EAS 202 - Symbol, Society, Self: Modern and Contemporary East Asia

This course offers an interdisciplinary approach to East Asia in modern and contemporary times--its recent histories, evolving cultures, languages, and literatures. China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula have undergone dramatic cultural, political, and social changes since the advent of modernity. How did these changes take place, and how did they help shape the global, multicultural East Asia we know today? This course explores these new approaches to modern life, sparked by transnational flows of people and ideas, and invites students to discover how historical East Asian practices and beliefs adapted and transformed to meet new challenges of modern life. We will approach these questions through a variety of interactive projects and activities, class discussions, lectures, films, and new media.