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Asian Studies
We were both looking at the same thing, seeing the same thing, talking about the same thing, thinking about the same thing, except he was looking, seeing, talking and thinking from a completely different dimension. What we have here is conflict of visions of reality.
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Hawaii is a link between East and West. There is an immediate need to understand foreign cultures because trade, business development, and international relations and security depend upon this understanding.
The purpose of a course in cross-cultural perception and awareness is to raise student awareness and understanding of the history, religion, culture, tradition, and the composition of non-American cultures and societies.
By understanding East-West similarities and differences, students will be able to apply their insights to other studies and aspects of their practical lives when viewing the impact of cross-culture contacts on government, society, traditional value systems and material culture.
The skills that the students acquire as a result of these courses will enable them to explore other areas of cross-cultural relations as they encounter them in their daily lives so that they can react and interact with knowledge and sensitivity.
Course Descriptions
Visit the Liberal Arts Syllabus Index for syllabi available online.