UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND
Asian Studies Newsletter - Spring 2010
2005-2006
Inside this issue:
2008-2009
2011-2012 PacRimmers!
Hwa Nan Instructorship
P.1
Miki Scholar Bill Bockman
P.2
Chinese New Year
Celebrations
P.3
Faculty-Student Research
Presentation: Tanuki &
Kitsune
P.4
New AS Courses
P.5
About the Asian Studies
Program
P.6
Scholarship Opportunities
Opportunities Abroad in
P.7
Fall 2010 courses
P.8
2011-2012 PacRimmers!
2010-2011 Trimble Hwa Nan Instructorship
Congratulations to Marjorie Lodwick! Marjie has been selected as the Trimble Hwa Nan English Instructor and will begin her appointment at Hwa Nan Women’s College in Fuzhou, China
this August.
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Updates from Miki Scholar
As Puget Sound’s 2009-2010 Miki Scholar, Bill Bockman ’08 is studying the Light Emitting Diode (LED) industry in Shikoku, Japan. In an update of his scholarship, he wrote:
LED technology is widespread in cell phones and more
recently is making its way into television and computer
displays. In the near future LEDs are expected to become widespread for use in general illumination. Compared to fluorescent and other lighting technology, LED
based lighting systems use less energy and have
longer operating lifespans.
Business, academia and local governments in Shikoku
have been keen on promoting LED manufacturing and are attempting to create a regional industrial
cluster in this field. A great deal of my research so far has been looking at issues related to industrial
clusters in Japan. Generally speaking, local governments and universities have not had the financial
resources or the appropriate legal frameworks to become industrial engines in the same way as
Stanford University or MIT.
“I‟ve been attending „LED Valley‟ related events to hear guest speakers or prefectural officials discuss topics related to the LED industry. I have been a little bit disappointed in the lack of LED street
lights in Shikoku. Several municipalities in the Puget Sound area have pilot programs at various
stages and it is not that difficult to stumble upon an LED street lamp back home.”
When asked about life in general in Japan, Bockman responded:
Having spent one year in Japan during 2004-2005 at Waseda University, I expected to be
pretty familiar with how things work in Japan and to adjust to the lifestyle here. However I have had
a number of eye opening experiences. I attempted to join the cycling club at the local university
here. Having participated in a hiking club at Waseda I was looking forward to the chance to do some
cycling and social events. However I was unaware of the strict sempai-kohai (senior-subordinate)
system that is in operation, let alone the fact that I would be a kohai. Unfortunately I found the rigors
of such an arrangement too great and it took a great deal of effort to exit the cycling club once I had
been signed up.
The Miki Memorial Scholarship Award is generously funded by the Miki Memorial Endowment
for Puget Sound seniors or recent Puget Sound graduates. Miki Scholars spend nine to twelve
months in Japan, as an independent research student. Recipients have opportunities for travel,
formal internships, studio art experiences, or formal assistantships or apprenticeships. The deadline for the 2011-12 Miki Scholarship is will be February, 2011. For further information, contact
Karl Fields, Director of Asian Studies.
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CHINESE NEW YEAR Celebrations
On February 15, 2010, Puget Sound students welcomed the tiger
into the new year. A series of celebrations throughout the month
offered opportunities to engage in and learn more about Chinese
culture. Students learned to make a 3-D figure of the Chinese
character chun (“spring”) using red paper; played with Chinese
yoyos and shuttlecock; wrote auspicious characters in calligraphy; and drew goldfish with a calligraphy brush. Julia Stadler, a
Chinese 102 student, managed to attend every Chinese New Year
celebration event. She shares what she learned from the celebrations:
I was very surprised by the fact that the celebrations last for 15
days! I also knew that the Chinese culture is a so-called highcontext culture and that symbolism plays an important role, but I
am again and again surprised by all the symbols. The fish for example, that stands for surplus and is therefore a part of a typical
New Year’s meal or oranges that symbolize good fortune. The
color red is the typical color for the Chinese New Year; greeting
cards are always red with characters written in gold; there are no
white cards since white is a color that represents death!
JAPAN WEEK Celebrations
Students and faculty had the opportunity to learn about
and engage in Japanese culture in Puget Sound’s annual
Japan Week (March 29th - April 2nd). Some of the celebration highlights included:
Traditional Japanese Performance Art by Shin'nosuke Sho
Mountain Temple Style Tea Ceremony
Japanese Movie Ponyo
Presentation on Japanese Culture and Kabuki by Seattle
Japanese Consulate
Mochi Tsuki (Japanese Rice Cake Pounding)
Field Trip to Seattle Uwajimaya Market and Kinokuniya
Bookstore
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Faculty-Student Research Presentation:
“Fox and Tanuki from historical, religious, and cultural perspectives”
Wednesday, April 7, 4 pm, Wyatt 109
Funded by a Trimble Short-Term Study Abroad grant, Professor Mikiko Ludden and three students (Kristen Hansen ’11, Darek Brotemarkle ’11, and
Tate Brotemarkle ’11) conducted research on kitsune (the fox) and tanuki
(the mythical Japanese “raccoon dog”) in Japan last year. In this colloq uiu m, t he re sear ch te a m will r ep ort on t heir field re se ar ch .
