EAS103 History of Korea
20 credits; Spring Semester
Module Organiser: Dr Judith Cherry (j.a.cherry@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This module introduces students to the history of Korea, focusing on the opening to the West in the late 19th century, the colonization of Korea by Japan, the Korean War and the post-war development of, and relations between, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). Each class will comprise a class discussion on questions relating to that week’s topic, followed by a lecture.

Skills Development
On successful completion of this module, you will have developed a critical understanding of the key issues relating to the pre-modern and modern history of Korea, and of the driving forces in the process of political and social developments on the Korean peninsula. You will also be able to demonstrate:
• Critical thinking and research skills – The ability to evaluate and compare contrasting viewpoints and analyses of key events relating to the history of Korea, and to place these developments in the context of the history of East Asia;
• Independent learning – The ability to find and evaluate a range of learning materials on paper and online;
• Writing and communication skills – The ability to express your ideas in class discussions and present an argument in an assessed essay.
• IT skills – the ability to use online search engines and databases to identify key materials for class discussions and the assessed essay.

Assessment: Essay; examination

Before You Start:
The recommended textbooks for this module – Korea’s Place in the Sun and North Korea: Another Country, both by Bruce Cumings and available on Amazon – give an excellent overview of Korea’s pre-modern and modern history.

EAS133 Chinese Economic Development
10 credits; Spring semester
Module Organiser (contact via seas@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This module examines the economic development of China between 1949 and the present day. Topics to be covered include economic performance during the 1950s; the Great Famine of the early 1960s (which killed 30 million); the economic policies of the Maoist era and the Cultural Revolution; the transition strategy adopted in the 1980s; China's opening up to foreign trade; the abandonment of socialism and the transition to capitalism; current economic problems. A wide range of development indicators such as GDP per head, inequality and human development are considered so the approach adopted in the course is not narrowly economic. Some prior knowledge of basic economics is useful but is certainly not required to do well on this module.

Skills Development
On completion of this module, as well as enhanced understanding of the module content and themes outlined above, you will also be able to demonstrate the following attributes:
• Economic literacy – lectures and seminars will have allowed you to develop an understanding of fundamental economic concepts;
• Critical thinking – you will be able to compare, contrast and evaluate different approaches to understanding economic development and different types of economic data;
• Independent learning – you will be able to reflect on your own understanding of economic issues and find a range of materials to extend your knowledge;
• Communication skills – you will be able to express that understanding in seminar discussions and in writing.

Assessment: Short assignment; examination.

Before you start:
There is an excellent general introduction to modern/contemporary China in Rana Mitter, (2008), Modern China: a very short introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press; for a more focused examination of economic issues, see Chris Bramall, Chinese Economic Development, London: Routledge.

EAS134 Japanese Literature
10 credits; Spring semester
Module Organiser: Dr Angela Coutts (a.m.coutts@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This course provides an overview of the main trends in Japanese literature. Lectures provide the literary-historical background, exploring different aspects of the Japanese literary canon and of the key themes and trends in modern Japanese literature: modernism; socialism; feminism; and postmodernism. Seminars are student-led and focus on specific texts, providing opportunities for wider discussion. By the end of the course you will have read a wide range of Japanese literature in English-language translation, gained a deeper understanding of the social and historical context in which the literature was written, and be familiar with its main themes and concerns.

Skills Development
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge and understanding – A critical understanding of the development of the modern Japanese novel and a knowledge of a range of Japanese literary texts from the 11th century to the present day;
• Critical thinking – The ability to critique concepts such as the literary canon, genre expectations, and the relationship between culture and society;
• Analysis – The ability to analyse literary texts using a range of critical opinion and textual evidence;
• Independent learning and Time Management – The ability to manage and structure the weekly seminar readings and apply what you have read to the seminar themes; to meet the required deadline for the essay.
• Communication skills – The ability to express your ideas verbally in seminar discussions and to produce a well-structured academic argument in the assessed essay.
• Team work – The ability to work as part of a small group by maintaining contact over the semester, supporting the others in your group, and sharing seminar tasks and presentations in a fair and equal manner;
• Information literacy and use of IT –The ability to access information using a range of university platforms including MOLE2, uspace and Starplus; the ability to cite and reference correctly in the essay.

Assessment: contribution to seminars; essay.

Before you start:
The main text book for this module is The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories. You might also want to take a look at the thematic essays in the Japan section of The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature which is available on-line as a Google book.

EAS135 Contemporary Chinese Politics
10 credits; Spring semester
Module Organiser: Dr James Coates (contact via seas@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This module explores key developments in Chinese politics since 1949. It offers critical insights into China’s changing political processes and the scholarly literature on these, and introduces students to some of the major research topics, basic concepts, and competing theories in the study of Chinese politics, from state-level activity to ‘everyday politics’.

