| 336 History of Japan, 1550-1945 | Development of Japan as a modern world power; tradition and change in Japanese life; impact of Western culture, politics, and diplomacy from 1550 to 1945. | |
| 337 Japan since 1945 | Survey of the impact of World War II, American occupation, and rapid economic growth on Japan's politics, society, economy, and culture; Japan as a post-modern nation. | |
| 338 China to 960 A.D. | The origins of China's distinctive civilization; cultural and political ferment in the late Chou; the greatness of Han and T'ang. |
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| 339g China, 960-1800 A.D. | Politics and culture under the Sung; Mongols, Manchus, and other invaders; the golden autumn of a great civilization. | |
| 340 History of China since 1800 | Western impact and dynastic decline; problems of the Chinese Republic; nationalism and communism. | |
| 366 The People's Republic of China | Politics, economy, society, and culture from 1949 to the present including the role of the communist party and the experiences of ordinary people. | |
| 376 U.S.-Japan Encounters: War, Trade, and Culture | Enroll in IR 376. | |
| 404 Seminar in Korean History | Exploration of issues and sources in Korean history; work on an individual research paper through an incremental process. | |
| 437 Seminar in Modern Chinese History | A readings and research seminar dealing with one topic in the history of China since 1600. | |
| 438 Seminar in Pre-Modern Japanese History | A readings and research seminar dealing with one topic in the history of Japan before 1550. | |
| 464 Culture, Money, and Power: Japanese American Relationship Since 1853 | Examination of the role of cultural, economic, and military forces in shaping relations between two of the most important nations in the Asia/Pacific regions. | |
| *498 Seminar on Selected Historical Topics | Selected topics in history. | |
| International Relations | 333 China in International Affairs | Economic reform, the open door, and China's changing role in the international system. |
| 358 The Asia Pacific in World Affairs | The cultural, political, economic, and social aspects of the Asia Pacific's rise to prominence in world affairs. | |
| 360 International Relations of the Pacific Rim | Political, economic, military, and territorial issues in East Asia and the Pacific and the role of the United States, Russia, China, and Japan. |
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| 376 US-Japan Encounters: War, Trade, and Culture | The significance of US-Japan relations is addressed through historical and policy analysis of America, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific region. | |
| 384 Introduction to Asian Security | Introduction to key security trends in Asia-Pacific, emphasizing strategic competition between US, Russia, and China; regional military capabilities; rise of neutrality politics. |
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| 442 Japanese Foreign Policy | Economic, political, territorial, and security issues; foreign policy decision-making; relations with major powers and neighboring states. | |
| *499 Special Topics | Selected topics in various special areas within international relations. |
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| Linguistics | 374 Language and Society in East Asia | Enroll in EALC 374. |
| Political Science | 354 Japanese Politics | Contemporary Japanese politics, political economy, and political processes. |
| 355 Politics of East Asia | Institutions and processes of advanced societies; political culture, interest articulation and aggregation, the governmental process. | |
| 356 Politics in the People's Republic of China | The Chinese revolution; social, political, and economic developments in post-1949 China: China after Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung). | |
| 377 Asian Political Thought | Major systems of political thought in Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian cultural traditions. | |
| 453 Political Change in Asia | Modernization and political development in China and Japan; Asia's economic "miracles" (Taiwan, Japan, Korea, etc.. | |
| *469 Critical Issues in Comparative Politics | Intensive examination of critical issues of particular interest in the field of comparative politics. | |
| Religion | 131g Religions of Asia | Traces the development of religious thought in India, China, and Japan, from earliest times to the present, paying attention to certain recurrent themes or motifs. |
| 134xg Introduction to Buddhist Literature | Focus primarily on works of Buddhist literature written in a variety of genres. Introduction of basic teachings that link Buddhist traditions across time and space. | |
| 135xg Religions of China | Historical and thematic survey of Chinese religious history from earliest times to the present. |
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| 331 Religions of East Asia | History, teaching, and practice of the religions of China, Tibet, and Japan. | |
| 355 Studies in Chinese Thought | Enroll in EALC 355. | |
| 365 Studies in Japanese Thought | Enroll in EALC 365. | |
| 431 The Taoist Tradition | Enroll in EALC 431. Close reading of primary texts of early Chinese Taoist thinkers (in translation), along with analysis of relevant secondary scholarship. | |
| *499 Special Topics | Selected topics in religious studies. |
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