Asian Studies

This is an introductory and interdisciplinary survey course on Korean culture and society. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of Korean culture and society and its larger attendant issues, such as class and gender in traditional Korea, its history of colonialism, Korean War, and their aftermaths, the politics of national division, economic growth and modernization of South Korea, its contemporary cultural expressions, to name a few, in their proper context. Through examination of cultural, historical, anthropological, literary, and cinematic texts the course develops a more inclusive, yet heterogeneous and wide-ranging, view of Korean culture and society. 

This course covers twenty-first century Korean popular culture - from the Hallyu (Korean Wave) phenomenon to cultures of popular protest, including the Minjung movement; culture industry and mass culture; consumption cultures; fandom cultures; globalization of Korean food, as well as emerging cybercultures. Utilizing an anthropological perspective, the course situates these phenomena within issues of class, gender and ethnicity in South Korea.

This course examines the major issues and core ideas of Buddhism from its beginnings to subsequent developments in others parts of Asia. It covers Buddhist understanding of liberation, existence, and knowledge, with a focus on exploring how Buddhist thought and practices, such as ritual and meditation, shape each other in larger socio-cultural contexts.

Through this course the students will be learning the connotation knowledge of Beijing Opera and learning how to appreciate the beauty of Beijing opera art. From the aesthetic experience, we can appreciate the beauty of drama.The so-called "how can we know the spring scenery without going to the garden" has gradually expanded from the introduction of Beijign Opera to its love of opera art and even Chinese traditional culture, so as to cultivate the temperament and beautify the soul.

"Anime," "Comic," and "Game" are some of the aggressive and innovative forms of popular culture spreading throughout the world. Japan is one of the major countries influencing this unique popular culture moment so much so that enthusiasts of such popular culture have been called “Otaku.” Otaku also delivers a new sense of atmosphere in terms of "Kawaii" and "Moe." 

“Otaku” cultures have created a transnational cultural boom referred to as “Cool Japan,” creating an inevitable cultural influence. Furthermore, political strategy suggests favorable international competitiveness due to these cultural deliverables, seeds of creativity influencing its national branding.

This course aims to understand how the roots of these Otaku cultural activities in Japan have expanded internationally as one of Simulacra with creators, and activists of the fields: How has the technology created and known its real motivation to drive these sub-cultural activities? This course addresses the backgrounds and characteristics as well as the innovative expansion of “Otaku” culture, which is recognized internationally and born in the age of competing creativity from the Social Darwinism inherent during the phase of its economic growth and development of Japan.
 

This course provides a general introduction of the modern history of the two Koreas. It examines the evolution of Korean society since liberation from Japan in 1945 up to the present. The class covers topics related to transition in the East Asian international order, division of the Korean Peninsula, the Korean War, economic growth and social transformation in South Korean society, North Korean society, and the South-North relationship. It provides a general overview of Korean history since 1945. Through class discussions on student presentations and documentaries, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the key historical, as well as current, issues and to develop and present their own perspectives to look at these issues.

The course looks at domestic dynamics in Korean society from the traditional era and attempts to understand modern Korean history, in particular related to foreign relations. Other course topics include Korea's economic growth and democratization; understanding of North Korea; Korea's position in the world; Choson society and its longevity; the Colonial Period; division of the Korean Peninsula; politics; the Korean War; Armistice agreement system; U.S.-Korea Relationship; U.S. troop presence in South Korea; North Korea's modern history; and, North Korean Society.