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Crosslistings: EAST 225 |
This course covers the history of the peoples living in the Japanese archipelago from prehistoric times to the nineteenth century. The goal of the course is to see history not as a linear process or natural progress that led a nation to modernity but one of struggle and change. We will not assume the unity of the "Japanese nation" nor the homogeneity of the "Japanese people." Instead, we will look at the many ways that people identified themselves over time, "Japanese" being only one possible identity. In order to help us envision this kind of history, we will examine both the familiar histories of the ruling classes of Japan and the experiences of the people usually left out of the history books. We will investigate this latter group through a variety of source materials and reexamine our images and ways of thinking of "Japan" in a critical and stimulating way. The goal is to be able to develop skills in reading primary sources together with analyzing recent trends in scholarship that can be applied across area lines and interdisciplinary.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST Grading Mode: Student Option
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-19-2004
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459