Hannah Waight '10

Hannah Waight '10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Harvard College ’10 (Currier House)
AB, East Asian Studies
AM, RSEA '14

I came to Harvard knowing that I wanted to continue studying Chinese, having begun learning the language in high school. It was an introduction to Chinese history offered by EALC faculty Henrietta Harrison, however, that first piqued my interest in the study of modern China. I ultimately concentrated in East Asian Studies because of the opportunities afforded to pursue interdisciplinary study, delve deeply into the language and history of a region, and work closely with faculty members dedicated to undergraduate education. My passion for social science research on modern China was initiated by my experiences in EAS junior tutorials, and has continued to motivate my studies as a doctoral student in sociology at Princeton.

My favorite classroom experience as an EAS concentrator was Nara Dillon’s junior tutorial, EAS 98d: The Political Economy of Modern China. On the first day of class, Professor Dillon and her teaching fellow Meg Rithmire asked students to briefly reflect on their interest in the course material and any social science perspectives they had on China. With little background in the subject, I expressed my skepticism of abstract social science theory and its relevance for understanding China. Despite this baseline mistrust, however, I soon discovered new lenses through which to study China and the usefulness of the interplay between theory and data under Professor Dillon’s guidance. In fact, I found the class so inspiring that I would eventually return three years later as Professor Dillon’s TF.

The EAS curriculum thus provided me with a great foundation to continue my academic career. In particular, the concentration’s commitment to interdisciplinary study granted a much broader perspective on certain issues than a focused disciplinary education could have provided. This outlook has been particularly useful with respect to my sociology doctoral training, and it has allowed me to better understand the relationship between my discipline and others on theory, subject matter focus, and research methodology. Beyond its interdisciplinary scope, the emphasis on deep area-based knowledge in EAS has also continued to inform my research on Chinese household financial practices and gender roles.

From my perspective, however, the greatest asset of an EAS education is the chance to work with the concentration’s dedicated faculty and staff. There are few departments at Harvard more committed to undergraduate education than East Asian Studies, and its concentrators are fortunate to benefit from departmental instruction and support.