Maui Community College
Course Outline
1. COURSE TITLE
Hist 242
Civilizations of Asia II
NUMBER OF CREDITS
Three (3)
ABBREVIATED COURSE TITLE: Asian Civ II
DATE OF OUTLINE
September 13, 2000
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Surveys the impact of western civilizations upon the
major civilizations of Asia and the Asian response to this impact.
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 242 is the second half of a two-semester sequence of courses which generally covers
the history of Asia from earliest times to the present. History 242 deals with the contact of
western societies upon Asiatic societies and their responses to that contact. Emphasis will be
placed on an examination of the cultures of China and Japan and their specific responses to
western pressures and the development of a unique history as a result of their responses.
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
e. Trace the development of modern Asiatic societies and role in global politics from
1800 to the present
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
i. Recognize the interpretative explanations for important historical events in modern
Asian history
3
7. RECOMMENDED COURSE CONTENT:
Week 1
Introduction to modern Asian history
The geography of the modern Asiatic continent
Week 2-3
China and early western contacts
Marco Polo to Mateo Ricci
Week 4
Japan and early western contacts
The Portuguese and the Jesuits
Week 5
China : The Canton Era: The Opium War and consequences
Week 6
The invasion of China and stubbornness to change: 1850-1900
The Taiping and Boxer Rebellions
Week 7
Japan: The Tokugawa Era 1600-1853
Isolation and Peace
Week 8
Commodore Matthew Perry and the opening of Japan 1653-1860
Week 9
The demise of the Tokugawa and the Meiji Movement of 1868
Week 10-11
The Chinese Revolution of 1908-1911
Sun Yat-sen and Chinese Republicanism
Week 12
Chinese Communism and Warlords: The rise of Chiang Kai-shek and
Mao Tse-tung 1920-1941
Week 13
Communist China : The early years to the Cultural Revolution 19401970
Week 14
Japan 1900-1930: The rise of Japanese Fascism
Week 15
The road to Pearl Harbor and aftermath: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Week 16
Postwar Japan: 1945 to present
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