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CHIN 4391 : Health and Wellbeing in Chinese Literature and Culture
TTh 11:00am - 12:15pm | MUEN E126 | 3 Credits
Antje Richter

Questions we will discuss in this course are “what does it mean to be in good health?”, “how do societies judge illness and disability?”, “how do individuals deal with being sick and impaired?”, “how to achieve health and wellbeing?”, “how to write about one’s own health and illness or that of others?”��

To answer these questions, we will turn to Chinese medical, cultural, and literary history. We start by exploring concepts of health, illness, healing, and wellbeing in different medical, philosophical, and religious traditions of China. We will discuss key elements of physiology (such as qi and the meridians), etiology (ranging from climatic factors to overexertion and demonic possession), diagnosis (such as pulse diagnosis and correlative thinking), treatment (including medicinal drugs and acupuncture), and preventive medicine (for example, exercise, dietetics, and sleep), while also considering changes to these ideas throughout Chinese history.��

Side by side with medical texts we read and discuss historical literary texts that touch upon experiences of illnesses and healing. These texts range from short stories, biographical and autobiographical accounts, poems, and letters to religious scriptures, all read in English translations. We are going to discuss these texts against the background of Chinese medical, cultural, and literary history and in the context of our own cultural experiences, whether literary or in real life. Our interpretations will be supported by Western critical approaches to illness narratives. The class will consist of discussions about our readings, lectures providing background, as well as students’ presentations.

HIND/DNCE 2601 Classical Dance Forms of India: Text, Theory, and Performance
MWF 2:30pm-3:20pm | KTCH 1B87 | 3 credits
Nidhi Arya

This course gives you a hands-on intro to classical Indian dance through movement workshops, gesture practice, and performance viewings. You’ll also learn the cultural and historical background, read key texts in accessible ways, and explore major styles like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, and more. It’s a mix of practice and theory designed to help you understand these dance traditions from all angles.