Courses

EALC B110 Intro to Chinese Literature (in English)

Not offered 2025-26

Students will study a wide range of texts from the beginnings through the Qing dynasty. The course focuses on the genres of poetry, prose, fiction and drama, and considers how both the forms and their content overlap and interact. Taught in English.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B115 Introduction to Korean Culture and Society

Fall 2025

This course offers an introductory survey of Korean culture and society, focusing on major transformations and continuities during the modern period. Students will investigate various themes essential to comprehending Korea, such as Confucianism, modernization, colonialism, nationalism, industrialization, democratization, gender relations, US-Korea relations, and contemporary popular culture. In addition to class lectures, the course utilizes audio-visual materials, films, and slides to enhance the learning experience. No prior knowledge of Korea or Korean language is required.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B131 Chinese Civilization

Spring 2026

A broad chronological survey of Chinese culture and society from the Bronze Age to the 1800s, with special reference to such topics as belief, family, language, the arts and sociopolitical organization. Readings include primary sources in English translation and secondary studies.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures; History.

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EALC B200 Major Seminar: Methods and Approaches

Fall 2025

This course is a writing intensive course for EALC majors and minors to introduce some foundational ideas and concepts in the study of East Asia. Beginning with close readings of primary source texts, students are introduced to the philosophy and culture of China, and its subsequent transmission and adaptation across the vast geographical area that is commonly referred to as "East Asia." Students will gain familiarity with methods in this interdisciplinary field and develop skills in the practice of close critical analysis, bibliography, and the formulation of a research topic. Required of EALC majors and minors. Majors should take this course before the senior year.

Writing Intensive

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; East Asian Languages & Culture; History.

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EALC B210 K-Pop and The Korean Wave

Spring 2026

This course provides an introduction to the globalization of K Pop and Hallyu, the recent cultural phenomenon from Korea. To fully understand this phenomenon, the course will delve into the diverse contexts that have shaped K - Pop and other Korean media products, including their historical, political, economic, social, and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the course offers an opportunity to explore key aspects of Korean culture that are reflected in K - Pop and other Korean media products. Students will have the chance to listen to K - Pop songs, watch Korean films, excerpts from K - Drama, Korean documentaries, and more, making the course both informative and enjoyable. No prior knowledge of the Korean language is required

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B218 K-Drama: Identity in Uncertain Worlds

Not offered 2025-26

This course delves into the complexities of identity within the uncertain worlds of K-Drama. Through analysis of popular Korean dramas, students explore themes of personal reflection and resilience. Dynamic discussions uncover the nuances of character development and societal pressures portrayed in these narratives. Experience a captivating journey of self-discovery as K-Drama storytelling is examined through a reflective lens.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

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EALC B263 The Chinese Revolution

Not offered 2025-26

Places the causes and consequences of the 20th century revolutions in historical perspective, by examining its late-imperial antecedents and tracing how the revolution has (and has not) transformed China, including the lives of such key revolutionary supporters as the peasantry, women, and intellectuals.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; History.

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EALC B264 Human Rights in China

Fall 2025

This course will examine China's human rights issues from a historical perspective. The topics include diverse perspectives on human rights, historical background, civil rights, religious practice, justice system, education, as well as the problems concerning some social groups such as migrant laborers, women, ethnic minorities and peasants.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; Gender Sexuality Studies; History; International Studies; International Studies.

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EALC B265 Chinese Empires: Yuan, Ming, and Qing

Spring 2026

The Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties (1271-1912) witnessed fundamental transformations in imperial China. The Mongols made China part of its vast land empire in the Yuan; Han Chinese restored the ethnic Han dominance in the Ming; and the Manchus established China's largest conquest empire during the Qing. These imperial experiences not only enriched Chinese cultural traditions but also left profound and ever-lasting legacies for contemporary China. From a historical perspective, this course examines the Chinese empires by focusing on such topics as the formation and growth of imperial government; the changing relationship between the central bureaucracy and local society; the interaction of diverse ethnic groups; the tension between agrarian economy and commercialization; the roles of women in family and society; the dynamics of elite and popular cultures; the interplay between Chinese empires and foreign forces; and China's search for m odernity. This course will meet the College requirements for "Approaches to Inquiry" in "Cross-cultural Analysis" and "Inquiry into the Past." Class time: 70% lecture, and 30% discussion.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B270 Topics in Chinese History

Not offered 2025-26

This is a topics course, course content varies.

