HST 257 : History of Modern East Asia (China and Japan)
This course is a survey of 19th and 20th century Asian history with a special emphasis on China and Japan. The course focuses on the political, social, economic, and cultural development of China since the Qing dynasty with an emphasis on the development of modern Chinese nationalism and the theory and practice of Maoism; the background and significance of the Meiji Restoration and Japanese modernization, the fall of the Japanese empire, and the emergence of Japan as an economic superpower. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the unique culture of East Asia during the modern period. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. Three lecture hours per week.
Gen. Ed. Competencies Met: Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression and Multicultural and Social Perspectives.
3 credits Spring
Course Outcomes
- Analyze the scope of human experience as perceived through the study of history, particularly the history of non-Western societies.
- Recognize and analyze that the study of Asian history (China and Japan) yields an awareness of the forces that shaped the world today.
- Write critically and analytically about East Asian culture, society, economics, and government.
- Read both primary and secondary sources and explain and synthesize college level materials on East Asian history.
- Recognize and explain the cultural context of Asia and utilize that understanding within the framework of American cultural diversity.