Prof. John Paden T-Th: 10:30-11:45 AM

HNRS 230.002 East 134

Spring 2006 Cross-Cultural Perspectives:

Understanding the giants of Asia and Africa

(China & Nigeria)

Topic Readings

Part I. Introduction

Week 1

Jan. 24 Intro to cross-cultural perspectives handouts

Jan. 26 Intro to cross-cultural perspectives

Week 2

Jan. 31 Intro to Asia and Africa handouts

Feb. 2 Intro to Asia and Africa

Part II. Perspectives on Chinese Culture

Week 3

Feb. 7 Perspectives on Chinese Culture Yao Ming

Feb. 9 Perspectives on Chinese Culture

Week 4

Feb. 14 China: frameworks of values Confucius

Feb. 16 China: family values

Week 5

Feb. 21 China: gender relations Jung Chang Feb. 23 China: gender relations

Week 6

Feb. 28 China: modern perspectives Gao Xingjian (selections)

Mar. 2 China: modern perspectives

Week 7

Mar. 7 China: economic perspectives (handouts)

Mar. 9 China: faces the 21st century

(First essay due) (Note: spring recess March 12-19)

Part III. Perspectives on Nigerian Culture

Week 8

Mar. 21 Perspectives on Nigerian culture Paden

Mar. 23 Perspectives on Nigerian culture

Week 9

Mar. 28 Northern Nigerian cultures Paden

Mar. 30 Northern Nigerian cultures

Week 10

Apr. 4 Southwestern Nigerian cultures Wole Soyinka

Apr. 6 Southwestern Nigerian cultures

Week 11

April 11 Southeastern Nigerian cultures Chinua Achebe

April 13 Southeastern Nigerian cultures

Week 12

April 18 The emergence of national culture Paden

April 20 The emergence of national culture

Part IV. Comparisons & conclusions

Week 13

April 25 Comparisons Handouts

April 27 Comparisons

Week 14

May 2 Conclusions Handouts

May 4 Conclusions

(2nd essay due)

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Readings: Please read the introductory books for China (*-Yao Ming), and Nigeria (* -Paden). Plus, select two more books for China and one for Nigeria, for a total of five books.

China:

*1) Yao Ming, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds, NY, Miramax books, 2004.

2) Confucius, Analects, (various editions; my preference is the translation by Chichung Huang, The Analects of Confucious: A literal translation with an introduction and notes, New York,Oxford University Press, 2000.) (paper)

3) Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, NY, Simon & Schuster, 1991. (paper)

4) Gao Xingjian, Soul Mountain, NY, Harper Collins, 2000. Note: Mr. Gao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in October 2000, the first Chinese writer to be so honored.

Nigeria:

*1) John N. Paden, Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution: The Challenge of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria, DC, Brookings Institution Press, 2005. (paper)

2) Wole Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman, NY, Hill & Wang, 1975. (paper) (Note: Mr. Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize in

Literature in 1986, the first African writer to be so honored.)

3) Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Greenwich Conn., Fawcett Publications, 1959. (paper)

Office Hours: East Building, room 207, Tuesday 3-5 pm, or by appointment; tel: 993-2181; fax: 993-2175; e-mail: jpaden@gmu.edu

Format & evaluation: The basic approach will be combination of lectures (by the instructor)

and seminar discussion (led by student participants). Emphasis will be on

development of analytical and communicative skills. Class attendance is

strongly encouraged. There will be two required essays of about 10-12 pages (double spaced), due on March 10th, and May 5th, respectively.

Grades will be based on the following:

--class participation: 40%

--lst essay: 25%

--2nd essay: 35%

Focus of class: The purpose of the class will be gain insights into the cultures of the two

largest countries in Asia and Africa: i.e. China and Nigeria. We will also explore the idea of comparative analysis. In addition to an overview text in each case, there will be several texts by “insiders” to each of the cultures.

Students should read the texts and be prepared to discuss the contents. In general,

students will sign up to lead a discussion in both the China and Nigeria segments of

the course.

Instructor: Professor John Paden is Clarence Robinson Professor of International

Studies, and Professor of Public and International Affairs at GMU. He did his BA at Occidental College in Philosophy, his MA at Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, (as a Rhodes scholar), and his Ph.D. at Harvard in Politics, with a focus on Muslim sufi networks in northern Nigeria.

Subsequently, Dr. Paden has done extensive research in the Hausa-speaking areas of northern Nigeria. He served as Director of African Studies at Northwestern University, Professor of Public Administration at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (Nigeria), and Dean of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Bayero University, Kano (Nigeria). In February, 1999, and April 2003, he served as a member of the international monitoring team for the Nigerian Presidential elections. His most recent book is: Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution: the Challenge of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria (2005).

In addition, Dr. Paden has been involved in U.S.-China scholarly exchanges for the past 20 years, is Co-Director of the GMU Center for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (CAPEC), and has served as Director of the GMU graduate summer program in China in economics and trade.

He has traveled extensively in Nigeria and China (most recently in December 2005 and January 2006).

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