Transnational (WEB) MES343(39700)/ANS361(31690)

Instructor: Mikiya Koyagi Email: [email protected] Class Time: MWF1-2 Classroom: Online Office Hours: M2-4, F2-3 and by appointment

Course Description:

What is “Asia”? Who are “Asians”? We tend to take geographical and cultural categories for granted, but the category “Asia” became meaningful to the vast majority of people in what we call “Asia” only in the last 150 years. Then how did “Asia” become a meaningful category for very different groups of people from the Japanese, Koreans, and the Chinese to Indonesians, Indians, Iranians, , and Turks? How did ideas of “Asia” evolve since the nineteenth century to the present through global interactions? Answering these questions requires us to examine various historical and geographical contexts. Our aim is not to study a comprehensive overview of modern Asian . Rather, by paying attention to transnational flows of people and ideas, we examine how “Asians” internalized and developed the concept of Asia in the broader context of imperialism, nationalism, and decolonization. By studying this subject, we aim to think critically about the geographical and cultural boundaries that we tend to take for granted in twenty-first century America. More generally, our goal is to learn to think of ourselves as citizens of a larger world by gaining the ability to comprehend how people remote from ourselves understand, experience, and imagine their lives.

The course will be conducted entirely online.

Goals:

At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) discuss concepts such as civilization, , Asia, and the West 2) understand the modern history of “Asia” as a connected global experience 3) discuss the historical contexts in which Asians constructed the idea of “Asia” 4) critically interrogate the categories of analysis they use to make sense of the world

Striving to achieve these goals will require students to seriously engage in such activities as writing weekly journals and sharing ideas with their peers orally in class discussions. Through these activities that are based on their readings of both primary sources (various forms of

1 records from the past produced during the period under study) and secondary sources (historians’ interpretations of primary sources), students will also improve essential skills to construct an argument.

Textbooks:

All readings for the course are posted on the course website or available as e-books through UT library. No need to purchase a particular textbook.

Global Cultures:

This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the . You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.

Grading:

Participation: 25 points Weekly Journal: 4 points x 10 Four Short Essays: 10 points x 2 Final paper: 15 points

Please submit all papers via Canvas from “Assignments” tab.

Participation (25) Attendance is required in this course. Please sign in to zoom before class starts at 1 pm. More than three unexcused absences will impact your final grade negatively. Whenever you are unable to attend class due to illness, family emergencies, or other reasons, please let me know via email before class. If there is a factor that may impact your attendance during the semester, please inform me of your situation before disappearing. I cannot retroactively make an exception if you talk to me at the end of the semester. Communication is key.

Participation is different from attendance. Your contribution to class discussions will be evaluated holistically at the end of the semester. In assessing your contribution, I value thoughtful statements based on your analysis of the course material. To be able to contribute

2 meaningfully, it is crucial that you finish the assigned readings prior to class. If you come unprepared, you will not only miss a great learning opportunity for yourself but also hinder your classmates’ learning process. Please be considerate to your classmates and come prepared.

The university expects you to spend “two to three hours studying outside of class for every hour in class.” (see the link: https://ugs.utexas.edu/slc/study) Therefore, on average, it should take you 6-9 hours of studying per week outside of class to prepare for this course.

Weekly Journal (4 x 10) Depending on your knowledge of world history, you might get lost as we study various geographical contexts. This is particularly the case because we have no textbook. Unfortunately, there is no textbook account of how categories such as “Asia” and “Europe” were articulated by different groups of people since the nineteenth century; instead, most scholarly works focus on a particular national context.

To read actively and retain memory, it is extremely important to make it a habit to take notes on what you read in your own words. So I’d like you to submit weekly journals starting on September 4 (Week 2). You are required to use the weekly journal form (posted on Canvas. Go to folder “weekly journal form”) to discuss one of the articles colored red in the course schedule at the end of this syllabus. With the exception of week 1, week 13 (Thanksgiving), and week 15 (the last week of class), you are going to write 12 journals. The journals are due before class on Friday. For example, the first journal that discusses week 2’s assigned readings is due at 1 pm on September 4, before our class starts on the Friday of week 2. I will drop the two lowest scores of weekly journals when I assign your final grade.

