HIST 174: Traditional East Asia
Note: Most course information and announcements will be distributed via the Angel Course Management System. Be sure to check Angel regularly for course information and materials.
Term: Spring, 2008
Time/Place: M, W 4:15 - 5: 30 107 AG SC IN
Instructor: Gregory Smits
Office: Weaver 211
E-mail: gjs4@psu.edu
Office Phone: 863-0172
Department of History Office Phone: 865-1367
Office Hours: 3-4, M & W
Graduate Assistant: N/A
Exam #1: 20 February (Wednesday)
Exam #2: 31 March (Monday)
Exam #3: As scheduled during finals week
Required Books:
All the books for this course are available on the web at www.east-asian-history.net. There are no books to buy in the bookstore.
1. Smits, Topics in Premodern Chinese History
2. Smits, Topics in Premodern Japanese History
HIST 174 is a limited introduction to the premodern histories of China and Japan. China and Japan, of course, are not the only countries of East Asia, but owing to time limitations, we must restrict the scope of the course. Limiting the course to China and Japan is not to suggest that other East Asian societies, for example those of Korea or the former Kingdom of Ryukyu, are inherently less worthy of study. In terms of total class time, roughly 65% is devoted to China and 35% to Japan (including the basics of Buddhism).
The overall goal of this course is to acquire a basic knowledge of the major political structures, institutions, social structures, and religious/philosophical traditions of China and Japan prior to the 19th century. In other words, the goal is to gain a rudimentary "cultural literacy" of China & Japan. Accomplishing this goal in a mere 15 weeks is not easy, but it is possible.
There is no prerequisite for this course other than college-level skills in the following areas:
reading;
writing;
the ability to use a computer for typical functions;
thinking--especially critical interpretation & abstract ideas.
Of these skills, reading (and re-reading) is particularly important. The course is aimed primarily at students from the United States who have no previous background in the study of East Asia. (FYI: University Learning Centers.)
The course is fast paced, with success dependent on disciplined self-study. The most important academic skill for HIST 174 is the ability to read with care and precision. Because the pace is fast and the content relatively difficult, students who expect to do well in HIST 174 should spend between one and two quality hours of study outside of class for every hour of class time. Be sure that you have the time and energy to take this course at this time.
There are four factors that tend to make HIST 174 more demanding than other 100-level history courses
First, the names of Chinese and Japanese people, places, concepts, etc. are, of course, Chinese and Japanese. This unavoidable fact imposes an added burden on the mind of those not familiar with Chinese and Japanese names (i.e., most students in the course).
Second, many of the cultural and other concepts we examine are foreign to students from the United States (& elsewhere) and therefore require more effort to comprehend. On the other hand, the "foreign-ness" of the material may also make it more interesting.
Third is a high expectation of mastery. In other words, to do well in the course, you will need to understand thoroughly its key points and concepts. Simply memorizing lists of factual information will not be sufficient.
The fourth factor is somewhat surprisingly at first glance: all of the essential course materials are available on the web. Although indented to make study more efficient and effective, the easy availability of this information enables some students more easily to deceive themselves into bad habits such as failing to attend class or studying only just before exams.
This section explains exams and grading in detail. I will spend little time talking about these matters in class after the first day. It is important to understand the basis on which grades are assigned in this course. Grades are based on degree of mastery of the course content as measured by three exams of equal weight. These three exams are the only basis on which grades are assigned. Personal circumstances (e.g., getting married/divorced, having two jobs, seeking to go to law school, being a graduating senior, the "need" for a certain level of grade, et cetera) are not factors that influence the assignment of grades. There is no "extra credit." To pay little attention to the course until the end of the term and then hope for a miracle is guaranteed to produce unpleasant results. Class attendance is not a direct part of the course grade, but regular attendance should be considered essential for learning the material and is expected.
The exams are rigorous and require analysis, not simply regurgitation of memorized material. The exam consist of 20 multiple-choice questions--about half of which test knowledge of basic facts and about half of which are analytical--plus one long essay selected from a list of four. The exams are weighted equally, and the average of all three determines the final grade. Each exam covers material since the previous exam; they are not cumulative. The final, weighted percentage is then converted to PSU's grading system as follows: A = 92-100%; A- = 90-91%; B+ = 87-89%; B = 82-86%; B- = 80-81%; C+ = 77-79%; C = 68-76%; D = 50-67%; F = below 50% The dates and times of the exams are listed above. Be sure to be here for them because missed exams may not be made up except in the case of a serious emergency the day of the exam. In the unlikely event that an exam conflicts with an official university function in which you must participate, you may arrange to take it early. See the instructor one week to ten days in advance.
The exams are based mainly on the content of the course textbooks, but they also take into consideration the content of lectures and presentations. Lectures and presentations closely follow the textbook content but are not identical with it. Points that occur both in the textbooks and in class presentations are more likely to appear on exams than points that occur only in the textbooks or only in class presentations. However, a small percentage of exam content (roughly 10-20%) will consist of material from the textbooks that is not covered in class.
You are encouraged to examine and study previous exams from this course. They are available online at the Practice Exam Center. These practice exams were the real exams for the previous term the course was offered. Putting some effort into studying them will give you a very good idea of what to expect on the exams you will take. Between the textbooks, classes, and practice exams, serious students should not encounter any major surprises on exam day.