Skills Development
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge and understanding – A firm understanding of key concepts and approaches to the study of the politics of contemporary China, and appreciation of different forms of ‘Chinese politics’;
• Critical thinking – The ability to critically assess different explanations for how politics is conducted, constructed and experienced;
• Research and analytical skills – The ability to locate, evaluate and interpret a range of sources appropriate for university research;
• Communication skills – The ability to express your ideas in seminar discussions and develop arguments through different modes of assessment.

Assessment: short assignment; essay.

Before you start:
You may like to have a look at the relevant sections of Rana Mitter, (2008), Modern China: a very short introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

EAS142 Environment and Society in East Asia
20 credits; Autumn semester
Module Organiser: Dr Peter Matanle (p.matanle@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This module examines key questions of climate change, industrial pollution, and biodiversity loss in the relationship between humans and the natural environment in East Asia. We begin by exploring key concepts that will inform our studies through the module. We will then look at East Asia’s modern economic development and explore this in the context of the formation of environmental knowledge worldwide. The module investigates specific examples of the interaction between humans and nature in East Asia in order to construct a broader framework for the study of contemporary human and environmental problems. The module will be delivered through lectures, seminars and documentary films, with about one third of formal teaching time devoted to each method of delivery.

Skills Development
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge and understanding – A critical understanding of the relationship between economic development and environmental sustainability, and East Asia’s contribution to this;
• Critical thinking – The ability to critically analyse differing interpretations of scientific knowledge and to make independent judgments;
• Independent learning – The ability to find and evaluate a range of source material on paper and online;
• Academic writing – The ability to incorporate others’ work into your own, and to cite and reference literature;
• Communication skills – The ability to express your ideas in seminar discussions and present an argument in an assessed essay.

Assessment: Literature search and bibliography task; essay.

Before you start:
The following will give you a good idea of the topics, reading and content of the module.
Kameyama, Y, Sari, AP, Soejachmoen, MH, and Kanie, N (eds) (2008) Climate Change in Asia: Perspectives on the Future Climate Regime, Tokyo: United Nations University Press.
Walker, BL (2010) Toxic Archipelago: A History of Industrial Disease in Japan, Seattle: University of Washington Press.
McBeath, GA and Leng, T-K (2006) Governance of Biodiversity Conservation in China and Taiwan, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

EAS143 East Asian History
20 credits; Spring semester
Module Organiser: Dr James Coates (contact via seas@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
The aims of this module are threefold: firstly, it aims to provide you with a critical overview of the changes that have occurred in the East Asian region since the middle of the nineteenth century. Secondly, the module will introduce you to some of the main schools of thought or approaches currently used in the study of East Asian history. And thirdly, the module will help equip you with methodological and theoretical tools which will help you as you go on to study further modules relating to the history of various societies in East Asia (and elsewhere) in the years to come.

Skills Development
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge and understanding – A firm understanding of of the dynamics of East Asia’s regional history from the 1840s through to the year 2000;
• Critical thinking – The ability to critically assess different approaches to the study and writing of histories of East Asia;
• Research and analytical skills – The ability to locate, evaluate and interpret a range of appropriate primary and secondary sources that address key module themes;
• Communication skills – The ability to express your ideas in seminar discussions and develop arguments through different types of assessed work.

Assessment: primary source exercise; research essay.

Before you start:
You may like to have a look at the relevant sections of Keith Schoppa (2007) East Asia: Identities and Change in the Modern World (1700 to present), Prentice Hall.

EAS144 Japan’s Economy and Management
10 credits; Spring Semester
Module Organiser: Dr Harald Conrad (h.conrad@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview
This introductory module focuses on the question how Japan was able to transform itself in only 100 years from a largely agricultural society into an industrialized and technologically highly advanced nation. After a historical overview of the role of the state in the country’s economic development, the second half of the course discusses major characteristics of industrial structure and management practices such as human resource management and corporate governance. While the lectures provide an overview of key knowledge, the seminars delve deeper into related readings and clarify fundamental economic concepts such as ‘inflation’ or ‘growth’.

Skills Development
On completion of this module, as well as enhanced understanding of the module content and themes outlined above, you will also be able to demonstrate the following attributes:
• Economic literacy – seminar explanations and discussions will have helped you to gain a better understanding of fundamental economic concepts;
• Critical thinking – our discussion of the readings will have shaped your ability to understand and evaluate different opinions on key issues related to Japan’s economic development;
• Independent learning – with the help of a list of questions and subsequent seminar discussions you will have learned to tackle independently more difficult academic writing;
• Communication skills – seminar discussions will have fostered your ability to express and defend your ideas.

Assessment: Examination.

Before you start:
There is no single textbook for this course, but if you would like to do some preparatory reading, you might enjoy Steven Vogel’s Japan Remodeled – How Government and Industry are reforming Japanese capitalism.