Syllabus – Spring Semester 2008

 

Course:      History 212G:  East Asia Since 1600

 

Time & Place:  MWF 9:30 - 10:20, Hardman Hall, Room 212

 

Instructor:    Elvira Hammond, Room 245, Breland Hall, 646-1818, ehammond@nmsu.edu

Office Hours:  Mon. and Wed. 12:30-1:30, or by appointment.

 

Description: This is an introduction to the history and cultures of East Asia from the beginning

of the 17th century through the late 20th century.  We will be concerned with the internal

historical dynamics of each of three main societies of this region: China, Japan, and Korea. 

We will examine the interactions between these countries and the growing interaction between

East Asia and the West. 

 

Objectives:  Students will learn the analytical skills of interpreting historical changes and continuity. They will assess and use historical documents, and learn how to evaluate varying historical interpretations.  Students will understand the chronological and geographic context of important historical events, and will understand the social, technological, economic, cultural and political components of the society under study in this course.

Students will understand how people shape their culture and its beliefs, and the way in which prevailing cultures and beliefs shape them. They will understand the historical origins of present-day societies, to learn about their own historical roots. They will learn about the development of structures of power, the production of and distribution of goods, and the relationship between science and technology and human values and behavior.

 

Text:              East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History.  By Patricia Buckley Ebrey,

Anne Walthall and James B. Palais.  ISBN: 0-618-13384-4. Copies are on Reserve at Zuhl.

 

Format:         This is primarily a lecture course.  Lectures will often parallel the material

presented in the readings, but will sometimes cover material or present interpretations not

covered in the texts.  Make sure to read each day’s assignments prior to class.  Please feel

free to raise your hand to make questions or comments at any time.  Classroom participation

promotes learning and benefits the entire class. 

 

Requirements:       There will be five quizzes during the semester (see daily schedule)

covering vocabulary and identification of people and places from your text and lectures.

 

There will be five essays due (see daily schedule).  These will be 5-paragraph essays in

response to the readings in the textbook.  See Long Schedule for full details.

 

There will be two examinations.  Examinations may include map questions, identifications, and

essays.  The final will be two hours and will cover the entire body of materials covered in this

course.  There are no make-ups or early exams.

 

Extra Credit:          Bring to class current news stories.  Occasionally there will be extra credit pop quizzes –

these can only help your grade. You cannot add more than 10% to your total grade via extra credit.

Grading Rubric:      Attendance and Participation          10%

                                    Essays (5)                                          25%

                                    Quizzes (5)                                         25%

                                    Midterm Exam                                   20%

                                    Final Exam                                         20%

 

 

Responsibilities:  Please turn in your Student Information Sheet within the first week of class. Attendance is your responsibility.  If you decide to withdraw, it is up to you to file the appropriate paperwork.  Please turn off all beepers and cell phones.  No work will be accepted after the last day of class.  Late assignments will be penalized one grade unit per day.  If you chose to submit your written work via e-mail and not attend class, 10% of the grade will be deducted per assignment.   No written work will be accepted beyond one week after the original due date.  I will not accept written work originally submitted for another course. Official communication to you will often come through your NMSU e-mail box.  Please access it regularly, or forward it to your current use address, as your success in college may ride on your ability to respond quickly.

Cheating in all forms is prohibited.  Plagiarism as defined in the Student Code of Conduct is “… submitting … material as one’s own work when such work has been prepared by another person or copied from another person,” and is grounds for expulsion.  If you submit work for this class which in any way arouses suspicion you will be asked to submit supporting documentation of your research.  University policies on academic misconduct and the "Student Code of Conduct" will be enforced.  Please consult the NMSU Student Handbook, or see ttp://www.nmsu.edu/%7Evpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html, and http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/plagiarismforstudents.html for more information. 

Student athletes and other students with school-related scheduling conflicts must give me hard copy of this semester’s calendar of events a.s.a.p.  I will work with you to make sure you stay current in the class but, as with all students, I require advance notification of excused absences.

