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Summer 2021
Mar 29,2024
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Information Select the desired Level or Schedule Type to find available classes for the course.

INTL 204 - PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF ASIA
This course investigates Asian society and culture, especially Japan, as they relate to our lives in the United States. The course has three foci. First, we examine the notion of culture by investigating the complexity of what we consider to be "Japanese culture.” "Culture" is constructed through interactions with other “cultures” in particular political economic contexts. It is fluid and ever changing. We challenge the myth ofJapan’s homogeneity and investigate multicultural and hybrid Japan. We focus on the history and experiences of ethnic minorities in Japan, especially Zainichi Koreans and people with African descent. In this course, we learn how we imagine and construct what "Japanese culture" is through analyzing media images, popular culture, food, linguistic signs, and various discourses. Second, we explore social issues surrounding the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident of 3/11/2011 and its aftermath. We will read various articles, watch lectures from diverse viewpoints on YouTube, welcome a guest speaker, and discuss the sustainability and safety of nuclear power plants in Japan and their link to the global weapons race. Students will engage in activities to raise awareness about the issues surrounding Fukushima and beyond (midterm project). Third, we analyze the manifestations of these imaginings of culture in the United States by focusing on the linguistic landscape in our area. There will be a hands—on activity (final project) on the topic. We will study these topics through class lectures; writing discussion papers; class discussions of video clips, films we see in class, and assigned readings; listening to guest lectures; organizing activities to raise awareness about the situation in Fukushima; doing out-of-class research on the linguistic landscape; and writing mid-term and final papers. This is a General Education Program Course. This course will examine the interconnectedness of political, economic, and cultural domains and construction of cultural representations. It will provide a context through which students can learn to interpret and critically analyze world events and interactions.
0.000 TO 4.000 Credit hours
0.000 TO 4.000 Lecture hours

Levels: Undergraduate
Schedule Types: Hybrid, Lecture, Online Course

International Studies Department

Course Attributes:
Gen Ed 2018, Gen Ed 18-Global Awareness, OLD GE-INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels:     
      Undergraduate

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