Asian Studies (ASIA)
This is a list of the Asian Studies (ASIA) courses available at Kwantlen.
ASIA 1111 CR-3 (Formerly HUMN 1111 )
The Religions of India
Students will study the four major religions that originated in India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. They will study these religions with an emphasis on both scriptural sources and religious practices. They will also examine the development of these religious traditions within their socio-cultural and historical contexts, including Islamic influence.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 1311 CR-3
Religions of East Asia
Students will study the major religions of East Asia. They will critically examine the history and doctrines of religions including Daoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. Students will analyze how these religions evolved over time in response to local conditions, and how they influenced the formation of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 2250 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2100 )
South Asians Around the Globe
Students will study the South Asian diaspora-the fragment of an ethnic community that exists outside of its "homeland"-with a focus on the South Asian communities in Western Canada. They will examine social theory related to migration and social adaptation. Students will investigate the major social issues that immigrant communities often face in the process of adaptation to Canada both at the personal and community levels.
Prerequisites: HUMN 1111 or SOCI 1125 or ANTH 1100 or 15 credits of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 2252 CR-3
Indian Society through Popular Film
Students will examine Indian culture and society through the medium of popular cinema, ranging from post-1947 Hindi classics to some more recent Bollywood blockbusters. They will investigate the ways in which Indian history and culture are depicted in film, including issues like nation building, gender, caste, nationalism versus regionalism/communalism, and globalization. In doing so, students will explore 'depicted reality' versus 'historical reality', the notion of the family as the symbol of the nation, as well as the relationship between the homeland (desh) and the West/diaspora (pardesh). Students will also study several films made by South Asian filmmakers in the diaspora.
Prerequisites: 15 credits of 1100-level or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 2255 CR-3
Women in Modern India
Students will examine the changes and continuities in the lives of women in modern India from the 1800s up to the present. They will explore the various images, statuses, roles and living conditions of women in the Indian subcontinent based on primary texts, secondary literature, film and contemporary news articles. Students will investigate the religious, social, cultural and political forces that have affected and continue to impact women in modern India. Students will also reflect upon current debates or controversies surrounding women both in the Indian subcontinent and in the Indian diaspora.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125 or HUMN 1111 or HIST 2362 or ANTH 1100
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 2355 CR-3
The Chinese Overseas: A Global History of Chinese Migration
Students will undertake an analysis of migration in modern Chinese history, with an emphasis on overseas migration. They will be introduced to relevant theories concerning migration, diaspora, and transnationalism before examining and analyzing the development of ethnic Chinese communities abroad over the past two centuries.
NOTE: This course is cross-listed as HIST 2355. Students who have taken HIST 2355 may not receive credits for both HIST 2355 and AISA 2355.
Prerequisites: Any HIST 1100 or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 2399 CR-3
Readings in Asian Studies
Students will examine key issues in Asian society, culture, economy, and/or politics under the direction of a faculty member in Asian Studies with expertise in the area. They will examine a selected topic in depth and will be required to complete both readings and research in this area. Students will be required to identify relevant sources of information and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Prerequisites: 6 credits of 1100-level or higher courses
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 3149 CR-3
Hong Kong: Past, Present, and Future
Students will undertake an in-depth analysis of Hong Kong's history from its days as a remote fishing outpost and pirate haven, through its development as a British-administered trading port and colony, and finally to its emergence as a Pacific Rim economic powerhouse. They will place historical developments in Hong Kong into a broader regional and global context. Students will also critically analyze contemporary issues such as the impact of Hong Kong's liberation from colonial rule, the role of "One Country – Two Systems" in protecting Hong Kong's unique character, the region's economic prospects following the opening of China's economy, and the ongoing struggle for democratic reform.
Prerequisites: 45 credits of 1100-level or higher, including 6 HIST or ASIA credits
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 3150 CR-3
East Asian Immigrants to North America
Students will critically analyze East Asian immigration to North America over the past two hundred years. They will also examine settlement experiences in North America, with a particular emphasis on the connections between immigrants and their homelands, interactions among East Asian immigrants and other groups in North America, and the development of ethnic communities. Students will critically examine issues including discrimination and racism, anti-immigrant legislation, the creation of ethnic enclaves, Japanese internment, the struggle for civil and political rights, assimilation and multiculturalism, inter-generational tensions within ethnic communities, transnationalism, and contemporary migration issues.
Note: Asia/History 2355 strongly recommended.
Prerequisites: 27 credits of 1100-level or higher, including 3 ASIA or HIST or POLI credits at the 2XXX level or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
ASIA 4350 CR-3
Canadian East and South Asian Communities
Students will critically examine the theories surrounding the study of migration and adaptation, as well as explore the local experience of East and South Asian communities in Canada, with emphasis on the post-World War II period. They will critically look at immigrants as 'social actors' and active contributors to their own social and cultural transformation as they engage with the new and changing social, economic and political structures of Canadian society. Students will conduct a field research project from a social science perspective on an Asian community in the urban field site of Greater Vancouver or in the Fraser Valley region. Students will develop important field research skills and gain exposure to the pertinent issues surrounding the complexity of the Asian immigrant experience in Canada's multicultural environment.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: (ANTH 1100 or ASIA 2250) and (ANTH 2100 or SOCI 2260 or CRIM 3140 or PSYC 2430 or GEOG 3100) courses
ASIA 4499 CR-3
Selected Topics in Asian Studies
Students will engage in the study of a particular issue within the discipline of Asian Studies. They will critically analyze the topic from a broad variety of perspectives, thereby developing a comprehensive understanding of both the issue itself and the related research. Students will critically evaluate a number of methodological approaches, assess the implications of these approaches, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
NOTE:
This is a seminar course.
Students may take this course multiple times for further credit on different topics.
Prerequisites: 60 Credits of 1100 level or higher courses
Not Transferable
ASIA 4900 CR-3
Directed Research Project in Asian Studies
Students will, under the close supervision of a faculty member with relevant expertise, develop and complete an in-depth research project on a particular topic/problem in Asian Studies that is not covered in sufficient detail in other courses. Students will, in undertaking a directed research course, be required to identify a topic/problem, create an annotated bibliography of relevant primary and secondary sources, write an analytical research paper on the chosen topic/problem, and give a public presentation of their research findings.
NOTE: This is a seminar course, topic to be developed in consultation with the Asian Studies Coordinator. Topic must be submitted for approval at least three months before the start of a new semester.
Prerequisites: 60 credits of 1100 level or higher courses, including 12 credits of 1100 level or higher ASIA courses
Not Transferable