History of east Asia
HIST P121 Tue/Thur 2:25 PM in SM 102 Porterville College
Jeff Keele, Ph.D. Fall 2011
jkeele@PortervilleCollege.edu 559-791-2342
Office Hours in SM 113D
Fall 2011 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
AM 11:05-12:00 11:05-12:00
PM 1:15-2:10 1:15-2:10
4:15-5:15
If you need special accommodations for a disability, please contact me or contact the campus Disability
Resource Center (AC 116, 559-791-2215) so that we may help you.
Required Texts and Materials:
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley, Anne Walthall, and James Palais, East Asia: A Cultural, Social,
and Political History, Second Edition, 2009, Houghton Mifflin
4 Novels: Any unabridged edition of the following:
o Buck, Pearl S., The Good Earth
o Jiang, Ji-li, Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
o Hersey, John, Hiroshima
o Linda Sue Park, When My Name Was Keoko
Misc. short readings and documents posted on the web page or handed out in class
i>clicker, an electronic student feedback and remote polling device. This device will
also need 3 AAA batteries. You will be responsible to bring it to class and to keep it
ready with good batteries.
Course Description: A survey of the social and political history of East Asia from the foundations of literate
Asian civilization through the transition into modern nations and their adaptation to a changing contemporary world.
The course focuses on China, Japan and Korea, giving substantial attention to the philosophical and religious
traditions that bestow distinctive characteristics on the East Asian region and on each of the three countries.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Identify and discuss the causes and effects of the major themes and turning points in the history of East
Asia including:
a. The development and spread of written Chinese characters and the emergence of later writing
systems in Japan and Korea
b. China's political, cultural and economic dominance in the region through most of history
c. The role of significant philosophies and religious concepts through Asian history including:
Shamanistic traditions, Daoism, Confucianism, Legalism, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, Shinto,
Christianity, Communism, Capitalism, and Democracy
d. The historical role of the regional tributary system in international relations
e. Patterns of dynastic cycles and transitions in China, Japan, and Korea
f. Reactions to Western imperialism and modern technologies and ideologies in China, Japan, and
Korea
g. Causes and consequences of World War II in Asia
2. Describe and evaluate the historical foundations of the social, political, and economic structure of the
modern East Asian nations of China, Japan, and Korea.
3. Evaluate current East Asian events, trends, personalities, and ideologies in context of the past.
** Minor amendments may be posted to the web page as we go. 1
Course Requirements:
Web Access: Internet access is required for this course. I will post announcements of class assignments, extra
credit opportunities, and other items of interest to students on a web page. Students are responsible to
check the announcement pages daily and may be quizzed on things posted to the web page but not
mentioned in class. My home page is: http://www.portervillecollege.edu/jkeele; navigate from there to the
Class Announcement Pages and course information pages. You will also find power point slides used in
class and lecture outline notes if you prefer that format to help you guide your note-taking.
Reading: All assigned reading is required. We will be reading a lot, plan on it and expect to be tested on it.
Most of your reading will be from the required texts, but occasionally I may post or hand out extra
readings. The text book reading is serious academic reading and may even require the use of a dictionary.
Please plan accordingly. The novels are all easy to read; I hope you find them enjoyable as well.
Attendance & Participation: Attendance and punctuality are required. I may drop you from the class
after 3 absences. You are responsible for all material presented or discussed in class, whether you are there
or not. Courtesy, active listening, and participation will make this course a more enjoyable and productive
experience for you and for others. Please plan to dedicate your full attention to the discussion and activities
of class. Texting, side conversations, reading during lecture/discussion, and dozing are all forms of
rudeness. These and other forms of rudeness distract from your own learning and disrupt others. Please
plan to refrain from distracting behavior. We will periodically conduct polls or other spontaneous
questions using the i>clicker. Your participation is being recorded and will contribute to the participation
component of your score. For each class period you will get "full participation" credit if you participate in
all or all but one of the questions asked that day. If you fail to participate in two or more questions in a day
you will not receive participation credit for that day.
Pop Quizzes: Several pop quizzes will be given to check on reading and to reward attendance. Most quizzes
will be worth 3 to 25 points each. . These will be interspersed throughout the class on a daily basis and will
be done using the i>clicker. If you do not buy the i>clicker, if you forget your i>clicker, or if you bring
your i>clicker with dead batteries, the you simply cannot take the quiz or quizzes that day and forfeit those
points. Quiz points generally cannot be made up; please plan and come to class prepared. In rare
circumstances some quiz points may be made up but the student needs to make arrangements in advance
where possible and must contact me to resolve the issue immediately in case of an unexpected need.
Exams: We will have 3 exams. They will be some combination of objective questions and essay questions.
Each exam follows a section on one country and will focus mostly on that country though some questions
may ask you to make comparisons with earlier countries. The exam dates are fixed in the schedule below;
plan on them and don't miss them. No cell phones, no audio devices (mp3 players , etc), and no leaving the
class during the exam; if you answer a phone, are caught with an earpiece in your ear, or leave the class
room you are done with the exam. You may bring one 4X6" note card with you to take the exams. M ake-
up exams may be possible under extenuating circumstances if taken before the next class meeting, but
they ALWAYS carry a 20 point penalty no matter how good the reason. The final exam is scheduled by
the college; please don't even ask about taking it early.
Honesty: I require honesty on i>clicker participation, quizzes, tests, and assignments. Following Porterville
College policy, if a student cheats on a test or assignment, or plagiariz es, I will give an "F" grade on that
assignment and I will report the incident to the Vice President of Student Services. The student will have
to meet with the Vice President to determine whether further disciplinary action is necessary. Students who
cheat or plagiarize are NOT eligible for any extra credit points. Students caught trying to cheat with
i>clickers (whether trying to copy answers or trying to get participation/quiz points when you are not
present) will automatically lose all participation points, all quiz points, all opportunities for extra credit or
make-up. A second offense will result in being dropped from the course.
