DRAFT SYLLABUS: THE HISTORY OF EAST ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS SINCE 1600
Prof. Douglas HowlandHIST 176-002 (#***)
Office: Holton Hall 330Spring Semester 2017
Phone: 229-4361 (History Dept. Office)ONLINE Course
E-mail:
This course is a general survey of the history of civilizations in East Asia, with a primary emphasis on China and Japan. At the start of our period, roughly 1600, China had already established a stable, centralized empire for nearly one thousand years, and Japan was embarking upon the creation of centralized institutions. But Chinese overpopulation and the decay of bureaucratic institutions created problems that the imperial state struggled to solve; and the growth of commerce in Japan began to undermine the agricultural basis of the state. At the same time, both civilizations were the targets of Western interest from the sixteenth century on, and much of the modern history that we will study concerns the engagement of China and Japan in the developing global economy, and the technological changes, colonial movements, and political revolutions that defined the new international setting.
As an introductory history course and a General Education Course in Humanities, our objectives here will include: (1) the reading and analysis of texts; (2) the interpreting of texts as an exercise in writing, with an emphasis on essay form and the adequate use of evidence to support our interpretations; (3) developing a familiarity with trends in Chinese and Japanese history and some familiarity with Chinese and Japanese historiography; and (4) developing our skills of analyzing primary and secondary sources. This, as I said, requires careful reading, thinking, and writing.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Patricia Ebrey and Anne Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600: A Cultural, Social, and
Political History, 3d. ed. (Boston: Wadsworth, 2014). ISBN: 1-133-60649-0.
This bookis available for purchase at the UWM Bookstore in the Union. Get it as soon as possible so that you do not fall behind with the readings. You may find that used copies are available more cheaply through an online seller. Additional readings are available on the D2L course website.
GER-Humanities Course criteria: This course counts for Humanities GER credit. Humanities are the academic disciplines that investigate human constructs and values. The humanistic disciplines – such as art history, history, language and literature, philosophy, religious studies, film and media studies – are concerned with questions, issues, and concepts basic to the formation of character and the establishment of values in a human context. They also provide literary, aesthetic, and intellectual experiences that enrich and enlighten human life. In this course, you will use humanistic means of inquiry, such as: the critical use of sources and evaluation of evidence, the exercise of judgment and expression of ideas, and the organization, logical analysis, and creative use of substantial bodies of knowledge in order to approach the subject of study.
UW System Shared Learning Goal: This course also addresses the University of Wisconsin System Shared Learning Goal, “Effective Communication Skills,” which include listening, speaking, reading, writing, and information literacy. Your essays, quizzes, and written exams will all be evaluated and assigned a score based in each of the following criteria: (1) conceptual clarity demonstrating an understanding of concepts critical to the historical contexts of East Asia; and (2) proficiency of written organizational skills. An average of the scores provides a numeric measure of the success of the course in reaching these learning goals and will illustrate the extent to which the course needs to be altered to improve it.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. D2L. Most of the course materials, including lectures and readings, will be accessible through the course D2L website. You must have access to a reliable computer and a high-speed internet connection to take this online course (a broadband connection such as Roadrunner or DSL, or a campus network connection to the web). If you do not have this at home, you can use computers on campus or in public libraries. You will upload your papers to the “Dropbox” on the D2L website, and quizzes, exams, and online discussions will also take place over D2L. You can access D2L by going to the UWM homepage ( and in the quick links at the top of the page select D2L and then click “go.” This takes you to the login screen where you will be asked to provide your Panther ID and password (these are the same as your UWM email username and password). As an alternative, go to the login page with the direct address for D2L: ( On the login page, notice the “For Students” link that offers several help files for dealing with various aspects of D2L. These help documents are indeed very helpful, so keep them in mind if you ever get stuck. If you need further assistance, contact the Information Management and Technology (IMT) Help Desk (open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week). You can visit the Help Desk in person at EMS E173A, call 414-229-4040 (toll free at 1-877-381-3459), or send an email to . Keep in mind that the personnel at the Help Desk are more knowledgeable about computers than the professor, so please turn to them for technical advice.
Note that in a standard history course, I would meet with you in a room once or twice a week, where I would present lectures and ask questions, and you would take quizzes and exams. This class is different in that we will never meet together in the same room or any place other than the “virtual space” of the internet. The portal to that space is the course website on D2L. An online course means that you have a greater responsibility to take charge of your own learning: It is up to you to make sure that you devote adequate time to read, analyze, and understand the course materials. An online class also means that you will be doing a lot of reading, because almost all of the content (except films) will be delivered via written text.
NOTE: a computer glitch, a lost file, or any other technical problem is not an excuse for turning work in late or not at all.
2. READINGS. Because the readings are the centerpiece of the course, and because they will inform your writing, quizzes, and discussions, you must do the readings promptly in preparation for the week’s work. Readings for the week are to be completed by Monday of the week. By “read,” I mean critically read: this means more than a cursory examination of words on the page. You should be reading for the author’s argument, for a sense of context for the pages read, for an awareness of how one reading relates to our other readings, and for the ability to share your reactions with your colleagues.
