SPRING 2008 (2084)

0070 The World of Korea: Past and Present

2084 32932 M&W 4:30-5:45 203 Lawrence Hall Oh

1.This course will provide an introduction to Korean society and culture through a close study of the recent and highly acclaimed film Chunhyang, which is a theatrical version of a famous 18th century Korean literary work. It provides a complex and visually effective window into late Korean traditional culture, literature, educational system, family relations, and the performing arts. Through class works and readings, students will be able to study the concept of culture as a complex, intricate, and interrelated fabric of meanings and symbols. In this regard, the study of Korea will allow students to begin to acquire the tools to understand diversity in aspects of many cultures. Students can broaden their understanding of Korea in several historical, artistic, and socio cultural environments. Topics to be presented include a brief study of history from ancient history to the mid 20th century, historical aspects of the Korean language, cultural behavior, the performing arts; reflection on such diverse aspects of society as family structure, marriage, gender issues, the class system, education, political system, the agricultural life, and relations to other neighboring countries. The course will also examine changes in values, social and cultural institutions, and changes associated with modernization in the second half of the twentieth century up until the present time. Current North Korean education and society also will be studied. Video/CDs will be used whenever possible to allow students to visualize the society as it develops in the course of change. .

2. No prerequisites.

3. No recitation.

4. Expected class size: 30

5. This course is expected to be offered once a year.

0070 The World of Korea: Introduction to Popular Cultures of Korea and Japan

2081 22633 M&W 4:30-5:45 Eun-Young Jung (123 Music Building)

1. Japanese popular cultural products--including music, manga (comics), anime (animation), film, television, and character goods--constitute an important component of 21st century global culture; and Korean popular cultural products, including music, film, and TV dramas, are on a similar path, attracting fans particularly around Asia, including Japan. This course aims to introduce students to contemporary popular cultures of Japan and Korea, stressing their multiple forms, multiple and context-dependent meanings, and their aesthetic and commercial interconnections. We will examine various popular cultural forms, including music, film, TV drama, manga, anime, magazine, and fashion, through many windows: historical, political, economic, social, and individual. Starting with the period of Japanese colonization of Korea (1910-1945), we will see how Japan and Korea have nurtured antagonistic national prejudices against each other even as they simultaneously have drawn on each other’s popular culture. The two countries’ dynamic power relationships have created a unique pattern of directions and shapes for the cultural flows between them. For this reason, in addition to readings on specific genres within each country, we will be reading secondary materials that elucidate the historical, political, and economic contexts of Japan-Korea relations. The course will combine lectures with discussions of the readings as well as audio-visual materials, including music, films, and TV dramas. We will also examine the issue of globalization/localization processes and how the transnational flows of products and culture have affected local societies, media industries, and cultural identities in Japan and Korea.

2. No prerequisites.

3. No recitation.

4. Expected class size: 30

5. This is the first time "World of Korea" has been offered with this specific subtitle. It is unknown if it will be offered again. The standard "World of Korea" will be offered in the Spring Term of 2008 (2084). If a student is taking "World of Korea" this fall term and has previously, or will take in the future, the standard "World of Korea", please contact the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures if you experience complications about having two courses with the same title.