ASIA 111 - Introduction to Asian Studies

This course explores the history of the idea of Asia and how that concept and region have been explicated both in the West and in China, Japan, and India. We examine Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism, religious and philosophical traditions that have been seen as unifying Asia, and consider how those traditions have been used to address contemporary problems like human rights, economic development, and security. The course traces historical relationships among Asian nations and regions involving cultural borrowing, trade, conquest, and colonialism have shaped contemporary Asia, and considers how under globalization, boundaries separating people, cultural artifacts, and capital have become porous, giving new meaning to the notion “Asia.” Every year. (4 Credits)