The course will focus on some of the fundamental issues of textual exegesis, concentrating on approaches to the reading of texts. The goal of the course is to help students become more sophisticated in interpretive methodologies by exploring the theory and application of such influential methods as Structuralism, Functionalism, Feminism, Marxism, and Philosophical Hermeneutics.

ASIA 8033 is the core course for Asian Studies Honours students. It is mainly concerned with applying current methodological approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences to analysis of texts and other productions of Asian societies.

 AIMS AND OUTCOMES:

• Discussion of selected academic works inside and outside the field of Asian Studies in terms of theory and what makes them important;

• Broaden your understanding of these works in terms of theoretical and conceptual frameworks;

• Engage in informed discussion about what is involved in cross-cultural study and the interpretation of texts;

• Become acquainted with the vocabulary and methods of selected disciplines, e.g., sociology, anthropology, history, cultural studies;

• Encourage a spirit of intellectual inquiry;

• Develop writing skills appropriate to the above aims.

• Knowledge of and ability to apply theory is generally expected of Honours students, and this course is intended to provide an overview of some important methodological approaches that have had significant impact both within and outside Asian Studies.

Course themes in 2010: The principal topics of the 2009 version of Research Methodology and Theory are authorship and interpretation, cultural history, gender, identity, and nationalism.

There will be 2 written assignments; the first will be worth 30% of the final grade.

Assignment #1: Select any book-length work informed by one of the theoretical approaches we are considering in this course (if you want to discuss a work that uses another theory that is appropriate to this course, that is acceptable, but should be done in consultation with me) that fits into one (or more) of the approaches to textual interpretation we have considered this semester, and show how it expresses the methodologies and theoretical concerns germane to that perspective. Since many contemporary academic works blend perspectives you should be sensitive to the various methodologies and theoretical concerns addressed in your book. In addition, when discussing various approaches you are encouraged to ground your analyses in supplemental texts (essays or books) dealing with the approach in question (please do not regurgitate lecture materials or brick readings). You might consider finding scholarly reviews of your book for critical assessments and for a better sense of the kinds of approaches employed or look at more than one work that deals with a particular topic from different methodological perspectives.

Length: 2500-3000 words.

If you are unsure what sort of approach you want to discuss, please come and see me.

Assignment # 2 will be worth 40% of the final grade.

In this assignment, you will apply one or more of the approaches we have considered in this course (or possibly others that are more in line with your own interests) to discussion of an aspect of your particular area of interest (e.g., China, Korea, India, Thailand, history, anthropology, translation, religion, etc.) This may be related to your thesis topic, but need not be.

Length: 4000 words.

•           The final 30% of the grade will be based on performance in class discussions.

•           All late work will be assessed a penalty of 2 points per working day.

•           If a student is unable to hand in an assignment due to illness or death in the family, in order to avoid the penalty, a note from a doctor or other qualified authority that validates the request will be required (see Extensions Policy for details).

•           Readings should be done weekly and diligently prior to class, and each student should be prepared to raise questions and issues concerning the readings and to discuss them in depth.  Because of the nature of the material and the format of the course, active participation and prior preparation by each student will be crucial to the success of the course.

•           Every week a student will be responsible for leading the discussion. Discussion leaders should bring topics for discussion, questions, and penetrating insights to class and use these to engage the class in discussion of the readings and their implications.

The course is required of all Honours students except in cases in which special permission is received from the Director. It is restricted to Asian Studies Honours students.

Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Fort Worth: Barcourt Brace College Publishers, 7^th edition, 1999.

Bottomore, T.H. A Dictionary of Marxist Thought. Oxford: Blackwell Reference, 2^nd edition, 1991.

Hawkes, Terence. Structuralism and Semiotics. New York: Routledge; 1992.

Macey, David. The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin Books, 2001.

Outhwaite, William and Tom Bottomore, eds. The Blackwell Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Social Thought. Oxford: Blackwell, 1993.

Selden, Raman and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. New York: Harvester Wheasheaf, 3^rd edition, 1993.

H.L. Dreyfus and P. Rabinow, "Michel Foucault"

Friedrich Schleiermacher, “Foundations: General Theory of Interpretation”

E.D. Hirsch, “The Aims of Interpretation”

H-G. Gadamer, “The Historicity of Understanding”

Hans Penner, “Creating a Brahman”

Marion Levy, “Structural-Functional Analysis”

Francesca Cancian, “Varieties of Functional Analysis”

Alfred Meyer, “Marxism”

Ranajit Guha, “The Prose of Counter-Insurgency”

Joan W. Scott, “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis”

Michel Foucault, “Truth and Power”

Michel Foucault, “Afterword”

Clifford Geertz, “Thick Description”

“Person, Time, and Conduct in Bali”

Lynn Hunt, “Introduction: History, Culture, and Text”

Clifford Geertz, “Negara”

Richard Jenkins, “Social Identity”

Seungsook Moon, “Begetting the Nation”

John Powers, “Reinventing China”