3. DISCUSSIONS. You will be asked to participate in four online discussion “blogs” during the semester. The dates for these discussions and projects are listed in the schedule below. You will be divided randomly into groups and asked to respond both to specific questions that I prepare and to your classmates’ responses. You will be graded on your thoughtfulness, clarity, and the degree to which you are able to integrate class readings and materials. In order to receive the maximum grade, you must cite specific readings (and films). See the additional handout on “D2L Discussion Guidelines” on the “Content” page of our course website. (20% of your final grade)
4. QUIZZES. There will be four quizzes in the course, the dates for which are in the schedule below. These will examine your grasp of the content of the course--geography, concepts, institutions, texts, and events--and will be based on the course readings, films, and my lectures. I might ask you questions about the arguments put forward in the readings; for example: What is the significance of “the Banner System”? Or I may ask you to identify, to the best of your ability, a passage excerpted from one of the readings--what is it? Who might have written it? To what social or political issue does it speak? (For example, Fang Bao’s “Random Notes from Prison.”) Or, I may ask you an open-ended interpretive question that asks you to locate the document outside of its specific and internal logic and arguments--to what historical development does it speak? (20% of your final grade)
5. SHORT ESSAYS. There will be two short (2- to 3-page) writing assignments during the course, the dates for which are in the schedule below. These include both interpretive pieces, which ask you to interpret primary sources, and historiographical pieces, which ask you to examine secondary sources. That is to say, these “essays” will ask you to synthesize themes and common points in a set of documents so as to describe some general issue(s) or point(s) in common. Or they may ask you to “condense” an argument, as when I ask you to tell me the thesis (the main point) of some author’s work. Instructions for using the “Dropbox” function within D2L are posted under D2L “Content”; see “Syllabus” tab and “Instructions for Paper Submissions.” NOTE: To be officially turned in, your work must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. If you send your work to me directly as an e-mail attachment, it is not “turned in,” because I cannot submit your work to D2L on your behalf. (20% of your final grade)
Keep in mind that in grading writing, I consider four factors: the quality of your thesis (major point); the quality of your argument (a structure of paragraphs, each of which makes a point); the accuracy and quality of your evidence; and the quality of your writing (grammar, punctuation, and diction). That is to say, an excellent (grade-of-A) essay will include the following: (1) a clearly stated theme or issue at the beginning, in an introductory sentence or paragraph (often this introduction will contain your thesis); (2) a clearly developed argument in one or more paragraphs, each of which specifies the issue of the paragraph and the point of the paragraph, and expresses the relation of the paragraph to the other paragraphs in the essay; (3) evidence gathered from the readings, either quoted or paraphrased (and footnoted), which supports the points of your paragraphs and the thesis of your essay; (4) a concluding statement that “wraps up,” so to speak, your essay, in a final sentence or paragraph (sometimes this conclusion will contain your thesis); (5) perfect footnotes and punctuation, and no grammatical or typing errors, or minimal grammatical or typing errors; and (6) adherence to my specifications for the submission of writing as described elsewhere in this syllabus. A good (grade-of-B) essay will be missing one or two of these six qualities; an average (grade-of-C) essay will be missing a few of these qualities; but average essays generally err with qualities (2) and (3). A poor (grade-of-D) essay will be missing several of these qualities; and an unacceptable (grade-of-F) essay will be missing many of these qualities.
6. MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMS. There will be both a midterm and a final exam during the course. The purpose of the exams is to test your skills with reading primary sources, and to synthesize and integrate your analyses of the course materials--some combination of short answer and short essay. Specific guidelines will be given in due course out of consideration for student preparation. (2 x 20% of your final grade = 40%)
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Form:
•The "Chicago style" is our guide to all matters of format (e.g., footnotes / endnotes and bibliography); purchase or refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (13th edition) or Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6th edition). There is also a short guide to Chicago style available in the “Syllabus” materials for the course.
•All writing that is submitted in this course must be submitted in standard 12-point (elite) font. Anything in smaller fonts will be considered late work. (N. B. You are looking at elite type: nothing smaller than this.) I do not accept written assignments by fax or e-mail.
•Let it be known that in the event of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in this course, my policy is to fail the offending student(s). If you are unsure as to the nature of plagiarism, consult your current student handbook. Allowing someone to copy your work is as reprehensible as copying yourself: both parties will fail the course.
University Policies:
Students with disabilities. Verification of disability, class standards, the policy on the use of alternate materials and test accommodations can be found at the following:
http://
Religious observances. Policies regarding accommodations for absences due to religious observance are found at the following:
Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of reserves to active military duty should be noted.