The weekly journals are intended for you to make steady progress throughout the semester. If you diligently complete the journals every week, you will have something to hold on to by the end of the semester when you want to reflect on what you have studied in this course. Even if you take more detailed notes separately, please complete the weekly journals. Each journal should be a succinct version of your notes, ranging from 1.5-2 pages using the form. I expect that it would take about half an hour to complete it. The need to be succinct is meant to force you to think what really matters and be selective about what you discuss in the journal.

I am not expecting you to produce a sophisticated piece of writing every week. The main purpose of keeping weekly journals is to facilitate your active reading of the course material. You can use bullet points and abbreviations as appropriate. Please see below for general grading criteria.

A: All required questions are answered thoroughly, using specific examples. Responses illustrate thoughtful contextualization of the reading in scholarly debates, showing a broader understanding of the course material.

3 B: All required questions are answered, but there are issues in one of the following: 1) specificity is lacking; 2) ideas are not fully developed; 3) responses do not adequately situate the reading in relation to previous weeks’ readings.

C: All required questions are answered, but there are issues in two or three of the following: 1) specificity is lacking; 2) ideas are not fully developed; 3) responses do not adequately situate the reading in relation to previous weeks’ readings.

D: All required questions are answered only in an incomplete manner, or the journal fails to answer some of the required questions.

Although you are required to submit one journal every week, I encourage you to complete the form for all reading materials. The exercise of notetaking is tremendously helpful in clarifying your thoughts and retaining memory on what you read. Without notetaking, studies show that you will forget pretty much everything within a couple of weeks.

Two Short Essays (10 x 2) The course is divided into four parts (see the course schedule). At the end of Parts I, II, and III, you are asked to write a short essay of approximately 1,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography). I will drop the lowest score of the three when I assign your final grade. You can see the essay prompts in the course schedule. Please use the Chicago style for citations.

The Final Project (15) You have two options for the final project. For both options, I expect the length to be approximately 1,500-2,000 words. The deadline to submit the final project is 1 pm, December 11 (Friday). • Option 1: Essay Prompt: Geographical categories such as the Asia/Europe divide and world regions are ingrained in how we analyze the past and present. We have traced the historical production and reconfiguration of such categories this semester. In your essay, succinctly explain what historical circumstances led to the production of “Asia” as a category with which various peoples of Asia came to identify. Then address the following questions: Why do you think these categories are problematic? What are alternative ways of conceptualizing human societies? What are potential limitations of those alternatives? In your response, consider various methodologies scholars use to interrogate the categories themselves and use specific examples from the course readings/discussions.

• Option 2: Short Research Paper Because of the vast geographical scope of the course, we will not be able to discuss every important individual/organization/movement in every country in Asia (including West Asia/the ). Choose/find a particular individual, organization, movement in Asia or Asian diasporic communities and write a short research paper about how they

4 express(ed) their ideas of Asia. If you choose this option, your topic needs to be approved by the instructor. This is definitely a more time-consuming option. I recommend this option only if you are prepared to spend some extra time doing research during the semester.

Important Issues: Late Submission: Late submission is allowed only if you have valid reasons and communicate with me in advance. As is the case with attendance, please be communicative whenever issues come up.

Academic Integrity: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. Additionally, scholastic dishonesty includes signing the attendance sheet on behalf of someone else or having someone else sign you in when you are not in atten dance.

By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonest damages both the student's learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on scholastic dishonesty, please visit the Student Judicial services Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/

All cases of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean. Do not jeopardize your career for one college course. If you are not sure whether you are plagiarizing, do not assume. Please ask me.

Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Services for Students with Disabilities. Please bring me a letter at the beginning of the semester that shows your accommodation. https://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/

Important Safety Information: If you have concerns about the safety or behavior of fellow students, TAs or Professors, call BCAL (the Behavior Concerns Advice Line): 512-232-5050. Your call can be anonymous. If something doesn’t feel right – it probably isn’t. Trust your instincts and share your concerns.

