Family & Society in East Asia

Course Overview

This is a one-semester discussion-based elective on East Asian identity from ancient times to the present. Employing techniques of Gender History and Cultural Studies, we will examine the ways in which Chinese, Japanese, and Korean conceptions of “masculine” and “feminine” have evolved in relation to a myriad of political and economic forces, as well as through the self-directed endeavors of people in this area to discover and express their “true” selves. After first going over the conceptual and social underpinnings of traditional East Asian gender roles via close readings of representative primary sources, the remainder of the course will engage recent scholarship to uncover how these roles have developed in the modern and contemporary eras. Particular emphasis will be placed on how national conceptions of identities are formed within a broader environment of transnational cultural consumption. Students will also compare and contrast East Asian gender roles over time, within the region, and with the United States. The course will conclude with student presentations on a self-selected research topic.