 

 

Students with Disabilities: If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), located at Corbett Center, Room 244 (phone: 646-6840).  If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes.  It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.  If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discus this in confidence with the instructor and/or the director of Disabled Student Programs.  If you have general questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), call 646-3333.  Or call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Service for Students with Disabilities, at 505-646-6840 with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  All medical information will be treated confidentially.

 

Call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 505-646-3635 with any questions you may have about NMSU’s Non-discrimination Policy and complaints of discrimination, including sexual harassment.

 

History 212, Spring 2008:  Weekly Class Schedule[甲]

 

Week One                              Introduction and Geography.

 (Jan. 16-18)                          Begin Chapter 16, “Creation of the Manchu Empire.”

 

Week Two                              Chapter 16, “Creation of the Manchu Empire”.

(Jan. 23-25)                           No class Monday January 21^st.

 

Week Three                           Chapter 17, “Edo Japan” (1603-1800)

(Jan. 28-Feb. 1)                    Essay 1 due:  Friday, February 1.

Read “Material Culture: Night Soil,” pg. 337.  Write a 3 paragraph essay in which you recap the main point(s) of the article and what you learned from it.  Make comments and connections.

 

Week Four                             Chapter 18, “Late Chosŏn Korea” (1598-1800)

(February 4-8)                       Quiz #1:  Friday February 8.  Map of Asia.

 

 

Week Five                             Chapter 19, “China in Decline,” “Western Imperialism” (1800-1900)

(February 11-15)                   Essay 2 due:  Friday, February 15.

                                                Read “Material Culture: The Grand Canal,” pg. 377.  Write a memorial to the emperor with your recommendations.  Introduce yourself and the issues first, then state your solutions. 

 

 

Week Six                               Chapter 20-21, “Japan in Turmoil” and “Meiji Transformation”

(February 18-22)                   Quiz #2:  Friday.  “Foreign Terms and Phrases for 100!”

 

 

Week Seven                          Chapter 22, “The Final Years of Chosŏn Korea” (1800-1895)

(February 25-29)                   Chapter 23, “Remaking China” (1900-1927)

Essay 3 due:  Friday. Read the Biography and Documents:  Ch’oe Cheu and Tonghak Beliefs (pgs. 435 and 436).  Write an essay describing the Tonghak religion.  Make connections or comparisons with religious movements in other times and places.

                                                Review Sheets out.

 

Week Eight                            Chapter 23 continued.

(March 3-7)                            Midterm Exam Review.

                                                Midterm Exam:  Friday, March 7.

                                                Bring a Blue Book.

 

 

Week Nine                             Chapter 24, “Rise of Modern Japan” (1900-1931).

(March 10-14)                        Chapter 25, “The Loss of Korean Independence and Colonial Rule”

                                                Quiz #3: Friday.  Map of Asia.

 

Week Ten                              Chapter 26, “War and Revolution in China” (1927-1949)

(March 17-19)                        Friday, March 21 – Spring Holiday.

 

 

Week Eleven                         March 24 – 28 Spring Holiday Week.

 

 

Week Twelve                         Chapter 27, “War and Aftermath in Japan”

(March 31-April 4)                 Quiz #4: Friday.  Terms and Phrases.

 

 

Week Thirteen                       Chapter 28, “China under Mao” (1949-1976)

(April 7-11)                             Essay 4 due: Friday.  Documents: “Big Character Poster.” (pg. 560)  Explain the topic, comment on the essay and connect with other forms of protest media.

 

Week Fourteen                     Chapter 29, “China Since Mao” (1976-Present)

(April 14-18)             

           

 

Week Fifteen                         Chapter 30 “Korea: 1945 to the Present”

(April 21-25)                          Quiz #5: Friday.  Map Quiz. Final Exam Review Sheets out.

 

 

Week Sixteen                        Chapter 31, “Contemporary Japan”

(April 28-May 2)                    Essay 5 due:  Friday.  “What I learned and what my contemporaries need to understand about modern Asia in order to prepare for the future.”

Final Exam review, Friday.

 

 

Week Seventeen                  Final Exam, Monday, May 7.  8am – 10am.

                                                (Please note the start time – 8am!)

                                                Bring a Blue Book, pens or pencils, and plenty of energy.