Currently venturing into a new study area up at the University of Victoria: History with a focus on Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Term 1, Sept 2010
HIST 434A: Late Imperial China
A study of politics, society, economy and culture in late imperial China between 1600 and 1912. Focuses on historical continuity and change within the dynamic interactions between tradition and modernity, the state and society, the Chinese and ethnic minorities, as well as China and foreign powers.
HIST 360: The Renaissance
A study of the conditions, ideas, and people involved in the intellectual quickening that ushered in the early modern period of European history.
PHIL 240: Philosophy of Art
An introduction to philosophy of art. Questions to be addressed include: What is art? What makes art valuable? How is art to be evaluated? Is the value of art relative to audiences? Is art a source of knowledge? What moral issues arise in connection with the arts?
Term 2, Jan 2011
HIST 434B: 20th Century China
An examination of Republican and Communist China between 1912 and 2000. Covers the rise and fall of the Republican democracy and the Nationalist government, as well as the successes, setbacks and reforms of the Communist regime. Emphasis is on the relationships among revolution, modernization, nationalism and communism.
HIST 436A Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan
Traces the rise of imperial Japan as a reaction to Euro-American imperialism and as a means of “leaving” Asia. Examines Japan’s expansion in China and the reaction of Chinese people and parties; the extension of the war to the Pacific; and the end of the war and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Occupation period (1945-1952).
PAAS 204: Introduction to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and the Chinese Religion
A survey of the sources, beliefs and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and the Chinese religions. The traditions will be studied in their cultural and political contexts from both historical and contemporary perspectives.
Winter 2010 (Jan-April):
HIST 130 cont…
HIST 256 Japan in the 20th Century
Examines Japan’s political evolution in the 20th century including the emergence of liberal democratic trends, the triumph of militarism and corporatism in the 1930s, the 15 years war, the Occupation of Japan, and Japan’s postwar development including aspects of both social and economic history.
HIST 254 Introduction to Chinese History Since 1840
A survey of Chinese history with an emphasis on China’s relations to the West from 1840 to 2000. Topics include China’s responses to Western challenges and early modernization, its Republican, Nationalist, and Communist revolutions, and its recent reforms and rise as a global power.
HIST 130
History of Canada. A survey of Canadian development from the beginning of the French regime to the present.
HIST 255
The Origins of Modern Japan. Examines Japan’s transition from bureaucratic feudalism to capitalism in the 19th century. It will include a survey of ancient and medieval society as background and then delve into the transition to capitalism, the civil wars of the 1850s, the arrival of colonial powers, the popular rights movement, and the development of the modern state.
HIST 253
Introduction to Chinese Civilization Before 1840. An introduction to the political, intellectual and socio-economic history of Chinese civilization from its beginning until its full-scale contacts with Western culture around 1840. Topics include Chinese philosophies and religions, imperial institutions and traditions, elite and popular classes, as well as art, science and technology.
