75722 - History of Eastern Asia (1) (LM)

Course contents

The course aims at analyzing, from a critical perspective, Japanese political, institutional, economic and social history in the context of East Asia- with particular regard to China and Korea - since the mid-Nineteenth century up to the beginning of this century.

The course will focus first of all  on the Japanese attempts, since the second half of the Nineteenth century,  to adapt to institutional, economic, etc. Western models, with the aim of being considered a "modern Nation-State"; parallelisms with the Powers, as well as the persistence of peculiar cultural characteristics, will be underlined.

In parallel lines, the fundamental stages of Japanese expansion in East Asia, and then of the war of the Pacific, will be outlined.

After the end of WWII, characteristics and times of American  control, and then of the alliance with the US, will be considered - as well as the most important stages of Japanese economic development, and the Japanese most important stances in East Asian, and not only.

The most significant and historiographically important passages will be critically evaluated.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending the lectures:

The exam will be based substantially on the notes taken during the course. The reference bibliography (useful also to prepare, besides works suggested during the course, the initial, extra-notes topic) is:

- Rosa Caroli, Francesco Gatti, Storia del Giappone, Roma, Bari: Laterza, [chapters V-X]

- Joshua A. Fogel (ed.), The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State (Japan and China), Philadelphia, Penn.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005 [ 3, 5, 7]

- Kevin Cooney, Japan's Foreign Policy Since 1945, New York, M.E. Sharpe, 2006 (or 2007) [ chapters 3, 5, 7 ].

 

The essays in Fogel, as well es Cooney's chapters, will be made available on Virtuale.

 

During the lectures, further reading suggestions, as well as historiographic deepenings, will be provided.

 

Bibliography for students not attending the lectures:

- Rosa Caroli, Francesco Gatti, Storia del Giappone, Roma, Bari: Laterza, [chapters IV-X]

- Joshua A. Fogel (ed.), The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State (Japan and China), Philadelphia, Penn.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005 (3, 5, 7]

- Kevin Cooney, Japan's Foreign Policy Since 1945, New York,M.

E. Sharpe, 2006 (or 2007) [chapters 3, 5, 7 ].

 

The essays in Vogel, as well as Cooney's chapters, will be made available on Virtuale.

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Suggested Readings:

In case the students, both attending the lectures and not, would like to deeepen some topics, the following texts are recommended:

Rosa Caroli, Francesco Gatti, Storia del Giappone, Roma, Bari: Laterza;

particularly for the period since WWI to the Fourties: F. Gatti, Il Fascismo giapponese, Milano, FrancoAngeli, any edition;

the essays in The Cambridge History of Japan.

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures; students' active participation will be encouraged: also stopping at every historical passage particularly complex and ascertaing students' understanding - as well as the necessity to clarify some points.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

Oral exam, meant to assess the general level of  competence in the discipline and the critical and methodological skills the student acquired. The assessment will consider the student's:

- general knowledge and understanding of the covered topics

- competence in contextualizing the events, both in cronogical and geopolitical terms

- competence and critical familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his/her ability to use it effectively

- ability to summarize and analyze themes and concepts.

Top marks will be awarded to students displaying an overall, organic understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures and of their critical use, combined with a good/excellent use of the appropriate terminology.

Lower marks will be awarded to students able to memorize satisfactorily the program, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

Deficiencies and inappropriate language, even if associated with a minimal knowledge of the exam-references, will bring to a sufficiency-mark.

The student will fail the exam if he displays significant errors in its understanding and in grasping the overall outlines of the subject, together with the lack of an appropriate terminology.

This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course "Modern and Contemporary History of East Asia (C.I.)(LM)". If the student has the Integrated Course in his/her study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts  ("History of Modern and Contemporary China (I)(LM)"and "History of Eastern Asia (I)(LM)". The oral examination of the two parts of the Integrated Course must take place at a single date.

Teaching tools

Digital tools; projection of visual material: photos, slides, maps. Part of the study material will be made available on Virtuale, as mentioned above.

Office hours

See the website of Flavia Solieri