Incompletes. The conditions for awarding an incomplete to graduate and undergraduate students can be found at the following:
Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment). Definitions of discrimination. Harassment, abuse of power, and the reporting requirements of discriminatory conduct are found at the following:
Academic misconduct. Policies for addressing students cheating on exams or plagiarism can be found at the following:
Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a specific university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic unit in which the complaint occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible for enforcing the policy.
Grade appeal procedures. Procedures for student grade appeal appear at the following:
Final examination policy. Policies regarding final examinations can be found at the following:
Schedule of Topics and Readings
Week 1 (Monday, 1/23 to Friday, 1/27): Introductions and the Study of East Asia – The
Problem of Eurocentrism
Read carefully Week 1 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 265-69;
**Teng and Fairbank, Chapter 1
Film: “Genius that was China” (2a)
N.B. Readings marked with a double asterisk (**) are in D2L”Content.”
Week 2(Monday, 1/30 to Friday, 2/3): The Manchu Dynasty of the Qing (1644-1911)
Read carefully Week 2 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 270-87, 304, 306-13,
314-332; **Lin Zexu; **China-Reform documents
Film: “Genius that was China” (2b) – “Empires in Collision”
Group Discussion #1
Week 3(Monday, 2/6 to Friday, 2/10):The Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan (1603-1867)
Read carefully Week 3 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 288-303, 333-346
**Lu, End of Tokugawa
Quiz #1
Week 4 (Monday, 2/13 to Friday, 2/17): Meiji Japan (1868-1912)
Read carefully Week 4 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 347-62; **Spaulding on the
Charter Oath; **The Meiji Constitution; **Mori Ōgai, “Under Reconstruction”;
**Natsume Sōseki, “The Three-Cornered World”
Film: “Genius that was China” (3b) – sequence on Meiji Japan
Group Discussion #2
Week 5 (Monday, 2/20 to Friday, 2/24): Joseon Korea
Read carefully Week 5 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 247-63, 264, 363-79, 380
Quiz #2
Week 6 (Monday, 2/27 to Friday, 3/3) Japan Becomes a World Power
Read carefully Week 6 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 382-99; **”Imperial Rescript
on Education; **Hane on the Textile Workers; **A Summons to the Workers; **Ogawa Mimei, “The Handstand”
Film: “Genius that was China” (3c)
Essay #1
Week 7 (Monday, 3/6 to Friday, 3/10): Korea as a Japanese Colony
Read carefully Week 7 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 400-14
Midterm Exam
Week 8 (Monday, 3/13 to Friday, 3/17): Nationalism and Republican Revolution in China
Read carefully Week 8 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 415-29; **China-Nationalism
documents; **May Fourth Movement documents; **Lu Xun, “Preface [to a Call
to Arms]” and “Storm in a Teacup”
Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” -1a
Group Discussion #3
**Spring Break: 19-25 March**
Week 9 (Monday, 3/27 to Friday, 3/31): Communist Revolution in China
Read carefully Week 9 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 430-38, 439-54; **Mao
Zedong: On New Democracy
Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” – 2a
Week 10 (Monday, 4/3 to Friday, 4/7): World War II and Economic Recovery in Japan
Read carefully Week 10 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 456-71; **Rohlen, “The
Office Group”
Quiz #3
Week 11 (Monday, 4/10 to Friday, 4/14): Contemporary Japan
Read carefully Week 11 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 510-23; **Kawabata
Yasunari, “Japan, the Beautiful, and Myself,” and “One Arm”; ** Samuels, 3.11 –
Disaster and Change in Japan, 24-45
Film: “Neighborhood Tokyo”
Essay #2
Week 12 (Monday, 4/17 to Friday, 4/21): Mao Zedong and the Peoples’ Republic of China
Read carefully Week 12 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 472-89;
**Cheek – Mao documents; **He Guyan, “Maple Leaves”
Quiz #4
Week 13 (Monday, 4/24 to Friday, 4/28): China under Reform (1989- )
Read carefully Week 13 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 524-39;
** “Deng’s Modernization and its Critics”
Film: “China From the Inside” – 1
Group Discussion #4
Week 14 (Monday, 5/1 to Thursday, 5/5): Independent Koreas and the Cold War
Read carefully Week 14 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Ebrey & Walthall, ModernEast Asia from 1600, 490-509, 540-44
Week 15 (Monday 5/8 – Thursday 5/11): Contemporary East Asia
Read carefully Week 15 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: [TBD]
The Final Exam will be held between May 12 and 18. Instructions to follow.
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Course Readings in D2L:
1. Ssu-yu Teng and John Fairbank, eds., China’s Response to the West (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954), 1-21.
2. Lin Tse-hsü [Lin Zexu], “Moral Advice to Queen Victoria,” in Teng and Fairbank, ed., China’s Response to the West, 24-28.
3. China-Reform Documents – all in Teng and Fairbank, ed., China’s Response to the West.
Feng Kui-fen (Feng Guifen), “On the Adoption of Western Knowledge,” 51f.