HST 496 (#19870): South, Southeast, and East Asia in the Global Matrix

Spring Semester 2016

Time and place: M 8:00-10:30am Coor 6615
James Rush, Instructor
SHPRS 4542 Coor
480-965-5851 phone
james.rush@asu.edu
Office hours: W 9:30-11:30am Coor 4542
The goals of this capstone course for the Asia Studies Major are: (1) to think broadly
about Asia in recent history and today, seeking a broad comparative perspective about
Asia at large; and (2) to write a research-based essay focusing on a specific area of
interest within each students Track and relating it to the region as a whole.
Our class will run fifteen weeks, ordinarily meeting once a week for two-to-three hours.
During the first several weeks, we will read a book a week. We will discuss the books in
seminar, with students taking turns leading discussions in collaboration with the
instructor. (Students may consult Rhoads Murphey, A History of Asia (6th edition) where
helpful and/or necessary; or other reference works.) For six of the books, each seminar
member will write a critical book report of approximately 1800 words that reveals the
main themes and findings of the book. These essays are due the day before class and will
be submitted to me at the designated link on the class website.
During the final weeks of the semester, seminar members will work on an individual
research-and-synthesis project of their own that relates an important topic from their
Track to broad themes connecting Asia as a whole. As the semester comes to an end,
each member will make a presentation to the seminar on his or her project and, as a
culminating activity, write an 8,000 word essay about it.
Weekly schedule.
REVISED: Post-Spring Break
March 14: Japan

Alex Kerr: Dogs and Demons, paper due.

March 21: Korea
Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. Paper due.
March 28 Vietnam
Duong Thu Huong, Paradise of the Blind. Paper due.
Week of April 4: Individual research and writing (with consultation).
Week of April 11: Individual research and writing (with consultation).
April 18: Class presentations
April 25: Class presentations, final meeting.
Final Essay. Early in the semester you will choose a topic for your final essay in dialog
with the instructor. You will build a bibliography for your paper and conduct research
on your topic as the semester builds and concentrate entirely on this project during the
final weeks. The final product will be a polished academic essay, complete with proper
footnotes, bibliography, and a lucid narrative. We will discuss the elements of the essay
in detail in class. The essay is due and should be submitted to the class website link
on or before midnight Tuesday, 3 May.
Regulations: Font size: 12; spacing: double; apprx. 8,000 words, plus bibliography.
Your essay should be lucid, grammatical, and without spelling errors.
Footnotes/endnotes and bibliography should comport with the Chicago Manual of Style.
Follow the examples on this website, choosing Notes and Bibliography style, i.e., N
and B.
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
Grading.
You will be graded on the basis of 200 points, as follows.

For each of your weekly papers: 10 points (total of 60)

For your in-seminar presentation: 20 points
For attendance and quality of participation in the seminar: 20 points
For your final essay: 100 points
195-200 points A+
185-194 points A
180-184 points A175-179 points B+
165-174 points B
160-164 points B155-159 points C+
145-154 points C
140-144 points C120-139 points D
0-119 points E
Plagiarism (i.e., the unacknowledged use of someone elses words or original research
or ideas) is forbidden. Here is the Universitys Statement:
Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory
work, academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are
not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the
transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on
the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification and
dismissal. For more information, see: http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity

Academic Calendar: Please consult this calendar for all important dates, including
those concerning Withdrawal.
http://www.asu.edu/calendar/academic.html