Exams are given at the start of class on the scheduled day. They are intended to take about 50 minutes, but you will be able to use the entire period. Bring an examination book (commonly called a "blue book") with you on exam day, as well as both a pen and a pencil. Write both your name and student number on the multiple choice answer sheet. Do not write your name on the examination book. Instead, clearly write your student number on the front cover. Grading the exams usually requires two class days.
The course is based on the two textbooks, which have been written specifically for HIST 174. Class presentations by the instructor are based on the textbooks, but they do not cover all of the material in the textbooks. Class time is reserved for select topics (see "Lecture Topics" below). Note that it is your responsibility to learn the basic political narrative of Chinese and Japanese history through your own reading of the textbooks (see the introduction to Topics in Pre-Modern Chinese History for more details about how to use the textbooks). Of course, if anything is unclear to you, feel free to ask the instructor.
If you require accommodation for a disability, you must first identify yourself as disabled to the appropriate university office (click here for details). This office will make a determination of your disability and accommodations based on medical information. The instructor for this course will not and cannot make such determinations, but he will be happy to help you contact the appropriate people for assistance.
Basic fairness to all requires reasonable standards of academic honesty. Specifically, plagiarism (use of another's ideas and/or words as your own without proper acknowledgment) and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. Although circumstances may vary, ordinarily, clear cases of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the assignment in question and referral of the case to the appropriate university disciplinary unit.
For reference, the official policy of PSU regarding academic integrity is as follows:
49-20 Academic Integrity
Definition and expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.
Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.
To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments (Senate Policy 44-40: Proctoring of Examinations). At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College academic integrity policies to that course.
Academic Integrity Resources for Students
Getting the Most Out of HIST 174:
There is no magic formula for doing well in this course. For most students, a substantial amount of effort will be necessary, but there are ways to maximize the efficiency of this effort. Here is a list of specific points based on years of experience:
Read, read again, and read a third time. Most students will need to read the text books several times for full comprehension.
Be sure to click on and study the essential links (*______*). Especially in the case of graphic images, there is a tendency to regard them as superfluous decoration (a bias with deep roots in Western--i.e., Judeo-Christian--culture). In this course, however, the essential graphic images are designed to explain or illustrate material in novel ways. They are just as important as the text.
When reading, actually pronounce all the names and other foreign terms in your mind, even if your pronunciation is terrible. If you do not actually pronounce them, they will not stick.
Although doing so is not required or even necessarily recommended, some students like to bring parts of the textbook to class. If you are one of them, you will need to print the relevant pages. One way to do so economically is to cut and paste from your browser into a word processor and then adjust the margins, fonts, etc. to your liking. If your goal is to spend very little resources on printing, set the margins as wide as they will go, use an 8 or 10 point Roman font, and set line spacing to 0.9 (instead of 1.0). Such settings will reduce many of the chapters to just 3-6 printed pages. On the other hand, if you like to write notes in the margins or if squinting at small type is difficult, adjust the setting accordingly. Or, you may find that there is no need to bring pages to class. Try it both ways to see which is better. But remember: printing the main pages does not provide you with the material in the required links.
Many of those who do bring pages to class perform a ritual common among undergraduate students: anointing the pages with various colors of highlighter ink. While this practice may have some benefits, a simpler method (e.g., drawing a line down the side of the relevant portion with a pen or pencil) usually produces all the benefits of highlighting with less effort, thereby allowing more energy for focusing on what is going on in class.
It is nearly impossible to let things go until just before the exam and still pass the exam with anything better than about a "D" (or worse). Even if your basic nature is to be lazy, then steady, disciplined effort on a regular basis will be both easier and more productive in the long run. Regular, frequent study not only produces higher exam scores, it also enhances learning and makes the course more enjoyable.
Why pay for something and then not take it? Come to class every time.
Do not hesitate to ask about anything that causes you confusion. Also, do not hesitate to ask about anything about which you may be curious.
Lecture Topics for Topics in Premodern Chinese History:
Basic geography/Introduction to China
Shang dynasty religion, divination & sacrifices / oracle bones
Shang dynasty bronze vessels
Creation of the Zhou dynasty
Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven, notions of historical causality & the dynastic cycle
Transformation of the Zhou aristocracy: emergence of centralized bureaucratic rule
Confucianism:
Confucius: life, major teachings, view of history
Mencius: major additions to Confucian ideas
Xunzi: alternative to Mencius
The Daoism (Taoism) of Laozi and Zhuangzi (a.k.a. original or philosophical Daoism)
Legalism
The imperial institution, its underlying thought/ideology, and its contradictions
Traditional Chinese Cosmology (correlative cosmology)
Religious (popular) Daoism & Daoist Immortals
"Weekend" Daoism; Daoism in Chinese society in later dynasties
Demographic changes
Civil service examination system
Scholar-gentry class/Structure of government
Later developments in Confucianism
The New (Song-era) Confucianism of Zhu Xi (hardest part of the course)
Gender roles over time / relations between men and women / foot binding
Lecture Topics for Topics in Premodern Japanese History:
Heian-period society
Buddhism and religion in early Japan
The rise of the warriors
The Kamakura bakufu
The Muromachi (Ashikaga) Bakufu
Art in an age of anxiety and unrest
Japan reunified
Early-modern Japan
The world of sex in Tokugawa Japan*
Yokai: monsters, giant catfish, and more*
*We are unlikely to get this far