HST 343/POL 343: Modern East Asian History                                               Fall 2012

SCI 104                                                                                                      TR 8:35-9:50am

Instructor:  Dr. Ilicia Sprey                                                                 Office:  CORE 258
Office Hours: 

SJC: TR 8-8:30am, 12:30-2:30pm and by appointment

STE: TR 4pm to 5pm and after 9pm as needed

Office Phone 219-866-6387                                                 E-mail: ilicias@saintjoe.edu

Homepage:  http://www.saintjoe.edu/~ilicias/

Books:

·         Rhoads Murphey, East Asia:  A New History.  5th edition

•    Duong Thu Huong, Novel without a Name (Penguin)

·                  Ida Pruitt, et. al. , Daughter Of Han:  The Autobiography of a Chinese     Working Woman.  (Stanford)

·                  Dean W. Collinwood, Global Studies:  Japan and the Pacific Rim.  10^th and 11^th edition.  (On reserve, Robinson Library)

·         Other readings will be assigned over the course of the semester 

Course Description:  This course traces the transformation of East Asian society, political, and economic institutions from the 15^th century through to the present day.  The focus will be on China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, although other areas of Asia, such as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Indonesia, will be included as and when relevant to the class.  The powerful concepts of revolution (in all its forms), nationalism, imperialism, industrialism, and modernization that emerged in this period and the resulting socio-economic-political upheavals will be explored through lecture, discussion, classroom group and individual written assignments.

Course Objectives:  Upon the completion of this course students should be able to:

1.  Reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of Modern East Asian civilizations and cultures.

2.  Gain an increased understanding of historical events in these regions and to formulate their own opinions on events studied, as well as contemporary events, since this part of the world has become increasingly critical to global affairs.

3.  Discuss the political, social, geographic, religious, and economic forces, which shaped East Asian cultures in this period, and what was the nature and level of influence of western civilization on the region and of these regions on the West.

4.  Become aware of and appreciate the major philosophical, religious, political, social, and economic changes which have shaped these regions and its peoples.

5.  Develop the ability to critically analyze the developments and experiences of East Asian cultures and civilization and to apply this newly acquired knowledge and evolving evaluation skills to better understanding and appreciating the triumphs and problems faced by their own society.

6. To develop and improve their communication skills (written and verbal) as well as their ability to analyze strengths and weaknesses of different cultures, civilizations and to be aware of the changes in related historiography concerning this period.

What you can expect from me:  You can expect that I:

• will be available during office hours and by appointment to discuss any issues you might have in class.
• will be prepared for our sections and on time
• will clearly state the criteria on which your work will be evaluated
• will be interested in helping you improve as students and becoming more analytical in your thinking, and in getting as much out of this class as possible
• if changes to course content are required to explain why and the impact of those changes

What I expect from you:  The following paragraphs explain what I expect of you in terms of work and behavior.

Attendance:  It is important that students attend class on a regular basis in order to fully participate in discussions and lectures and to get the most out of the course.  Roll will be taken throughout the semester.  If you are unable to attend class due to illness or an emergency, leave a leave a message on either my e-mail or voice mail if I am out of the office.  Unexcused absences will affect your grade.

3-5 unexcused absences will result in your final class grade dropping by one letter grade.  6-8 unexcused absences will result in it dropping two letter grades.  9 unexcused absences or more and you will receive an F for the course.

It is the responsibility of student athletes to inform the instructor of any class absences due to competitions.  In accordance with College policy athletes will be excused a reasonable number of absences due to competitions and reasonable accommodations made, but student athletes are not excused for practices.  Any work that will be missed must be handed in on time.

Appropriate classroom behavior is required and expected of all students at all times.

Assignments:  Readings and class assignments will be based on selected readings from the main text and other sources.  Readings from primary sources are used extensively and it is extremely important for students to read these assignments in addition to the main text in order to successfully and fully answer questions in class and on exams.   All readings should be done prior to the first class meeting for that week or for the date stated they are due.

Any assignments not handed in on time will have 5 points deducted for each weekday they are late, not for each class session.  For example, a paper due on Tuesday but handed in on Thursday will have 10 points deducted from the original grade it would have received otherwise.   All papers are to be typed or produced on a computer, and not handwritten.

Students who decide to drop this course ARE RESPONSIBLE for obtaining the correct forms from the Registrar’s Office prior to the College's announced deadline for withdrawing from classes.

Academic Honesty:  Neither cheating nor plagiarism will be tolerated in this or any other class.  The purpose of this course is to have you do your best work not to submit someone else's efforts, therefore anyone found cheating or plagiarizing the work of another will receive an automatic F for the course and the case will be referred to the appropriate academic officer in accordance with the College’s policy (see College Catalog).

Grading in this course is based on a combination of written work (including but not limited to geography assignments, short papers, midterm and final, and a research paper, which demonstrates critical thinking, as well as participation and contributing to class discussions. Quantity, but particularly quality of participation is important.  Participation in classroom discussions and activities is an easy way for students to improve their final grade and more importantly to improve their understanding of political, social and economic development that helped form Asian and East Asian society past and present.  Assignments are designed to improve students’ ability to think analytically and to communicate their ideas both through verbal exchanges and the effective use of the written word.  Improvement over the course of the semester will be taken into consideration in determining final grades.

Current Events:  At the start of the semester, each student will select an Asian or East Asian country on which they will report and lead weekly discussion on a current event related to that country.  The grade for this work will be included in the student’s participation and attendance grade.  Current events will be the first topic of discussion each Tuesday and students need to come in prepared.

Research Project:  Each student will undertake a 20-page research paper, complete with either endnotes or footnotes, and bibliography.  The topic of the paper, which will be related to this course, will be selected by the student in consultation with the professor, and periodic class updates will be made.  Students are encouraged to pick a topic that is of interest to them, and it can be tied in with work they are doing in other classes they are currently taking or have taken.  The research paper itself is be an original piece of research, however, and cannot have been turned in for a grade in any other course anywhere ever.  The total project is worth 30% of the final course grade and that grade will be based on not only the final product, but also the quality of the draft(s) submitted, working bibliography, and presentation made to the class on the work in-progress.

Papers:  In addition to the research paper, students will write three short papers based on  the three  assigned readings, not including the Murphey text.  These will be two-page papers that analyze the theme and message of each book in a larger context and are not book reports.  These are to be turned in the day the book/readings are due for discussion in class. 

Tests will cover readings from the main text, the outside readings, and all other material handed out over the course of the class, lectures and discussions.  Exams will consist of a mixture of geography identifications, short essays, and ID's though the format is open to change by the professor.  The professor is not required to allow students who have an unexcused and undocumented absence to make-up missed exams.

Extra Credit:  This is depends on the student's initiative.  In general, students can earn an additional 1-5 points that will be added onto their total final semester grade.  My preference is for a 5-7-minute presentation in class on a topic chosen by the student and myself since this will benefit both you and your classmates.  If you are interested in extra credit do not wait as extra credit work will not be accepted during the last week of the semester. 

Students with special needs:  If you have special needs in relation to taking notes, exams, etc. , you need to contact me within the first two weeks of class, inform me of the problem, and speak to the proper personnel in Student Services.  Between us we will decide what is the appropriate way to best meet your needs to help you get the maximum out of the class without detriment to your fellow students.

Final Grades will be based on the following formula.

 The Final Exam is on Tuesday, December 11 from 8-9:50am.