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EALC B281 Food in Translation: Theory and Practice

Not offered 2025-26

This semester we will explore the connections between what we eat and how we define ourselves in the context of global culture. We will proceed from the assumption that food is an object of culture, and that our contemplation of its transformations and translations in production, preparation, consumption, and distribution will inform our notions of personal and group identity. This course takes Chinese food as a case study, and examines the way that Chinese food moves from its host country to diasporic communities all over the world, using theories of translation as our theoretical and empirical foundation. From analyzing menu and ingredient translations to producing a short film based on interviews, we will consider the relationship between food and communication in a multilingual and multicultural world. Readings include theoretical texts on translation (Apter), recipe books and menus, Chinese and Chinese-American literature (Classic of Poetry, Mo Yan, Hong Kingston). Films include Ian Cheney's "Searching for General Tso," Wayne Wang's "Soul of a Banquet" and "Eat a Bowl of Tea," Ang Li's "Eat Drink Man Woman," and Wong Karwai's "In the Mood for Love."

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B315 Spirits, Saints, Snakes, Swords: Women in East Asian Literature & Film

Spring 2026

This interdisciplinary course focuses on a critical survey of literary and visual texts by and about Chinese women. We will begin by focusing on the cultural norms that defined women's lives beginning in early China, and consider how those tropes are reflected and rejected over time and geographical borders (in Japan, Hong Kong and the United States). No prior knowledge of Chinese culture or language necessary.

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; East Asian Languages & Culture; English; Film Studies; Gender Sexuality Studies.

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EALC B322 Topics: Considering the Dream of Red Chambers

Not offered 2025-26

The Dream of Red Chambers (Hongloumeng) is arguably the most important novel in Chinese literary history. The novel tells the story of the waxing and waning of fortunes of the Jia family and their networks of family and social relations, and in its finely articulated details also serves as a chronicle of the Qing dynasty, an examination of visual culture, environment, kinship, sociology, economics, religious and cultural beliefs, and the structures of domestic life. In addition to addressing these aspects that we might categorize as external, the novel also turns inwards and examines the human heart and mind. How can we know another? How do we define ourselves? These questions, and many others, have occupied scholars for the last two centuries. We will spend the semester reading all five volumes of the David Hawkes translation, with secondary readings assigned to guide the discussion based on the semester's theme. Course topics varies.

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B325 Topics in Chinese History and Culture

Section 001 (Fall 2024): Rituals in Imperial China
Section 001 (Fall 2025): Law and Society/Imperial China

Fall 2025

This is a topics course. Course content varies. Current topic description; This seminar explores the connection and interaction between law and society in Chinese history with an emphasis on the imperial age. We will discuss the philosophical foundation of legal culture; evolution of legal institutions and their practice. The focus of the course, however, is on the role of law in spacing empires, stabilizing governments, structuring societies, and regulating families. We will explore topics such as how law and its practice shaped social class, defined gender, and demarcated ethnicity groups. We will read translated primary sources, including historical accounts and original law code texts, legal cases, and case stories, as well as secondary works of scholarship. By reading, preparing summaries, and discussing materials of various genres, students will understand Chinese legal culture and history in particular and humanities in general.

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; History; International Studies; International Studies.

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EALC B353 The Environment on China's Frontiers

Fall 2025

This seminar explores environmental issues on China's frontiers from a historical perspective. It focuses on the particular relationship between the environment and the frontier, examining how these two variables have interacted. The course will deal with the issues such as the relationship between the environment and human ethnic and cultural traditions, social movements, economic growth, political and legal institutions and practices, and changing perceptions. The frontier regions under discussion include Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and the southwestern ethnic areas, which are all important in defining what China is and who the Chinese are.

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; Environmental Studies; International Studies.

