Courses at Sacramento State (2023-present):
Asia 1: Asia in the World Today
This course offers an overview of the socio-cultural, political, and intellectual transformations in the regions known as “East Asia,” “Southeast Asia,” and “South Asia.” The first few weeks of the course will trace Asia’s historical development before World War II. Then, we will look at specific case studies from the three regions to understand their modern history and contemporary development in the 20th and 21st centuries. We will assess themes that shape the development of modern Asia, such as nationalism, pan-Asianism, colonialism and imperialism, socialism and capitalism, migration, and popular culture.
Asia 113: Nationalism in Asia
Nationalism is, arguably, the most powerful political ideology in the modern era. We live in a world defined by nation-states (e.g. the United Nations). We hear rhetoric of “defending our nation” in political speeches. We see nationalist sentiment on display at international sport games, such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. And, of course, nationalism is a major driving force behind multiple wars and conflicts. But what is it about nationalism that makes it so significant in our everyday life? Why do people need to identify with a nation? What even is a nation? This course seeks to provide some insights into the phenomenon of nationalism in the modern era. We will read selected key texts in the study of nationalism, and we will draw on examples in recent history to test whether these theories are applicable in the Asian context. While our focus is Asia, we will also adopt a global and comparative approach to understand how global events shaped the development of nationalism across different Asia entities.
Asia 114: Social Movements in Asia
Social movements and protests happen frequently across the globe. Such movements tackle different topics, such as women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, labor rights, democracy, environmental problems, political injustice, historical memory, and so on. Why do people engage in social movements? What are the historical factors shaping the trajectory of the movements? Who are the participants? How do participants determine the “right” strategies? What are the consequences and legacies of the movements? Do social movements really "work"? We will discuss theories of social movements and see how they might apply to our case studies in Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Asia/Poli Sci 146: US-China Relations
This course explores the historical and contemporary development of US-China relations, from late 18th century to the present. It assesses interactions between the US and different “China” across time: the Qing Empire (18th to early 20th centuries), the Republic of China (1912-1949; in Taiwan since 1945), and the PRC (since 1949). The emphasis will be on the importance of history in understanding contemporary US-China relations. We will also explore the intersections between domestic policies and foreign policies to see how US-China relations have been shaped by the international context and respective domestic issues. Themes that we will study in this course include nationalism, colonialism, imperialism, migration, ideology, and historical memory.
Asia 198: Globalization and Modernity in Asia
This is a writing-intensive course that broadly focuses on modernity and globalization in Asia. We will scrutinize different ideas about “Asia” and “Asianness” (if that even exists) and trace Asia’s historical and contemporary development over the last few centuries to the present, drawing on themes such as nationalism, colonialism and imperialism, political economy, migration, and popular culture. We will discuss relevant theories in understanding each of these phenomena.
Hist 148B: China, 1600-Present
This course explores the social, political, intellectual, and cultural history (among other aspects) of the entity that we nowadays call “China,” from around the 17th Century to the present. We will discuss various socio-cultural changes, social movements, revolutions, and intellectual currents that have shaped the historical and contemporary development of “China.” We will also move beyond the boundaries of “China” and scrutinize how foreign relations and global events influenced China’s trajectories. How had different intellectuals, political figures, and activists over the last centuries imagined what “China” should be like? How did historical forces and interactions with other entities shape the development of “China”? How do we make sense of the “rise of China” of the last few decades and its standing in the world today?