5 Title IX Reporting: Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When sexual misconduct occurs in our community, the university can:

a. Intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating. b. Provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have become involved in a Title IX investigation. c. Investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies.

Faculty members and certain staff members are considered “Responsible Employees” or “Mandatory Reporters,” which means that they are required to report violations of Title IX to the Title IX Coordinator. I am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you want to speak with someone for support or remedies without making an official report to the university, email [email protected] For more information about reporting options and resources, visit titleix.utexas.edu or contact the Title IX Office at [email protected].

6 Course Schedule

Important Deadlines: Every Friday Before Class: Weekly Journal 1 pm, September 25: Essay 1 1 pm, October 23: Essay 2 1 pm, November 20: Essay 3 1 pm, December 11: Final Project

*The schedule below is subject to change. I will make an announcement in class and via email if I make any changes to the course schedule.

Part One: What Is “Asia”?

Week 1: What is Asia? August 26: Introduction • No reading

August 28: A Proponent of Civilizational Analysis • Samuel Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs 72: 3 (1993): 22-29, 39- 49 (optional: the entire article from 22-49)

Week 2: Why Is the Concept of “Civilization” Problematic as an Analytical Category? August 31: Critique of “Civilization” 1 • Amartya Sen, Identity & Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (2006), 10-17, 40-58

September 2: Critique of “Civilization” 2 • Kwame Anthony Appiah, “There is no such thing as western civilisation,” The Guardian November 9, 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/09/western- civilisation-appiah-reith-lecture

September 4: “Western Civilization” Is a Modern Concept: A Classicist’s Take • Rebecca Kennedy, “On the History of ‘Western Civilization’”: https://rfkclassics.blogspot.com/2019/04/on-history-of-western-civilization-part.html

Week 3: Why Is the Concept of “Continent” Problematic as an Analytical Category? September 7: Labor Day

September 9: Is Asia a Continent?

7 • Martin W. Lewis and Kären Wigen, The Myth of (1997), “Introduction,” 1-19 (e-book available from UT Library website)

September 11: The Continental Scheme • Martin W. Lewis and Kären Wigen, The Myth of Continents, Chapter 1 “The of Continents,” 21-41 (skip “The Roots of Geographical Determinism)

Week 4: How Did the East/West Binary Evolve? September 14: Spatial Constructs • Martin W. Lewis and Kären Wigen, The Myth of Continents, Chapter 2 “The Spatial Constructs of Orient and Occident, East and West,” 47-72

September 16: Cultural Constructs • Martin W. Lewis and Kären Wigen, The Myth of Continents, Chapter 3 “The Cultural Constructs of Orient and Occident, East and West,” 73-91 and 101-3 (the section “Orientalism Reconsidered”)

September 18: Part I Conclusion

Part I Essay Prompt: Why do many scholars consider concepts such as “civilization” and “continent” problematic? How does problematizing these categories help you understand the global past and present? Explain with specific examples.

Part Two: The Birth of Asia: Japan’s Pan-Asian Empire Week 5: What Was the Historical Condition in Which Asians Began to See Themselves “Asians”? September 21: Overview of 19th-Century Imperialism • Robert Strayer, “Empire in Collision: Europe, the Middle East, and , 1800-1914,” in Ways of the World, 879-889, 931-955 (read for an overview, skip “Portrait” of on 940-1) (available on Canvas)

September 23: What is (Pan-)Asianism? • Marc Frey and Nicola Spakowski, “Introduction,” in Asianisms: Regionalist Interactions and Asian Integration (2016), 1-18 (available on Canvas)

September 25: Leaving Asia? Part I Essay Due Before Class • Alastair Bonnett, The Idea of the West, “Good-bye Asia: The Westernisers’ West, Fukuzawa and Gökalp,” 63-78 (available on Canvas)

Week 6: Why Did Japan Become One of the Epicenters of Pan-Asianism? September 28: Japanese Pan-Asianism: An Overview

8 • Miwa Kimitada, “Pan-Asianism in Modern Japan: Nationalism, Regionalism and Universalism,” in Pan-Asianism in Modern Japanese History, 21-33 + endnotes (available on Canvas)

