The Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies concentration is designed for students interested in the languages, history, politics, and cultures of Asia and the Asian diasporas. The geographical region of Asia includes countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In consultation with the concentration advisor, students may focus their coursework on a sub-region of Asia or the Asian diasporas, or design their program to offer a comparative study across different regions and/or cultural groups.
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) subject that also counts toward the HASS Distribution Requirement. You may include more than one only if the additional subject will NOT count as a HASS Distribution subject in your degree audit.
HISTORICAL STUDIES
21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Historical and Contemporary Issues [21H.107J], HASS-H, HASS-D 5, CI-H
21F.069J Race and Gender in Asian America [21H.312J, WGS.237J], HASS-H
21F.075J The Global Chinese: Chinese Migration, 1567-Present [21H.253J], HASS-H
21H.151 Traditional China: Earliest Times to 1644, HASS-H
21H.152 Modern China: 1644 to the Present, HASS-H
21H.154 Pre-modern Japan: Earliest Times to 1868, HASS-H
21H.155 Modern Japan: 1868 to Present, HASS-H
21H.351J Shanghai and China’s Modernization [11.153J], HASS-H
21H.354 World War II in Asia, HASS-H
LANGUAGE
With the permission of the Concentration Advisor, students may take up to three introductory, intermediate, or advanced subjects in one of the following languages offered by Harvard University or Wellesley College: Korean, Vietnamese, Urdu, Hindi, Pali, Sanskrit, Nepali, Tibetan, Elementary Persian, Individualized / Supervised Study in Tamil and Bengali.
21F.101 Chinese I (Regular) {21F.171}, HASS-H
21F.102 Chinese II (Regular), HASS-H
21F.103 Chinese III (Regular) {21F.173}, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.104 Chinese IV (Regular), HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.105 Chinese V (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies {21F.175}, HASS-H
21F.106 Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies, HASS-H
21F.107 Chinese I (Streamlined) {21F.181}, HASS-H
21F.108 Chinese II (Streamlined), HASS-H
21F.109 Chinese III (Streamlined) {21F.183} HASS-D Language Option, HASS-H
21F.110 Chinese IV (Streamlined) HASS-D Language Option, HASS-H
21F.113 Chinese V (Streamlined) {21F.185}, HASS-H
21F.142 Intermediate Chinese I: Very Fast Track, HASS-H
21F.143 Intermediate Chinese II: Very Fast Track, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.501 Japanese I {21F.571}, HASS-H
21F.502 Japanese II, HASS-H
21F.503 Japanese III {21F.573}, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.504 Japanese IV, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.505 Japanese V {21F.575}, HASS-H
21F.506 Japanese VI, HASS-H
21F.514 Linguistic Theory and Japanese Language, HASS-H
21F.562 Intermediate Japanese I: Very Fast Track, HASS-H
21F.563 Intermediate Japanese II: Very Fast Track, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS
21F.011 Topics in Indian Popular Culture, HASS-H, CI-H
21F.027J Asia in the Modern World: Images and Representations {21F.590} [21H.250], HASS-H, HASS-D 5, CI H
21F.029J Exploring Identity through Asian American Literature [21L.029J], HASS-H, HASS-D 4, CI-H
21F.030J East Asian Culture: From Zen to Pop {21F.193} [WGS.236J], HASS-H
21F.036 Advertising and Popular Culture: East Asian Perspectives {21F.190}, HASS-H
21F.039 Japanese Popular Culture {21F.591}, HASS-H
21F.040 A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society, HASS-H
21F.044J Classics of Chinese Literature in Translation {21F.195} [21L.044J, WGS.235J], HASS-H
21F.046 Modern Chinese Fiction and Cinema {21F.192}, HASS-H, CI-H
21F.063 Anime: Transnational Media and Culture {21F.596}, HASS-H
21F.064 Introduction to Japanese Culture {21F.592}, HASS-H, HASS-D 4, CI-H
21F.065 Japanese Literature and Cinema {21F.593}, HASS-H, CI-H
21F.199 Chinese Youths and Web Culture, HASS-H
21L.011 The Film Experience (when relevant), HASS-A, HASS-D 3, CI-H
21L.504J Race and Identity in American Literature [WGS.140J] (when relevant), HASS-H
21M.291 Music of India, HASS-A
21W.788J South Asian America: Transnational Media, Culture, and History [CMS.334J], HASS-H
SOCIAL SCIENCES
17.407 Chinese Foreign Policy, HASS-S
17.433 International Relations of East Asia, HASS-S
17.486 Japan and East Asian Society (G)
17.537 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan {17.538}, HASS-S
17.543 Japanese Politics and Society, HASS-S
17.547 The Rise of China, HASS-S
17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform, HASS-S
21A.141J Images of Asian Women: Dragon Ladies and Lotus Blossoms[WGS.274J], HASS-S
21A.400 The Stakes of International Development (when relevant), HASS-S, HASS-D 4
21F.038 The Cultural Politics of Contemporary China {21F.194} HASS-H
Students that have taken the following subjects that are no longer offered can count these subjects toward their concentration:
11.167 Economic Development and Technological Capabilities (when relevant)
21A.475 Cultures and Political Economies of East Asia
21F.035 Topics in Culture and Globalization
21F.045 Kung-Fu Cinema: Transnational Perspectives
21F.067J Asian Performance Cultures
21F.070 Cultural Expressions: World Fiction and Its Context (when relevant)
21F.114 Chinese VI (Streamlined)
21H.504 East Asia in the World
21H.511 Chinese Popular Religion
21H.521 Ancient Japan and the Courtly Society
21H.522 Japan in the Age of the Samurai: History and Film
21H.523 History of Modern Japan
21H.546 World War II in Asia: Film, Fantasy, Fact
21H.560J Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia
21H.571 History of Modern South Asia
21H.573 Religion and Politics in Modern South Asia
21H.575J Women in South Asia from 1800 until the Present
21H.577J Film, Fiction and History in India
21H.579 Gandhi’s India
21H.580 From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia, and Central Asia
21M.292 Music of Indonesia
[ ] Jointly listed subjects
{ } Subject meets with
(G) Graduate subjects which are open to qualified undergraduates, with the permission of the instructor
Additional information can be obtained from the Concentration Advisor:
Prof. Manduhai Buyandelger, E53-335S, x4-5510
Or from the Anthropology Office: E53-335, x3-3065
Massachusetts Institute of Technology