Asian Studies

This course examines media film and anime (animation) in regards to Japanese social and cultural life. It focuses on the relationship of the media with contemporary Japanese culture, society, and politics, particularly the Pacific War (WW II) and Japanese society afterwards. The course explores various genres and representative films together with critical writings on the works with the objective of training students to relate visual texts with the written texts and to relate features of the films to the specific social, cultural, and political issues under discussion. Students consider the relationship between the films and their audiences, the impact of the dominance of films and anime in contemporary Japan and world wide, and various social and cultural issues that are closely related to the movie industry, such as violence and globalization. 

This course explores a cultural history of Korea through tangible and intangible heritages. Heritage is the material and spiritual culture that we have inherited from our ancestors. As a window to understand the history, culture, and people’s lives of Korea, we will examine national treasures, historical artifacts, particularly preserved at Yonsei, and heritage entries registered with UNESCO. Special emphasis will be placed on the interplay between performance and tangible texts, trans-national interactions with neighboring states, and the construction of the cultural identity of Korea. Lectures will be both topical and chronological and are designed to emphasize and expand upon texts, themes or issues, which are deemed important in the study of Korean culture.

This course is designed to develop student's understanding of Korean culture and society, focusing on intercultural awareness and communication. In this course, students learn about an ever fast growing and changing Korean society in the era of globalization. This course helps students appreciate the complexity and dynamics involved in Korean cultural contexts, enhance students’ self reflection of their own culture in relation to other cultures, and develop a cross-cultural understanding of other societies. As the world is transformed by globalization, Korea too has undergone enormous changes. Today's Korean society, economy, politics, culture, and the values of its people are vastly different from those of two decades ago. This course provides an overview of Korean culture with an emphasis on the major changes and continuities in Korea. We explore particular themes relevant to understanding Korea such as Confucianism, modernization, cyber-culture, in-group relations, indigenous values, nationalism, gender relations, multicultural families, and popular culture in contemporary Korea. Achievement of these goals requires emphasis on both theory and practice. From the outset, the course attempts to balance theory with practical experiences, in class exercises, and illustrative materials designed to increase intercultural awareness of Korean culture and society. Thus, student participation in class discussion and exercises is essential.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students with the knowledge and analytical tools needed to develop balanced views on Korean culture and society. Upon the completion of this course, students are able: to understand and explain values, attitudes, and norms that shape Korean culture; to develop awareness of, analyze, and evaluate their own cultural assumptions and how they relate to other cultures; to compare and contrast Korean culture and their own; to apply creative thinking and problem solving skills to intercultural/international communication; and to conduct research in a topic related to Korean culture and to write a paper based on the research.