Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2021 - HIST 371 D100

The Asia-Pacific War in Modern Japanese History (4)

Class Number: 3445

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Aug 9, 2021: Wed, 1:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: at least one course on modern Japan.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Covers the period in Japan from the 1930s to the 1950s and will introduce students to topics such as wartime atrocities, the dropping of the atomic bombs and the prosecution of war criminals. It will also attempt to explain why so much controversy surrounds interpretations of events arising from Japan's last war, the Asia-Pacific War.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course focuses on the period in Japan from the 1930s to the 1950s, introducing students to issues of continuing historical and political controversy, such the dropping of the atomic bombs and the Tokyo War Crimes Trial.  It thus covers the domestic and international impact of the Asia-Pacific War, which ended in 1945.  Students are forewarned that this is not a course on specific battles or military strategy.  They are also forewarned that the course addresses events involving tremendous physical and emotional suffering.

Grading

  • In-class Primary Source Analysis: the film, Gojira/Godzilla The purpose of this ungraded assignment is to provide practice in analysing a primary source. 0%
  • Essay (5 double-spaced pages MAXIMUM) 30%
  • PowerPoint presentation of a war-related topic (to be determined by the student): Proposal 5% | PowerPoint for instructor on Zoom or BlackBoard 15% 20%
  • Take-home final examination 20%
  • Class Participation 30%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

 

REQUIRED READING:

Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008 SFU Library available online: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/lib/sfu-ebooks/reader.action?docID=4963133&ppg=1

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SUMMER 2021

Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses.  Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).