September 30: The Global Moment of 1905 • Cemil Aydin, The Politics of Anti-Westernism, 71-92 (e-book available from UT library website)

October 2: Responses to 1905 (all available on Canvas, you will be asked to read only one of these sources) • Primary Source: “Abdurresid Ibrahim, ‘The World of and the in Japan, 1910,’” 195-204 • Primary Source: “Zhang Taiyan and the Asiatic Humanitarian Brotherhood,” 177-184 • Primary Source: “An Chung-gun: ‘A Discourse on Peace in East Asia,’” 205-209 • Primary Source: “Aurobindo Ghose: ‘The Logic of Asia’ and ‘The Asiatic Role,” 1-3 • Primary Source: “Sin Ch’ae-ho, “Introduction” and “A Critique of Easternism,” 192-4

Week 7: How Did the Global Race Discourse Shape Pan-Asianism? October 5: • Torsten Weber, “Asianism During World War One,” in Embracing “Asia” in and Japan, 140-52 (2018) (start with the section “Asianism as the ‘White Peril’ Theory) (e- Book available on UT library website) • Primary Source: “Tokutomi Soho and the ‘Asiatic Monroe Doctrine,’ 1917,” 279-286 (available on Canvas)

October 7: The Wilsonian Moment • Torsten Weber, “The Racialization of ‘Asia’ in the Post-Versailles Period,” in Embracing “Asia” in China and Japan (2018), 167-78

October 9: Post-WWI Order • Torsten Weber, “The Racialization of ‘Asia’ in the Post-Versailles Period,” in Embracing “Asia” in China and Japan (2018), 179-96

Week 8: What Did Represent for Japanese Pan-Asianists? October 12: The Pan-Asian Empire • Kevin M. Doak, “The Concept of Ethnic Nationality and Its Role in Pan-Asianism in Imperial Japan,” in Pan-Asianism in Modern Japanese History, 169-181 + endnotes (available on Canvas)

October 14: Utopian Visions of Manchukuo

9 • Eri Hotta, “Manchukuo and the Dream of Pan-Asia,” in Pan-Asianism and Japan’s War 1931-1945, 107-139 (available on Canvas)

October 16: Part II Conclusion

Part II Essay Prompt: What historical conditions led to the rise of various strands of pan- Asianism in imperial Japan, incorporating elements of nationalist, regionalist, and universalist ideals? What were the fundamental tensions among those strands? How were those ideals and tensions manifested in Manchukuo?

Part III: The Birth of Asia: Transnational Networks Week 9: How Did Asianists Come to See Asia the Beacon of Spirituality? October 19: Universal Claims • Maria Moritz, “ ‘The Empire of Righteousness’: Anagarika Dharmapala and His Vision of Buddhist Asianism (c. 1900),” in Asianisms: Regionalist Interactions and Asian Integration (2016), 19-48 (available on Canvas)

October 21: Transnational Dialogue • John Rosenfield, “Okakura Kakuzo and Margaret Noble (Sister Nivedita),” Review of Japanese Culture and Society 24 (2012): 59-69 (available on Canvas)

October 23: “Asia Is One” Part II Essay Due Before Class • Primary Source: Okakura Tenshin (Kakuzo), “The Ideals of the East,” 8-14, 131-135 (available on Canvas)

Week 10: How Did the Poet Rabindranath Tagore Imagine Asia and ’s Place in It? October 26: • Alastair Bonnett, The Idea of the West, “Soulless Occident/Spiritual Asia: Tagore’s West,” 79-95 (available on Canvas)

October 28: • Alastair Bonnett, The Idea of the West, “Soulless Occident/Spiritual Asia: Tagore’s West,” 95-106 • Rabindranath Tagore’s Writings (available on Canvas)

October 30: Locating India in Asia • Sugata Bose, “A Different Universalism?: Oceanic Voyages of a Poet as Pilgrim,” in A Hundred Horizons: The in the Age of Global Empire, 233-271 (e-book available on UT library website)

Week 11: How Were Muslims Connected across Asia and Beyond? How Did They See Asia?

