2019-2020 BSC Catalog

178 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
religions of the region, followed by an investigation of British and French colonialism
and the inter-war independence struggles in the area. Emphasis is also placed on the
growth of modern Middle Eastern states and societies after 1945, with particular focus on
the topics of nationalism, modernization, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iranian revolution,
and the Gulf War. A Global Perspectives designated course.
HI 282 GP Disputers of the Dao: Major Texts in the Confucian, Buddhist, and
Daoist Traditions in East Asia (1)
The historical development of the major philosophical and religious traditions of East
Asia (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) taught through the reading of a selection of
their fundamental texts. The focus will be the texts, the major doctrines and schools of
these traditions, and the patterns of their historical development in China, India, Japan,
and Korea. A Global Perspectives designated course. Prerequisite: at least sophomore
standing.
HI 283 Modern China (1)
An introduction to Chinese history from the Manchu conquest in the seventeenth century
to the People’s Republic. Emphasis is on the changing social, economic, and political
structure of Chinese society and how the Chinese explained to themselves the changes
taking place in their society.
HI 284 GP Modern Japan (1)
An introduction to Japanese history from the emergence of military rule in the thirteenth
century to the post-World War II democratic experience. Emphasis is on the changing
social, economic, and political structure of Japanese society and how the Japanese
explained to themselves the changes taking place in their society. A Global Perspectives
designated course.
HI 287 GP Western Images of Asia (1)
A multimedia exploration of Western attitudes about the “orient.” Through scholarly and
fictional texts and a careful viewing of visual arts, this course analyzes the development
of Western attitudes toward the “east,” beginning with medieval explorers and
concluding with our present concerns with the Japanese and Chinese. A Global
Perspectives designated course. Prerequisite: at least sophomore standing.
HI 288 GP Remembering World War II: The War in Asia and the Pacific (1)
How World War II in Asia and the Pacific is remembered in several countries, including
China, Japan, Korea, and the United States. Using a variety of literary (novels, poetry,
and memoirs), artistic (film and painting), and architectural (monuments, memorials, and
museums) evidence, we explore the legacy and memories of World War II in these
various countries, consider some of the many issues related to self-representation and
historical memory, and examine how different cultures with widely divergent pasts and
traditions come to shape memory and guilt. A Global Perspectives designated course.
HI 289 GP Remembering World War II: The War in Europe and the Holocaust (1)
How World War II in Europe and the Holocaust are remembered in several countries.
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2019-2020