Undergraduate Course Pages > Introductory Seminar I: Contemporary Problems

July 9: The seminar concluded with a discussion of the nature and content of the social sciences, and the ways recent theoretical inquiries have problematized conventional methods and disciplinary boundaries.

July 2: Discussion and final comments about the Yoshioka article. The July 9 class, the last of this one-semester seminar, will be devoted to a summary discussion of the material of the course and explanation of the Discovering Others first-year seminar that will begin in September.

June 25: Discussion of Yoshioka Hiroshi’s “Samurai and Self-Colonization in Japan,” particularly the way Yoshioka uses the concept of discourse. Discussion of the ways discourse grows, and of the possibility of establishing a counter-discourse. Next week discussion of this Yoshioka text will continue, with particular attention to Yoshioka’s contention that Japan has colonized itself. What does he mean in saying that? How can a country colonize itself? What exactly is the process that Yoshioka says has taken place in this colonization?

June 18: Because of my own confusion about the homework for this week, we did not have a text to discuss. Apologies. The informal discussion was pleasant nonetheless. We’ll begin discussion of the Yoshioka article next week, June 25. The first question on the agenda will be this: how is Yoshioka’s understanding like or unlike Said’s? The homework, aside from the reading of the text itself, is to be prepared to offer a response to this question at the beginning of the seminar.

June 11: The seminar was led by Go Murakami. Students gave presentations on the questions assigned June 4. The next reading for the class is Yoshioka Hiroshi’s “Samurai and Self-Colonization in Japan” (1995). We will begin discussion of that work on June 25. Next week, June 18, we shall conclude the discussion of Said’s Orientalism.

June 4: Summary discussion of theoretical issues at stake in the introduction to Said’s Orientalism, and student discussion of, in particular, questions 16 and 17 on worksheet 1 and questions 1, 2, and 4 on worksheet 2. Particular students will make short presentations about reactions to these questions in the June 11 class.

May 28: Discussion of the man in the moon, the rabbit in the moon, sitting in a corner and not thinking about polar bears, the Orient, the West, and what these have in common. We’re slow getting through the first Orientalism worksheet, but this isn’t a problem unless one of us constructs it as such, which of course I have just done. The homework is to continue reading, and to continue thinking about the texts under consideration. The second Orientalism worksheet has been posted here. Please prepare written responses to the first five questions for the June 4 seminar meeting. These will be collected and responded to in writing.

May 21: Continued discussion of questions on the Orientalism worksheet, through no. 12. We shall finish the worksheet next week. Please look particularly closely at question 17 in preparation for the May 28 class.

May 14: Discussion of questions 1-7 on the Orientalism worksheet. I was impressed with the level of student preparation and participation. We’ll continue with this worksheet about the opening four pages of Said’s text next week.

May 7: Discussion of Hugo of St. Victor’s lines (see the questions for discussion assigned last week). Homework: you have now read the opening section of Edward Said’s introduction to Orientalism. For the May 14 class please prepare short written answers to the 17 questions about this on this worksheet.

April 30: Exchange of the Rushdie summaries and student discussion of their effectiveness. Student discussion of the “contemporary problem” to be addressed in the course, and unanimous selection (to the instructor’s surprise and delight) of the “problem” of the representation of otherness.

Homework: Edward Said, Introduction to Orientalism, part 1, and written responses to questions for discussion 1, about lines Said quotes from Hugo of St. Victor.

April 23: Lecture: “Writing a Text about a Text, or: The Consumption of Knowledge.” Introduction to the concept of a subject position, and its relation to plagiarism. Homework: re-work the summary of Rushdie in accordance with today’s lecture.

April 16: Introduction to the course. Homework: a 100-200-word written summary of Salman Rushdie’s “The Assassination of Indira Gandhi.”