The Minor Program in Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies is designed for students interested in the language, history, politics, and culture of Asia. The geographic region of Asia includes countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In consultation with the minor advisor, students may focus their coursework on a sub-region of Asia, on one of the Asian diasporas, or design their program to offer a comparative study across different regions and/or cultural groups.
The goal of the Minor Program is to provide balanced coverage of language, humanistic, and social science offerings and to expose students to comparative perspectives.
The Minor Program in Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies consists of six subjects (at least three of which must be MIT subjects) arranged in four areas of study:
Area I: Language
Area II: Humanities and the Arts
Area III: Social Sciences
Area IV: Historical Studies
The language requirement can be satisfied by taking two intermediate (Levels III and IV) subjects in an Asian language. Students with proficiency at this level in the spoken and written language can either take two more advanced language subjects (highly recommended), or two more courses from Areas II, III and IV. Chinese and Japanese are taught at MIT. Other languages may be taken at Harvard, Wellesley, or during the summer with permission from relevant transfer credit examiner.
As with all HASS Minors, only five of the six minor subjects may be counted toward the 8-subject Institute HASS Requirement. Of these five, at most one (1) shall count toward satisfaction of the HASS Distribution Requirement.
AREA I: LANGUAGE
The language requirement can be satisfied by taking two intermediate (Levels III and IV, or Very Fast Track equivalent) subjects in an Asian language.
Language subjects offered at MIT
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.109 Chinese III (Streamlined) {21F.183}, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.110 Chinese IV (Streamlined), HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
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.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
Areas II, III, IV: Four subjects to be selected from at least two areas.
AREA II: 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.250J], 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.038 The Cultural Politics of Contemporary China {21F.194}, 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
AREA III: 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.140 Cultures of East Asia, HASS-S
21A.400 The Stakes of International Development, (when relevant), HASS-S, HASS-D 4
AREA IV: 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
Students that have taken the following subjects that are no longer offered can count these subjects toward their minor:
11.167 Economic Development and Technological Capabilities (when relevant)
21F.035 Topics in Culture and Globalization (when relevant)
21F.067J Asian Performance Cultures
21F.114 Chinese VI (Streamlined)
21H.504 East Asia in the World: 1500-2000A.D.
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, 1853-2000
21H.546 World War II in Asia: Film, Fantasy, Fact
21H.560 Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia
21H.580 From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia, and Central Asia, 500-2000 A.D.
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 Minor Advisor:
Professor Emma Teng, 14N-421, x3-4536
Or from the Foreign Languages & Literatures Office, 14N-305, x3-4771
Massachusetts Institute of Technology