Any material used on the essay exams must have full citations if it comes from resources outside of the
assigned class texts. Reproducing any material verbatim on an essay is plagiarism unless it is properly
identified as a quote. DO NOT USE outside resources on the text unless you plan carefully to use them
with proper citations. Extensive quotes are not acceptable in your essays.
** Minor amendments may be posted to the web page as we go. 2
Point Values of the assignments are as follows:
?? points Pop Quizzes (3-25 points each, totaling between 100- 250 points)
25 points Participation (based primarily on percentage of responses on ALL i>clicker events)
100 points First Midterm
100 points Second Midterm
100 points Final Exam
Grades are calculated on the following scale with percentages calculated based on the total possible
points. We will probably have 400 to 600 points by the end.
A: 90-100%; B: 80-89%; C: 70-79%; D: 60-69%; F below 60%
Extra Credit Opportunity: You MAY Choose ONE (only one) of the 3
options below. 10 points if the paper is well written.
It is due in turnitin.com at or before 11:59 pm, on December 2, but you may turn it in earlier if you wish. Late
papers are penalized 10 points so don't even bother turning it in late.
1. Find and read a novel from any of the 3 nations we're studying . The novel must be at least 150 pages
and should have been written originally in the native language (English translations are fine-you don't have
to read it in the original). Write a 2-page paper explaining how the novel added to your understanding of
that culture or history. This paper must be turned into TURNITIN.COM; see page 6 for instructions.
I will be able to give some suggestions about appropriate books. You may have to buy a book, so
plan ahead and give yourself time to get the book, read it, and write the paper.
2. Visit an Asian Art Museum,* (San Francisco, Pasadena, LA, Hanford??) bring proof (a picture of you
there, or a receipt, etc.) of the visit and write a 2-page paper about what you saw and learned. This paper
must be turned into TURNITIN.COM; see page 6 for instructions.
3. Visit an active Buddhist, Shinto, or Confucian Temple,* and take a tour. Bring proof of the visit (a
picture of you there, or a receipt, etc.) and write a 2-page paper about what you saw and learned. This
paper must be turned into TURNITIN.COM; see page 6 for instructions.
General extra credit paper expectations:
For any of these assignments, the paper needs to be well written and clear. Grammar mistakes and poor writing are
unacceptable. The paper must demonstrate insight into the culture and history that you gained by visiting the site or
reading the novel. A clear thesis statement is critical to a successful paper. It must be typed and double-spaced.
You must submit it through turnitin.com. Instructions for using turnitin.com are on page 6 below.
** Minor amendments may be posted to the web page as we go. 3
Reading and Exam Schedule
Reading is due on the date shown. I will consider it fair game for a quiz on the date shown
below.
China
8/23+: Introduction and Start on China; Begin reading for next class.
Register your i>clicker at www.iclicker.com
8/30: Continue China: come having read the following:
East Asia: Prehistory and Chapters 1-4. Pages 1-73 before class.
Selections from The Analects: Confucius (on the web page)
Selections from The Art of War, Sung Tzu (on the web page)
Selections from The TaoDeChing, Laozi (on the web page)
"Peach Blossom Shangri-la," Tao Yuan Ming C 400 AD, (on the web page)
9/6: Continue China: come having read the following:
East Asia: Chapter 5, Part 2 "Connections: Cultural Contact," Chapter 8, "Connections:
The Mongols," Chapters 12 and 14.
The Good Earth (to page 300)
9/13: Continue China: come having read the following:
East Asia: "Connections: Europe Enters," Chapter 16, Part "Connections: Western
Imperialism," Ch 18.
The Good Earth (finish)
Red Scarf Girl (first 140 pages)
9/20: Continue China: come having read the following:
East Asia: Chapter 24, "Connections: World War II," Chapters 25, 27, 28, and
"Connections: East Asia in the 21st Century," (p525-528).
Red Scarf Girl (finish)
9/27: Finish China discussion in class
9/29: China Midterm
JAPAN
10/4: Start Japan: come having read the following:
Chapters 7 and 9
10/11: Continue Japan: come having read the following:
Chapters 11 and 13
Selections from The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki (web page)
10/13: Continue Japan: come having read the following:
Chapters 17 and 19
Selections from Chushingura [47 Loyal Retainers] (web page)
** Minor amendments may be posted to the web page as we go. 4
10/20: Continue Japan: come having read the following:
Chapter 20 and 22
Hiroshima (first half of book)
10/27: Continue Japan: come having read the following:
Chapters 26 and 30
Hiroshima (finish book)
Complete Japan discussion in class
11/1: Japan Midterm
KOREA
11/3: Start Korea: come having read the following:
Chapters 6 and 10
11/10: Continue Korea: come having read the following:
Chapter 15
Korean Folk Tales: (on the webpage)
o "Simchung" the dutiful daughter
o "Patriotic Kisaeng" the story of Non'gae, of Chinju
11/17: Continue Korea: come having read the following:
Chapter 21
First half of When My Name Was Keoko
11/22: Continue Korea: come having read the following:
Chapter 23
Second half of When My Name Was Keoko
11/29: Continue Korea: come having read the following:
Chapter 29
Bradley Martin's article, "Yun Sang Won: The Knowledge in Those Eyes" [a first-
person narrative from the Kwangju Massacre of 1980] (on the webpage)
FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, December 6 at 3:00 PM
Please do not make plans to take the final early.
** Minor amendments may be posted to the web page as we go. 5
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