Kitsune as foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore and are akin to
European faeries. Stories depict them as intelligent beings possessing
magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among
these is the ability to assume human form. While some folktales speak of
kitsune employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—
other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.
Tanuki have also been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and
shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. Statues of
tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear big, cone-shaped hats and carry
bottles of sake in one hand, and a promissory note or empty purse in the other
hand. Tanuki statues always have large bellies. The statues also typically show
humorously large testicles, usually hanging down to the floor or ground, although this feature is sometimes omitted in contemporary sculpture.
Asian Studies 489 Senior Thesis Colloquium:
Micah Stanovsky will present his research on “Psychology of the West
in Ladakh” on Monday, April 19th at 4:30 pm in WY 305. Micah’s
research is based on field work he conducted as a Trimble research
scholar in Northern India last summer.
Graduating?
The Asian Studies reception for Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Asian
studies designates and Asian Languages and Cultures majors and
minors will be held during Commencement Weekend, Saturday,
May 4th, from 12 noon to 1 pm in Wyatt 109. Asian Studies faculty,
students, family members and friends are warmly invited.
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New 2010-2011 Asian Studies Courses
Connections Course - Asia Pop!
An Exploration of the Popular Culture of 20th and 21st Century East Asia
Professor Jen Neighbors
Fall 2010, MWF 2-2:50 pm
For the first half of the twentieth century, China and Japan were most often viewed
as sites of imperialism and war. During the second half of the twentieth century, discussions of Japan focused on its economic boom while discussions of China
focused on the entrenchment of the Chinese Communist Party. While this course will
give attention to major political and economic developments in East Asia during the
past century, our focus will be on East Asia as a site of cultural production. Among
our sources will be critical essays in the 1910s meant to spur China towards literary
and cultural revolution, anime that explores post-apocalyptic visions of Japan, and
Mandopop songs that contemplate what it means to be young and modern in China
today. All of these sources will help us examine interactions within East Asia and
between East and West in the development and dissemination of popular culture during the past century.
CSOC 312 - Peoples of Southeast Asia
Professor Gareth Barkin
Spring 2011, TTh, 12:30-1:50 pm
This course provides an anthropological overview of history, culture and
sociopolitical life in Southeast Asia, the "crossroads of Asia" and one of the
most diverse regions of the world. The class begins with an investigation
of the region's prehistory and initial migrations, then goes on to cover the
origins of complex state societies, the influx and reinterpretation of global
religions, and the cultural impact of European colonialism. Attention is paid
to case studies of indigenous groups, and to contemporary issues related
to globalization, such as deforestation, persecution of minority groups, sex
trafficking and other human rights issues. In all of these discussions, the
cross-cutting themes that define Southeast
Asia as a culturally distinctive region are criti-
Summer 2010 Course Offering
Asia 344 - Asia in Motion
(Fulfills connections core & Asian Studies designation requirements)
Professor Karl Fields
MTThF, 8—10 am
This course explores the interactions of Asian peoples - the commodities, social practices, and ideas which
they produce - across borders, both political and imagined. The course crosses disciplinary borders, as well,
drawing upon divergent materials from the humanities and social sciences in an attempt to do justice to a
contemporary context that could be called "Asia in motion". An underlying thesis holds that, since nineteenth-century colonialism, nations in the "West" and "Asia" participate in a global, dialectical movement in
which notions of identity (national, cultural, ethnic, religious, territorial, linguistic) share moments of fluidity
and fixity.
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About the Asian Studies Program
The Asian Studies Program provides a broad range of courses
on Asian cultures, civilizations, and societies as electives for all
students. The program also offers a curricular concentration on
Asia as a designation on the transcript upon graduation for students who choose this concentration. This designation of Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Asian Studies (IEAS) reflects the
program’s multidisciplinary content and interdisciplinary effect.
The designation is not a major or a minor, but functions as an
enhancement of, or a complement to, any major of a student’s
choice. Fundamental to the program is its invitation to a student
who chooses the designation to cultivate her or his intellectual
autonomy by exercising flexible choice of courses and participating in co-curricular events. Students who demonstrate academic
excellence and complete a one-semester senior thesis will
achieve the added designation Robert Trimble Distinguished
Asia Scholar.
The Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Asian Studies designation is
included on the transcript, indicating the student’s proficiency in
Asian Studies. It is a one-click option on your Cascade profile
and it will open a world of opportunities to you (including eligibility for scholarships, research grants, study abroad financial assistance, and much more). If you have questions about the
Asian Studies interdisciplinary designation, any of our courses,
or opportunities to study abroad or intern in Asia, see Program
Director Karl Fields (kfields@pugetsound.edu).
The Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC) Program, a component of the Asian Studies Program, offers majors, minors and courses of interest to all undergraduates at Puget Sound.
Grounded in a strong foundation of languages and cultures, the program draws on the broad expertise of the Asian Studies faculty and complements the Asian Studies Program's Interdisciplinary
Emphasis in Asian Studies and Trimble Distinguished Asia Scholar designations in offering students a focused and comprehensive understanding of the languages, cultures, and literatures of
East Asia. The program offers three majors, two minors, courses in the core curriculum, and
Chinese and Japanese language courses that meet the university's foreign language requirement.
Choice of Majors
Students may select from three major areas of study:
1. Chinese
2. Japanese
3. East Asian Languages
AS I AN ST U D IE S NE WSL E T T E R - SP R IN G 2 0 10
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Scholarship Opportunities
Financial Support for the Studying Abroad in Asia
Grants are available to students for study abroad programs in Asia. Funds are
made possible through the Charles Garnet Trimble Endowment in Chinese Studies. The application deadline is April 1st for all summer, fall or spring semester ,and full-year programs.
Junior-Senior Trimble Scholarships
All rising juniors who have declared the IEAS designation or Asian Languages
and Cultures major are automatically eligible for consideration for the Junior— Senior Trimble
Scholarship.
For more information, contact Asian Studies Director Karl Fields (kfields@pugetsound.edu).
Senior Thesis Trimble Research Grants
Application materials for
scholarships and other
opportunities may be found on
the Asian Studies website at
http://pugetsound.edu
Each year the Asian Studies Program funds up to two $3000 research grants for Asian Studies designates to support thesis research in Asia for students who will be seniors pursuing the Trimble
Distinguished Asia Scholar designation (whether participating in
Asian Studies 489 or an approved seminar within the major).
These funds may also be used for a semester-break research project between fall and spring semesters. Funds are made available
from the Charles Garnet Trimble Endowment in Chinese Studies.
The deadline for the 2010 research awards is April 15, 2010.
Opportunities Abroad in Asia: Teach English
JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) is a Japanese government program that brings college (university) graduates—mostly native speakers
of English—to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and Sports
Education Advisors (SEAs) in Japanese elementary, junior high and high
schools, or as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) in local
governments and boards of education. JET Program participants are collectively called JETs. For additional information, contact members of the
Japanese language faculty (mludden@pugetsound.edu,
jtyson@pugetsound.edu, jleuchtenberger@pugetsound.edu).
TaLK (Teach and Learn in Korea) - The TaLK program, sponsored by
the Korean Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, invites
adventurous global leaders as Government Scholars. Participants will
teach after school English classes in Korean elementary schools in
rural areas while enjoying cultural programs. For additional information, contact Professor Karl Fields (kfields@pugetsound.edu).
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Course Offerings for Fall 2010
Check out Cascade for details.
ALC 205 - Great Books of China and Japan
Leuchtenberger (HM)
ALC 310 - Death and Desire in Pre-modern Japanese Literature
Leuchtenberger (HM)
ART 278 - Asian Art
Hong (FA)
ASIA 341 - Asia Pop!
Neighbors (CN)
ASIA 350 - Tibet - Real, Imagined, and Perceived
Bernard (HM)
BUS 371 - International Business in Asia
McCullough
CHIN101 A/B - Elementary Chinese
Perry (FL)
CHIN 201A - Intermediate Chinese
Perry & Chen (FL)
CHIN 250 - Grammar & Articulation
Chen (FL)
CHIN 301 Across the Strait: Cultures in China and Taiwan
Perry (FL)
CSOC 323 - Tourism & the Global Order
Kontogeorgopolous
HIST 245 - Chinese Civilization
Neighbors (HM)
Asian Studies Program
University of Puget Sound
1500 North Warner St. #1028
Tacoma, WA 98416-1028
Phone: 253-879-2995
IPE 323 - Tourism & the Global Order
Kontogeorgopolous
JAPN 101 A/B/C - Elementary Japanese
Ludden (FL)
JAPN 201 - Intermediate Japanese
Tyson (FL)
JAPN 250 - Popular Culture and Society
Ludden (FL)
JAPN 301 - Third Year Japanese
Tyson
JAPN 360 - Japanese through Fiction and Film
Mikiko
PG 323 - Asian Political Systems
Fields
PG 378 - Chinese Political Economy
Fields
REL 234- Chinese Religious Traditions
Stockdale (HM)
REL 334 Vedic Religion and Brahmanism
Smithers
TO: