STORIA DELLA CULTURA ORIENTALE

The course aims to provide an analysis on the history of orientalism, through the main historical and social events and phenomena, useful for developing the student's critical skills and abilities in relation to texts, people and organisms, in the different contexts of daily and professional life in China and Japan. The method will take into consideration both a synchronic and a diachronic point of view, always in relation to the different angles of historical view. By making use of comparative methods and synoptic frameworks, a perspective of intercultural analysis will be provided, extended to understand the dynamics in which all of East Asia was involved and is still involved today.

knowledge and understandig: general overview of the historical basic themes and issues of Chinese and Japanese civilization for understanding the events and critical debate from the origins to modernity.

applying knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to understand and relate main historical events in the cultural and social fields.

making judgement: students will be able to obtain critical skills with the chinese and japanese realities, in different context of everyday life and professional life.

communication skills: students will be able to express their ideas, projects and results obtained in a complex and articulated way.

learning skills: students will be able to interact with different professional and cultural contexts. They know how to interpret, understand and use independently their expressive capabilities.

frontal lessons

The course focuses on the main historical events of East Asia, with particular attention to diplomatic, social and cultural relations that have taken place over the centuries. Particular attention will be given to the different critical approach of post-colonial studies, which questioned the Eurocentric approach, starting with Said up to post-colonial studies. An intercultural analysis perspective will be provided extended to understand the dynamics in which East Asia was involved with the rest of the world. The critical debate and problems relating to the use of common historical categories between different and distant geographical, cultural and social contexts will then be examined.

Each student will have the opportunity to learn about the historical development of China and Japan based on their academic orientation, also through a perspective of intercultural analysis extended to understand the dynamics in which all of East Asia was involved. The critical debate and problems relating to the use of common historical categories between different and distant geographical, cultural and social contexts will then be examined. The teaching always provides for the active participation of students in lessons.

The main topics addressed will focus on:

- Concept of orientalism

- The interpretation of the Far Eastern worldview

- criticism of Orientalism and post colonial studies

- critique of Eurocentrism

- Empire and imperialism in China and Japan

- historical affinities and divergences between China and Japan

For Chinese course:

1. Edward Said, Orientalismo. L’immagine europea dell’Oriente, traduzione di Stefano Galli, collana Universale economica. Saggi, 2ª ed., Feltrinelli, 2002 (prima parte).

2. Santangelo P., L’impero cinese agli inizi della storia globale. Società, vita quotidiana e immaginario vol. 1 - L'impero cinese e il resto del mondo, Aracne, Roma, 2011.

a book chosen from:

Chan Adrian, Orientalism in Sinology. Cambridge, Academica Press, 2009.

Ming Dong Gu, Sinologism. An Alternative to Orientalism and Postcolonialism, 1st Edition, New York, Routledge, 2013.

For Japanese course:

1. Edward Said, Orientalismo. L’immagine europea dell’Oriente, traduzione di Stefano Galli, collana Universale economica. Saggi, 2ª ed., Feltrinelli, 2002 (prima parte).

2. Miyake, Toshio. Mostri del Giappone: narrative, figure, egemonie della dis-locazione identitaria. Ca’ Foscari-Digital Publishing, Venezia, 2014.

At choise:

Mazzei, F., Japanese Particularism and the Crisis of Western Modernity. Università Ca'Foscari di Venezia, 1999.

or:

Nishihara, D. “Said, Orientalism, and Japan”. Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, 25, 2005, pp.241-253.

Robertson, R., “Japan and the USA: the interpenetration of national identities and the debate about orientalism”. In Turner, B. S., Abercrombie, N., & Hill, S. (Eds.). Dominant Ideologies. London and New York: Routledge, 2015, pp. 182-198.

Wagenaar, W., Wacky Japan: A new face of orientalism. Asia in Focus: A Nordic journal on Asia by early career researchers, (3), 2016, pp. 46-54.

For Chinese and Japanese courses:

1. Edward Said, Orientalismo. L’immagine europea dell’Oriente, traduzione di Stefano Galli, collana Universale economica. Saggi, 2ª ed., Feltrinelli, 2002 (prima parte).

2. Santangelo P., L’impero cinese agli inizi della storia globale. Società, vita quotidiana e immaginario vol. 1 - L'impero cinese e il resto del mondo, Aracne, Roma, 2011.

3. Miyake, Toshio. Mostri del Giappone: narrative, figure, egemonie della dis-locazione identitaria. Ca' Foscari-Digital Publishing, Venezia, 2014.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library