| Course | Title | Instructor | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAS 55 | INTR JPN CLASSICS | LONG, M. | In this course we have six goals: 1) to read and enjoy English translations of nine famous works of classical Japanese Literature, 2) to satisfy our historical, religious, philosophical and aesthetic curiosity by reading secondary essays on these same works, 3) to mimic them in creative writing assignments, 4) to transcribe them in manga assignments, 5) to curate artistic renderings of them in museum assignments and 6) to create two “becoming” portfolios to chronicle our interactions overall. This is a typical introduction to classical Japanese literature because it covers canonical topics and texts. It is a unique introduction to classical Japanese literature because it asks students not to analyze literature or memorize history, but to make literature (mimicry), make exhibits (museum), make manga dialog, and become the characters in our texts (in the “becoming” portfolios). |
| EAS 110 | ISLAND TO ISLAND | SCRUGGS, B. | Recent cultural and literary studies of islands in the Pacific Ocean focus on interconnection and seascapes, not isolation and land masses. In order to understand Taiwanese literature in this context, we read and discuss stories about the island, other islands, and the seascapes that connect them with the aid of established and emerging scholarly discourse on islands, literature, and Taiwan. |
| EAS 120 | GERMANY & JAPAN | BROADBENT, P. | This upper-division course is a three-part exploration of Germany’s perceptions of Japan from the late 19th century to the present. We will analyze the myriad ways Germany imagined, depicted, and represented Japan to German audiences in the media, film, literature and contemporary culture. In the first section, we begin the course comparing the development of both Germany and Japan into unified nation-states and their transformations into global powers and empires between 1884 and 1935. We then look at the military alliance between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan and how the consequences of that alliance shaped postwar German identity and memory culture. In the final section of the course, we explore how representations of Japan today are still shaped by 19th century orientalist narratives and conclude by examining how that dynamic is reversed in contemporary Japanese culture. (same as 25740 German 150, Lec A; 26124 GlblClt 103B, Lec A; and 26707 History 114, Lec C) |
| EAS 123 | STRUCT OF JAPANESE | RIGGS, H. | This course is an overview of the linguistic features of modern Japanese. Its main goal is to provide students a systematic introduction to the nature and characteristics of the language, including: Genealogical tree of the Japanese language; Orthography (What are various writing systems used in modern Japanese?); Phonetics and phonology (How can we describe the sounds of Japanese words?); Morphology (How are Japanese words constructed and organized?); Regeneration of lexicon (How are new words created?); Syntax (How are Japanese sentences structured?); Semantics. Through this course students will also explore the structure of the Japanese language and its historical development in conjunction with socio-cultural factors. Upon completion of this course, students should understand the idiosyncratic behavior of Japanese as a language. (same as 65240 LSCI 165B, Lec A) |
| EAS 130 | TWO KOREAS | FEDMAN, D. | As seen today, the Korean peninsula is home to two starkly different societies: a pop-culture powerhouse and a geopolitical pariah; a plugged-in innovator in consumer electronics and a closed-off authoritarian regime; a democratically elected government and a military dictatorship. These striking contrasts, however, belie a shared history and heritage. Taking the long view of the emergence and divergence of both polities, this course explores Korea’s remarkable transformation over the twentieth century, a period that witnessed colonial liberation as well as devastating war, political repression as well as cultural efflorescence, economic vitality as well as crushing famine. Among the topics examined are colonial collaboration and resistance, Korea in the Cold War order, ethnic nationalism, postwar industrial and economic reforms, and the global consumption of Korean culture. These topics will be examined through a wide range of sources (including films, memoirs, diaries, art, and scholarly assessments) that reflect the diversity of experiences of Koreans across social, class, and regional lines. (same as 26830 History 173G, Lec A) |
| EAS 150 | CONTEM KOREAN WOMEN | CHOI, C. | In this course we explore the themes, issues, and styles of the works of contemporary Korean women writers and film makers since the 1980s until today. This is Korea’s high growth period in the aftermath of the Korean War and the national division. We will examine the women’s experiences of gender and sexuality, work and maternity against the backdrop of Korea’s rapid industrialization, social movement, economic development, and globalization. We will critically analyze stories by O Chong-hui, Choe Yun, Kim Ae-ran, Hwang Jungeun, Kim Choyeop as well as films by Yim Soon-rye, Lee Eon-hi and others. (same as 22785 Com Lit 143, Lec A; and 25180 Gen&Sex 175, Lec A) |
| EAS 155 | JUSTICE AND ETHICS | CHOI, C. | In this course, we will examine the works of contemporary Korean writers, film makers and visual artists as the postmemory generations tell the stories of their inherited historical trauma and seek ways of healing through their respective aesthetic media while engaging critical theories of trauma, transitional justice, truth-telling, reconciliation through interdependence of care ethics. The topics we will examine include Comfort Women, war memories, state brutality, defection, diaspora and affective equality of care. The text we will examine include novels by Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Laureate, graphic novels by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, testimonies by former Comfort Women, films by Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook and others about war, memory struggle, question of forgiveness and reconciliation. (same as 26123 GlblClt 103B, Lec A; and 31220 Rel Std 120, Lec A) |
| EAS 155 | ROOT SEEKING | SCRUGGS, B. | Filled with magical realism, primitive passions, rustication, trauma, heroism, ancient states, local history, and the quotidian, 1980s root seeking (xúngÄ“n) literature and cinema invites us to simultaneously consider both ancient and socialist China. In order to understand these root seeking narratives we focus on the original texts, the writers and filmmakers, and the scholarly discourses surrounding them. |
| EAS 170 | LOVE IN THE MAY-4TH | HU, Y. | How did “free love” begin as a revolt against Confucian patriarchy in modern China? What role did “romance” play in the construction of the modern individual? How did changing relations between men and women affect literary productions? These are some of the questions we explore as we read fiction, plays and poetry by male and female writers during the first high tide of modern Chinese literature in the May-fourth era. In a time of enlightenment, women's liberation, and national awakening, these writers proposed "love" as a symbol of individual freedom, personal autonomy and gender equality. Course requirements include significant amount of reading, class discussions and in-class examinations. All readings are in English. |
| EAS 190 | KOREA URBAN/RURAL | KIM, K. | South Korea has rapidly changed over the last few decades. No longer a predominantly rural country, it is now a nation with a mature capitalist economy and a sprawling metropolitan culture. It is hard to imagine that a country now renowned for its K-pop and K-drama was once largely rural. This course will focus on how Korean literature and film have been shaped by modernization, urbanization, and industrialization. With the rural and farming population having dwindled to only a very small percentage of the total population, the course asks whether it is still possible to represent the country as anything more than a temporary vacation space for urban dwellers. If values remain firmly associated with the countryside, what are they, and how do they differ from urban ways of life? More importantly, how does the rural help define the urban? Through modern and contemporary Korean visual and literary texts, the class will explore the urban–rural divide. All mandatory texts for the course will be available in English translation. |