The East Asian Studies concentration is designed for students interested in the language, history, politics, and culture of Asia. East Asia, strictly defined, includes the countries which share a common background in the Chinese classical tradition: present-day People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, but the core offerings at MIT cover China and Japan.
Concentration requirements: Four subjects from the list below with no more than three subjects from a single area. A HASS Concentration may include only ONE (1) HASS-D that counts toward the HASS-D Requirement. You may include more than one only if the additional HASS-D class will NOT count as a HASS-D in your degree audit.
Historical Studies
21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, and Historical Experience [21H.150J]
21H.504 East Asia in the World: 1500-2000 A.D. HASS-D, CI-H
21H.511 Chinese Popular Religion
21H.523 History of Modern Japan, 1853-2000 HASS-D
21H.546 World War II in Asia: Film, Fantasy, Fact
21H.560 Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia [21F.191M]
21H.580 From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia, and Central Asia, 500-2000 A.D.
Humanities And The Arts
21A.470J Gender and Representation of Asian Women [SP.448J]
21F.027J Visualizing Cultures, CI-H {21F.590} [21H.917J]
21F.029 Topics in Asian American Literature
21F.030 East Asian Culture: From Zen to Pop
21F.035 Topics in Culture and Globalization
21F.036 Advertising and Popular Culture: East Asian Perspectives {21F.190}
21F.039 Japanese Popular Culture {21F.591}
21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction, and Drama
21F.046 Modern Chinese Fiction and Cinema {21F.192} CI-H
21F.063 Anime: Transnational Media and Culture {21F.596}
21F.064 Introduction to Japanese Culture {21F.592} HASS-D, CI-H
21F.065 Japanese Literature and Cinema {21F.593} CI-H
21F.069J Race and Gender in Asian America [21H.153J, SP.603J]
21L.011 The Film Experience HASS-D, CI-H (when relevant)
21L.504J Race and Identity in American Literature (when relevant) [SP.518J]
Language
21F.101 Chinese I (Regular) {21F.171}
21F.102 Chinese II (Regular)
21F.103 Chinese III (Regular) {21F.173} HASS-D Language Option
21F.104 Chinese IV (Regular) HASS-D Language Option
21F.105 Chinese V (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies {21F.175}
21F.106 Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies
21F.107 Chinese I (Streamlined) {21F.181}
21F.108 Chinese II (Streamlined)
21F.109 Chinese III (Streamlined) {21F.183} HASS-D Language Option
21F.110 Chinese IV (Streamlined) HASS-D Language Option
21F.113 Chinese V (Streamlined) {21F.185}
21F.501 Beginning Japanese I {21F.571}
21F.502 Beginning Japanese II
21F.503 Intermediate Japanese III {21F.573} HASS-D Language Option
21F.504 Intermediate Japanese IV HASS-D Language Option
21F.505 Japanese V {21F.575}
21F.506 Japanese VI
21F.514 Linguistic Theory and Japanese Language
Social Sciences
17.407 Chinese Foreign Policy
17.433 International Relations of East Asia
17.537 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan
17.543 Japanese Politics and Society
17.547 The Rise of China
17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform
21F.038 The Cultural Politics of Contemporary China
21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, and Historical Experience [21H.150J]
Students that have taken the following subjects that are no longer offered can count these subjects toward their concentration:
21F.045 Kung-Fu Cinema: Transnational Perspectives
21F.067 Asian Performance Cultures [SP.608J]
21F.070 Cultural Expressions: World Fiction and Its Context (when relevant)
21F.114 Chinese VI (Streamlined)
21H.521 Ancient Japan and the Courtly Society
21H.522 Japan in the Age of the Samurai: History and Film
Additional information may be obtained from the Concentration Advisor or from the Foreign Languages & Literatures Office, 14N-305, x3-4771.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology