About HST 2447 A
Transition from tradition to modernity in Japan from the Meiji Restoration, 1868 to the present. Prerequisite: Three hours of History.
Notes
Prerequisite: three hours History; PACE students by permission and override
Section Description
This course explores the transformation of Japanese society from the beginning of the era of samurai rule under the Tokugawa clan in the early 17th century to the postmodern commercial culture of today. Students will consider the process of "modernization" in Japan during the period of roughly one hundred years between the arrival of Commodore Perry in Edo Bay in 1853 and the dropping of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, with the aim of critically deconstructing these two events as turning points in Japan’s recent past. Japanese society experienced an extraordinary amount of political, economic, and cultural change during the modern era, and in exploring the causes and consequences of that transformation we will develop a sophisticated understanding of the many successes and struggles that have characterized life in Japan during the past four centuries.
Evaluation
Exams: There are two exams, and both consist of essay questions drawn from the content of classroom sessions and required readings; Midterm Exam (20%) + Final Exam (25%) = 45%
Papers: There are two required writing assignments in this course: 35%; Details concerning each assignment will be provided later in the semester.
• Tokugawa Social History (15%): interpretive analysis of Tokugawa period primary sources
• American Perceptions of Japan 1930s-1950s (20%): interpretive analysis of primary sources from U.S. media archives
Brightspace Homework Assignments: 7.5% (3 @ 2.5% each)
Participation: Regular Attendance and Active Engagement = 12.5%
Important Dates
Note: These dates may change before registration begins.
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Resources
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