10 November 2: The Case of Abdurresid Ibrahim • Noriko Yamazaki, “Abdurresid Ibrahim’s Journey to China: Muslim Communities in the Late Qing as Seen by a Russian-Tatar Intellectual,” Central Asian Survey vol. 33, no. 3 (2014): 405-20 (available on Canvas)

November 4: The Case of Maulana Barakatullah • Mohammed Ayub Khan, “Universal Islam: The Faith and Political Ideologies of Maulana Barakatullah ‘Bhopali,’” Sikh Formations vol. 10, no. 1 (2014): 57-67 (available on Canvas)

November 6: Islam’s Place in India • Carolien Stolte, “Compass Points: Four Indian Cartographies of Asia,” in Asianisms: Regional Interactions and Asian Integration (2015), 49-74 (available on Canvas)

Week 12: Muslim Networks (cont’d)/How Were Feminists Connected across Asia and Beyond? November 9: Reading the Qur’an in Tokyo • Hans Martin Krämer, “Pan-Asianism’s Religious Undercurrents,” The Journal of Asian Studies vol. 73, no. 3 (2014): 619-30 (finish the subsection “Okawa Shumei: A Buddhist Appropriation of Islam in the Pan-Asian Context”) (available on Canvas)

November 11: Pan-Asian Feminism • Sumita Mukherjee, “The All-Asian Women’s Conference 1931: Indian Women and Their Leadership of a Pan-Asian Feminist Organization,” Women’s History Review vol. 26, no. 3 (2017): 363-381 (available on Canvas)

November 13: Part III Conclusion

Part III Essay Prompt: Write an imaginary dialogue between two of the following figures: Anagarika Dharmapala; Rabindranath Tagore; Abdurresid Ibrahim; Maulana Barakatullah; Okawa Shumei. In creating a dialogue, consider the following questions: What transnational networks did they belong to? What would they agree on? What would be the major sources of difference? What (places, values, historical roles etc.) would “Asia” mean for them? Make sure that you specify what year the conversation is taking place because their ideas changed significantly over time.

Part IV: Reconfiguring Global Asias

Week 13: What Were the New Visions of Asia in Bandung? What Were Their Limitations? November 16: The Global Moment of 1955

11 • Christopher Lee, “Rendezvous of Decolonization,” Interventions vol. 11, no. 1 (2009): 81- 93 (available on Canvas)

November 18: The Local Context of the Global Moment: The Indian Case • Sinderpal Singh, “From Delhi to Bandung: Nehru, ‘Indian-ness’ and ‘Pan-Asian-ness,” : Journal of South Asian Studies (2011): 51-64 (available on Canvas)

November 20: Tensions in Bandung Part III Essay Due Before Class • Bandung Conference Final Communique: https://www.cvce.eu/en/obj/final_communique_of_the_asian_african_conference_of_ bandung_24_april_1955-en-676237bd-72f7-471f-949a-88b6ae513585.html • Zhou Enlai’s Report to the Central Committee and Regarding the Cultural Cooperation Issue: https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/121752

Week 13: How Does the Singaporean Singer Dick Lee Express His Idea of Asia? November 23: 80s’ Singaporean Pop Music • Dick Lee’s Songs (links available on Canvas)

November 25-28 Thanksgiving

Week 14: How Can We Study the “Asian Values” Debates Historically? November 30: The Rise of and “Asian Values” • Alastair Bonnett, The Idea of the West, “From Soulless to Slacker: The Idea of the West from Pan-Asianism to Asian Values,” 107-122 (available on Canvas)

December 2: “Asian Values,” Capitalism, and Democracy • Khoo Boo Teik, “The Value(s) of a Miracle: Malaysian and Singaporean Elite Construction of Asia,” Asian Studies Review vol. 23, no. 2 (1999): 181-192 (available on Canvas) • Primary Source: “Culture is Destiny,” Fareed Zakaria’s interview with Lee Kuan Yew (available on Canvas)

December 4: Part IV Conclusion

Week 15: How Do We Study the Global Past and Present? December 7 Last Class day

Final Project Due Before 1 pm, December 11

12