ASN 3006 "HONORS INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN STUDIES"
COURSE OVERVIEW
This Asian Studies course is offered by Dr. Jacqueline Fewkes (Professor of Anthropology) from the Honors College of Florida Atlantic University.
This course offers students a fascinating introduction to the history, literature, cultures, and contemporary global roles of Asia, while at the same time challenging our preconceptions about what we mean by the term "Asia" itself.
The course is appropriate for those who have never studied the topic before, as well as those who would like to specialize in the region.
ASN 3006 fulfills Honors College distribution electives, as well as an area studies course for Anthropology and International Studies concentrations. It can be used to count towards the FAU certificate in Asian Studies. It can also fulfill an anthropology major or minor requirement for an upper division course in socio-cultural anthropology.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS
This course is divided into 6 units-- an introductory unit to orient students to the course, and 5 topical units-- that students complete within a general time frame (usually 2-3 weeks per unit) so that we cover a wide variety of disciplinary approaches to the study of Asia, including history, geography, literature, pop culture, religion, fine arts, anthropology, economics, and political science.
Coursework consists of regular small small quizzes, class activities, project work, and research presentations.
Learn more about the topical units below.
UNIT 1 “WHAT IS ASIAN STUDIES”
(WEEKS 2-3)
In this first unit we explore the concept of "area studies" in relation to discipline-based approaches to academic studies, and familiarize ourselves with the controversies surrounding these concepts. Students will learn key points in Asian geography and utilize terms from human geography, while learning about social theory related to Asia. Main work includes working on conceptual maps, discussing collections of images related to Asia, and a focus on geography.
COMMENTS FROM PAST STUDENTS
"Project work was great- I was able to focus on the types of issues that are meaningful and important to me, and see how they apply in Asia. Everyone had different interests so in presentations I learned a lot of new topics too."