Courses

CHIN1031 and CHIN1032 Introduction to Chinese (Mandarin), Parts 1 and 2
This course aims to provide basic competence in understanding and speaking Mandarin and reading Chinese characters. It is for students who have had no exposure to Mandarin or Cantonese. This class fulfills the BA language requirement.

CHIN2031 and CHIN2032 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin), Parts 1 and 2
For students with a basic background in Mandarin Chinese, this course is a continuation of CHIN1031 and 1032 Introduction to Chinese (Mandarin). All four language skills--listening and speaking, reading and writing--will be further developed; as well, a broader range of Chinese cultural elements will be introduced.

CHIN2020/HIST2820 History of East Asia
This introductory course explores historical change and social transformation in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam from antiquity to the present. Emphasizing the Chinese and Japanese experiences, the class will examine some of the more salient social, intellectual, political, economic, and environmental features apparent in the heritage of these societies, as well as some of the ways each society has influenced the others.

CHIN2040/HSTC2810 History of Chinese Science and Technology
This course examines the history of Chinese science and technology in an intellectual, social, and cultural context. Students will read and learn about both Chinese and East Asian history generally and the long-term global trajectories of environmental and technological change that transformed the production of goods, the conduct of governance, and the relationship between humans and their environment long before the “rise of the West” with which so much of the history of science and technology is concerned.  

CHIN2050/SOSA2051 Chinese Culture
This course introduces students to the Chinese cultural heritage. It offers an overview of traditional and modern Chinese culture through the lenses of history, sociology, religion, philosophy, literature, art, and film. The class examines the historical legacies of China and modern issues facing Chinese society in the contexts of international relations, society, economics, gender, ethnicity, and politics.

CHIN2052/CTMP2336 East Meets West in Popular Culture
This class is devoted to examining intersections between “West” and “East” through the study of cross-cultural influences in popular literature, cinema, music, and comics in Europe, North America, and East Asia.

CHIN2060/RELS2012 Chinese and Japanese Religions
This is an introduction to the cultural, religious, and philosophical traditions of China and Japan.  Topics to be covered include: Classical Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Philosophical and Religious Taoism, Shinto, and Chinese and Japanese Buddhism.  The course will also examine the interaction, competition, and overlap between these traditions.

CHIN2070/RELS2013 Buddhism
This course introduces the student to the Buddhist religious tradition, beginning with its origins and early developments in India and followed by a treatment of key themes of later world Buddhism such as meditation, devotion, monasticism, and ritual.  The course thus exposes students to both Buddhism’s early Indian doctrinal and institutional dimensions, and to aspects of Buddhism as practised subsequently in China, Japan, and Tibet.

CHIN2080/EMSP2450 The East is Read: Early Modern Conceptions of Asian Thought
This class considers early modern European interpretations of key Asian texts.  It assesses both the merits of early modern interpretations of Asian thought and what these interpretations reveal about the self-consciousness of European thinkers in the early modern period.

CHIN2082/EMSP2390/HSTC2811/CTMP2102 Asia and the West: Centuries of Dialogue
This course will explore some of the most important engagements of modern Western thinkers with various texts and traditions of East and/or South Asian thought, examine the very aspects of Asian thought that intrigued modern Western thinkers, and assess Western values and projects in their lights.

CHIN2290/ECON2213 Emerging Giants: The Economic Rise of China and India
This course examines the economic history, current issues, and future trends of China and India, answering such questions as: What explains China’s and India’s growth?  How is climate change affected by this growth?  How are global labour markets affected?  Must growth lead to rising inequality?  Is democracy required for development?

CHIN3031 and CHIN3032 Advanced Chinese (Mandarin), Parts 1 and 2
For Students with intermediate-level background in Mandarin Chinese, this course is a continuation of CHIN2031 and 2032 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin). The course aims to develop further the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing, abilities to read expository and narrative writings, speaking skills to cope with real life situations, writing skills of short essays, as well as further understanding of Chinese culture and society.

CHIN3050/FILM3350/THEA 3350 Topics in Asian Cinema
Each year will focus on specific topics as explored in the cinema of various Asian countries. Particular attention will be paid to how Asian filmmakers employ different cinematic genres in their treatments of diverse aspects of Asian societies and cultures.  This course qualifies as a Film Studies elective.

CHIN3062 Modern Chinese Literature in Revolutionary Times
This survey course enhances students’ understanding of modern Chinese society and culture through reading works by major Chinese authors from the Republican period, over three decades—1919 to 1949. It was a period of cultural clashes between traditional Chinese culture and Western influences, a time of wars, political and ideological struggles and changes. All readings are in English, as is the language of instruction. A background in Chinese language, culture, and/or literature is encouraged but not required.

CHIN3080/ENGL3087 Literature of the Asian Diaspora
Literature of the Asian Diaspora encompasses literature written in English by writers of Asian descent and heritage. Each year may have a specific focus, such as Asian-Canadian and Asian-American, Anglo-Asian, or Asian-Australian literature. The course will concern itself with what constitutes Asian diasporic literature, its various historical and social contexts, as well as its narrative traditions and innovations.