Maui Community College
Course Outline
1. COURSE TITLE
Hist 241
Civilizations of Asia I
NUMBER OF CREDITS
Three (3)
ABBREVIATED COURSE TITLE: Asian Civ I
DATE OF OUTLINE
September 13, 2000
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Interprets and compares the development and
interaction of the political, social, economic and cultural elements in the major
civilizations of Asia from earliest times to contact with the west.
3. CONTACT HOURS PER WEEK: Three (3) hours each class or forty-five (45)
hours per week.
4. PREREQUISITES: English 100 or concurrent enrollment, or consent of instructor.
COREQUISITES:
None
RECOMMENDED PREPARATION:
None
Approved by _____________________________________ Date________________
2
5.
GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES
History 241 is the first half of a two-semester sequence of courses which generally covers the
history of Asia from earliest times to the present. History 241 deals with the early history of
the classical civilizations of Asia (India, China, Japan). Emphasis will be placed on an
identification/discussion of the enduring political religious, philosophical and cultural
traditions which has distinguished the Asiatic world from the western world. Attention will
also be given to the inter-cultural relationships developed between the major Asiatic societies
and their satellite neighbors.
6. SPECIFIC COURSE/STUDENT COMPETENCIES AND OBJECTIVES:
a. Distinguish the characteristics of the major Asian civilizations in their specific
geographical settings.
b. Develop a sense of historical time
c. Describe the interconnective roles which social, religious, political, economic, and
technological forces have played among the major Asiatic Civilizations
d. Evaluate such historical theories as the “great person” in history (the historical
Buddha, Confucius, etc.)
e. Trace the development of traditional Asiatic civilizations and recognize their enduring
influences
f. Describe the global processes as they appear in the major Asiatic civilizations
(agricultural and urban revolutions, growth of civilization, human migrations, the rise
and fall of dynastic houses, empire)
g. Compare and contrast responses of the Asiatic peoples and cultures as a result of
intercultural contacts and the diffusion of ideas, inventions and institutions
h. Analyze cause and effect relationships in Asiatic history
3
7. RECOMMENDED COURSE CONTENT:
Week 1
Introduction to Asian history
The geography of the Asiatic continent
Week 2-3
Classical Indus civilization (2500 BCE – 1500 AD)
Week 4
Hinduism and the caste system
Buddha’s India
Dynastic history
Week 5
Ancient China (1700 BCE – 1500 AD)
Week 6
Dynastic beginnings (Shang and Chou)
Week 7
The 100 schools of thought
Confucius, the Taoists, and Legalists
Week 8
Dynastic ebb and flow (the Han, the Tang and Sung, and the Mongols)
Week 9
Ancient Japan (1000 BCE – 1500 AD)
Week 10-11
Sinification of Japan
The Heian Period
Week 12
Feudal Japan and Bushi (Samurai) class
Week 13
The period of warring states and the rise of the Shogunate
Week 14
Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu
Week 15
The Portuguese and Spanish in Japan
Week 16
Review
4
8. RECOMMENDED COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Specific course requirements are at the discretion of the instructor at the time the course is
being offered. Suggested requirements include but are not limited to:
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Written or oral examination
Map quizzes
Projects or research (written reports and/or oral class presentations)
Attendance and/or class participation
9. TEXT AND MATERIALS
An appropriate text and materials will be chosen at the time that the course is to be offered
from among those currently available In the field. Examples include:
Texts:
Murphey, Rhoad. A History of Asia. New York: Longman, 2000.
Reischauer, E.O. and Fairbank, J.K. East Asia: The Great Tradition and
Transformation. (New York: Knopf, Pub. 1995)
Materials:
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Text may be supplemented with:
Articles and/or handouts prepared by the instructor
Magazine or newspaper articles
Appropriate video or internet sites and television programs
Guest speakers
Other instructional aids
10. EVALUATION AND GRADING
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Examinations (written and/or oral)
Map quizzes
Project/Research
Attendance/Class participation
50-80%
0-20%
0-30%
0-20%
5
11. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Instructional methods vary considerably with instructors and specific instructional methods
will be at the discretion of the instructor teaching the course. Suggested techniques might
include, but are not limited to:
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Lecture
Class discussions or guest lectures
Audio-visual presentations involving the internet
Student class presentations based on group or individual projects