Syllabus – Fall Semester 2009

 

Course:      History 212G:  East Asia Since 1600

亚洲历史

 

Time & Place:  MWF 9:30 - 10:20, Hardman Hall, Room 216

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Instructor:      Elvira Hammond, Room 254, Breland Hall, 646-2377, ehammond@nmsu.edu

Office Hours:  Tuesdays 11am-12 and Wednesdays 1-2pm, 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 also 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 They will assess and use historical documents, and learn how to evaluate varying historical interpretations.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. 2nd Edition.  By Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Anne Walthall and James B. Palais.  ISBN: 0-547-00534-8. Copies are on Reserve at Zuhl Library.

 

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 Weekly Class 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 will also receive extra credit if you make an appointment to see me during office hours and there will be further opportunities during the semester. 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.  Cheating in all forms is prohibited. 

 

The current University definition of plagiarism can be found at http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Evpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html. It reads as follows:

 

“Plagiarism is using another person’s work without acknowledgment; make it appear to be one’s own.  Any ideas, words, pictures, or other intellectual content taken from another course must be acknowledged in a citation that gives credit to the source.  This is irrespective of the origin of the material, including the Internet, other students’ work, unpublished materials or oral sources.  Intentional and unintentional instances of plagiarism are considered instances of academic misconduct.  It is the responsibility of the student submitting the work in question to know, understand, and comply with this policy.”

 

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 is aided by your ability to access information in a timely fashion.

 

                       

Call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 575-646-3635 (or e-mail gerardn@nmsu.edu) with any questions you may about NMSU’s Non-Discrimination Policy and complaints of discrimination, including sexual harassment.

 

 

If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, Office for Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), located at Corbett Center, Room 244 (phone: 575-646-6840, e-mail mikearm@nmsu.edu).  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 or accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.  Call 575-646-6840 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.

 


 

History 212, Fall 2009:  Weekly Class Schedule[1]

 

Week One                               Introduction and Geography.

 (Aug. 21)                               

 

Week Two                               Chapter 15 “Chosŏn Korea (1392-1800)”

(Aug. 24-28)                            Connections: Europe Enters the Scene, pp. 257-261.

 

Week Three                            Chapter 16 “Creation of the Manchu Empire (1600-1800)”

(Aug. 31-Sept. 4)                    Quiz #1: Map of Asia, Friday, September 4.

 

Week Four                              No Class Labor Day, Monday, September 1.

(Sept. 7-11)                             Chapter 17 “Edo Japan (1603-1800)” 

                                                Essay #1: Read “Making comparisons: Neo-Confucianism,” page 292.  Write a brief essay in which you recap the main point(s) of the article and what you learned from it. Make comments and connections. (Three paragraph minimum, two page maximum.) Due Friday.

 

Week Five                               Chapter 18, “China in Decline,” “Western Imperialism” (1800-1900)

                                                Connections: Western Imperialism, pp.296-303.

(Sept. 14-18)                           Essay #2 due:  Friday. Read “Material Culture: The Grand Canal,” pg. 306.  Write a memorial to the emperor with your recommendations (as a contemporary).  Introduce yourself and the issues first, and then state your solutions. 

 

 

Week Six                                Chapter 19-20, “Japan in Turmoil” and “Meiji Transformation”

(Sept. 21-25)                           Quiz #2:  Friday.  “Foreign Terms and Phrases for 100!”

 

 

Week Seven                           Chapter 21, “Korea in the Turbulent 19th Century” (1800-1895)

(Sept. 28-Oct. 2)                     Chapter 22, “Rise of Modern Japan (1900-1931)

Essay #3 due:  Friday.

Read “Making Comparisons: Slavery” on page 367. Write an essay describing slavery in Late Chosŏn Korea.  Make connections or comparisons to slavery in other times and places.

                                                Review Sheets out.

 

Week Eight                             Chapter 22 continued.

(Oct. 5-9)                                Midterm Exam Review.

                                                Midterm Exam:  Friday, October 9.

                                                Bring a Blue Book.

 

 

Week Nine                              Chapter 23, “Modernizing Korea and Colonial Rule (1895-1945)”

(Oct. 12-16)                            Chapter 24, “Remaking China (1900-1927)”

                                               

Week Ten                               Chapter 25, “War and Revolution in China” (1927-1949)

(Oct. 19-23)                            Quiz #3: Friday.  Map of Asia.

 

 

Week Eleven                          Chapter 26, “War and Aftermath in Japan (1931-1964)”

(Oct. 26-30)                            Quiz #4: Friday. Terms and Phrases.

 

Week Twelve              Chapter 27, “China under Mao (1949-1976)”

(Nov. 2-6)                               

 

Week Thirteen                        Chapter 28, “China since Mao (1976 to the Present)

(Nov. 9-13)                              Essay #4 due: Friday. 

                                                Read “Biography: Cheng Junyu, Migrant Worker” on page 480. What did you learn about migrant laborers in China? Make comparisons and contrasts with the situation in the United States.

 

Week Fourteen                       Chapter 29 “Korea (1945 to the Present)”

(Nov. 16-20)                            Quiz #5: Friday.  Map Quiz.  Final Exam Review Sheets out.

 

Week Fifteen                          Thanksgiving Holiday Week.

(Nov. 23-27)

 

Week Sixteen             Chapter 30, “Contemporary Japan (1965 to the Present)”

(Nov. 30-Dec.4)                      Essay #5 due:  Friday. 

Write a 5-paragraph essay on “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, December 7, 8am – 10am.

 

                                                **** (Please note the start time – 8am!) ****

 

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

                                               


 



[1] All dates are subject to change as necessary.  Please make sure that your e-mail address is accessible via Banner so that you do not miss any class-wide communication.