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EALC B355 Animals, Vegetables, Minerals in East Asian Literature & Film

Spring 2026

This semester, we will explore how artists question, explore, celebrate, and critique the relationships between humans and the environment. Through a topics-focused course, students will examine the ways that narratives about environment have shaped the way that humans have defined themselves. We will be reading novels and short stories and viewing films that contest conventional binaries of man and animal, civilization and nature, tradition and technology, and even truth and fiction. "Animals, Vegetables, Minerals" does not follow chronological or geographical frameworks, but chooses texts that engage the three categories enumerated as the major themes of our course. We will read and discuss animal theory, theories of place and landscape, and theories of modernization or mechanization; and there will be frequent (and intentional) overlap between these categories. We will also be watching films that extend our theoretical questions of thes e themes beyond national, linguistic, and generic borders. You are expected to view this course as a collaborative process in which you share responsibility for leading discussion. There are no prerequisites or language expectations, but students should have some basic knowledge of East Asian, especially Sinophone, history and culture, or be willing to do some additional reading (suggested by the instructor) to achieve an adequate contextual background for exploring these texts.

Writing Attentive

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; East Asian Languages & Culture; Environmental Studies; Visual Studies.

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EALC B398 Senior Seminar

A research workshop culminating in the writing and presentation of a senior thesis. Required of all majors; open to concentrators and others by permission.

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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EALC B403 Supervised Work

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ARCH B237 Art and Archaeology of Central Asia

Not offered 2025-26

Exploring the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Central Asia, this course delves into the region's history, art, and archaeology spanning from the third millennium BCE to the eighth century CE. Central Asia, constituting the territory between western China and eastern Iran, served as the heartland of the ancient Silk Road. Despite its significance, the region's history and culture often remain shrouded in mystery, largely unknown to the academic community. This course sheds light on topics related to Central Asia, such as state formation, nomadism, religious beliefs, trade, and arts and crafts production of Central Asia, while emphasizing the region's interconnectedness with the broader world.

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CNSE B001 Intensive First-Year Chinese

Fall 2025

An intensive introductory course in modern spoken and written Chinese. The development of oral-aural skills is integrated through grammar explanations and drill sessions designed to reinforce new material through active practice. Six hours a week of lecture and oral practice plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. Requires attendance at class and drills.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B002 Intensive First-Year Chinese

Spring 2026

An intensive introductory course in modern spoken and written Chinese. The development of oral-aural skills is integrated through grammar explanations and drill sessions designed to reinforce new material through active practice. Six hours a week of lecture and oral practice plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. Attendance required at class and drills

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B003 Second-Year Chinese

Fall 2025

Second-Year Chinese aims for further development of language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Five hours of class plus individual conference. This is a year-long course; both semesters (CNSE 003 and 004) are required for credit. Prerequisite: First-year Chinese or a passing score on the Placement Exam. Requires attendance at class and drills

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B004 Second-Year Chinese

Spring 2026

Second-year Chinese aims for further development of language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Five hours of class plus individual conference. This is a year-long course; both semesters (CNSE 003 and 004) are required for credit. Prerequisite(s): First-year Chinese or a passing score on the Placement Exam. Attendance required at class and drills. Prerequisite(s): CNSE 003

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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CNSE B007 First-Year Chinese Non-Intensive

Fall 2025

This course is designed for students who have some facility in listening, speaking, reading and writing Chinese but have not yet achieved sufficient proficiency to take Second Year Chinese. It is a year-long course that covers the same lessons as the intensive First Year Chinese, but the class meets only three hours a week. Students must place into Chinese B007 through the Chinese Language Placement exam.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B008 First Year Chinese (Non-intensive)

Spring 2026

This course is designed for students who have some facility in listening, speaking, reading and writing Chinese but have not yet achieved sufficient proficiency to take Second Year Chinese. It is a year-long course that covers the same lessons as the intensive First Year Chinese, but the class meets only three hours a week. Prerequisite: CNSE B007

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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CNSE B101 Third-Year Chinese

Fall 2025

A focus on overall language skills through reading and discussion of modern short essays, as well as on students' facility in written and oral expression Audio- and videotapes of drama and films are used as study aids. Prerequisite(s): Second-year Chinese or consent of instructor

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B102 Third-Year Chinese

Spring 2026

A focus on overall language skills through reading and discussion of modern short essays, as well as on students' facility in written and oral expression. Audio- and videotapes of drama and films are used as study aids. Prerequisite(s): CNSE 101

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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CNSE B201 Advanced Chinese

Section 001 (Fall 2024): Ethnic Intrgtn/Ancient China

Not offered 2025-26

Development of language ability by readings in modern Chinese literature, history and/or philosophy. Speaking and reading skills are equally emphasized through a consideration of the intellectual, historical and social significance of representative works. May be repeated as topics vary. Prerequisite: Third-year Chinese or permission of instructor. (Offered at Haverford)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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CNSE B403 Supervised Work

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COML B213 Theory in Practice: Critical Discourses in the Humanities

Spring 2026

What is a postcolonial subject, a queer gaze, a feminist manifesto? And how can we use (as readers of texts, art, and films) contemporary studies on animals and cyborgs, object-oriented ontology, zombies, storyworlds, neuroaesthetics? By bringing together the study of major theoretical currents of the 20th century and the practice of analyzing literary works in the light of theory, this course aims at providing students with skills to use literary theory in their own scholarship. The selection of theoretical readings reflects the history of theory (psychoanalysis, structuralism, narratology), as well as the currents most relevant to the contemporary academic field: Post-structuralism, Post-colonialism, Gender Studies, and Ecocriticism. They are paired with a diverse range of short stories across multiple language traditions (Poe, Kafka, Camus, Borges, Calvino, Morrison, Djebar, Murakami, Ngozi Adichie) that we discuss along with our study of theoretical texts. We will discuss how to apply theory to the practice of interpretation and of academic writing, and how theoretical ideas shape what we are reading. The class will be conducted in English, with an additional hour taught by the instructor of record in the target language for students wishing to take the course for language credit.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Africana Studies; Africana Studies; East Asian Languages & Culture; English; French and Francophone Studies; German and German Studies; History of Art; Italian and Italian Studies; Philosophy; Russian; Spanish.

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HART B120 History of Chinese Art

Fall 2025

This course is a survey of the arts of China from Neolithic to the contemporary period, focusing on bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Chinese appropriation of Buddhist art, and the evolution of landscape and figure painting traditions.This course was formerly numbered HART B274; students who previously completed HART B274 may not repeat this course.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; Museum Studies.

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HART B320 Topics in Chinese Art

Section 001 (Fall 2024): Critical Probs: Ritual Bronze
Section 001 (Spring 2025): Chinese Calligraphy
Section 001 (Fall 2025): Chinese Painting
Section 001 (Spring 2026): Logistics/Space/Ancient China

Fall 2025, Spring 2026

This is a topics course. Course content varies. Prerequisite: one course in History of Art at the 100- or 200-level or permission of the instructor. Enrollment preference given to majors and minors in History of Art.

Current topic description: This course explores Chinese landscape painting as a distinctive and self-contained artistic tradition, one without a direct counterpart in the Western canon. Adopting theoretical, material, and historical perspectives, it considers the tradition both within its native discursive frameworks and through an intercultural lens. Key questions include, but are not limited to: Does Chinese landscape painting reflect a unique conception of nature? How has it been shaped and reshaped over time, and by what forces? How has it been received and interpreted in the West? The course combines seminar discussions of critical concepts and methodologies with the development of individual research projects and hands-on engagement with original works.

Current topic description: TBA

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture.

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KORN B101 Elementary Korean

Fall 2025

An intensive introductory course in modern spoken and written Korean. Six hours a week of lecture and oral practice plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. Requires attendance at class and drills. This course is associated with the 2023-2024 Flexner lecture.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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KORN B102 Elementary Korean

Spring 2026

An intensive introductory course in modern spoken and written Korean. Six hours a week of lecture and oral practice plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. Requires attendance at class and drills.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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KORN B103 Intermediate Korean

Fall 2025

An intermediate course in modern spoken and written Korean. Five hours a week of lecture and oral practice. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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KORN B104 Intermediate Korean II

Spring 2026

An intermediate course in modern spoken and written Korean. Five hours a week of lecture and oral practice. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: East Asian Languages & Culture; East Asian Languages Cultures.

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