This class is an overview of Japanese popular culture from the Tokugawa era (1600-1868) to the present, with an emphasis on contemporary (post-1945) popular culture. We will study changes in Japanese culture through movies, anime (animated cartoons), comic books, music, and other artifacts, focusing on the experiences of women and men in the production, use, and patronage of specific genres. Topics include the role of mass media, the globalization of Japanese pop culture, and changing ideas of race, gender, and society in Japan.

(same as 26130 GlblClt 103B, Lec B;   and 26840 History 172G, Lec A)

Days: TU TH  09:30-10:50 AM

This course surveys social, cultural, and political aspects of contemporary Korea. We will examine and interpret some of the key social institutions and culture changes including family and gender relationships, the impact of Korean War and national division, industrialization and its legacies, social movement, labor and marriage migration, and popular culture and culture industry.  We will also explore the life and society of North Korea and the issues of North Korean refugees in South Korea. As part of class activities, we will follow closely some of the current events and interpret them considering what we learn in class for the purpose of enhancing the students’ practical skills to analyze Korean society.  Course materials include scholarly articles, films, and literature.

(same as 26118 GlblClt 103A, Lec B;   and 64520 Intl St 179, Lec B)

Days: MO WE  12:00-12:50 PM

RUSSIAN 150, Spring 2024
Revolutionary Visions: 20th-Century Russian Literature

This course is designed to give students an understanding of 20th-century Russian literature, its origins, cultural context, and evolution. Students will also sharpen their skills in critically assessing fiction and poetry. 

We will begin with the turn-of-the-century Symbolist/ Decadent movement, then look at how Soviets tried to develop a new literature that reflected their new, post-Revolutionary society. Afterwards, we will explore official and unofficial literature after Stalin. Finally, we will read works from the disorienting post-Soviet decade. Authors include Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Isaak Babel, Viktor Pelevin, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya as well as Nobel Laureates Ivan Bunin, Boris Pasternak, Alexander Solzenitsyn, and Joseph Brodsky. Writing assignments will be developed to reflect the individual interests of each student. All literature will be read in English translation.
Days: TU TH  03:30-04:50 PM

Emphasis/Category: Pacific Rim, Inter-Area Studies

This course is designed to give students an understanding of 20th-century Russian literature, its origins, cultural context, and evolution. Students will also sharpen their skills in critically assessing fiction and poetry.

We will begin with the turn-of-the-century Symbolist/ Decadent movement, then look at how Soviets tried to develop a new literature that reflected their new, post-Revolutionary society. Afterwards, we will explore official and unofficial literature after Stalin. Finally, we will read works from the disorienting post-Soviet decade. Authors include Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Isaak Babel, Viktor Pelevin, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya as well as Nobel Laureates Ivan Bunin, Boris Pasternak, Alexander Solzenitsyn, and Joseph Brodsky. Writing assignments will be developed to reflect the individual interests of each student. All literature will be read in English translation.

(same as 31280 Russian 150, Lec A)
Days: TU TH  03:30-04:50 PM

Emphasis/Category: Pacific Rim, Locating Asias (Nation, Culture, and Diaspora)

This course surveys social, cultural, and political aspects of contemporary Korea. We will examine and interpret some of the key social institutions and culture changes including family and gender relationships, the impact of Korean War and national division, industrialization and its legacies, social movement, labor and marriage migration, and popular culture and culture industry.  We will also explore the life and society of North Korea and the issues of North Korean refugees in South Korea. As part of class activities, we will follow closely some of the current events and interpret them considering what we learn in class for the purpose of enhancing the students’ practical skills to analyze Korean society.  Course materials include scholarly articles, films, and literature.

(same as 23018 EAS 130, Lec A;   and 64520 Intl St 179, Lec B)
Days: MO WE  12:00-12:50 PM

Emphasis/Category: Pacific Rim, Inter-Area Studies, Locating Asias (Nation, Culture, and Diaspora)

This class is an overview of Japanese popular culture from the Tokugawa era (1600-1868) to the present, with an emphasis on contemporary (post-1945) popular culture. We will study changes in Japanese culture through movies, anime (animated cartoons), comic books, music, and other artifacts, focusing on the experiences of women and men in the production, use, and patronage of specific genres. Topics include the role of mass media, the globalization of Japanese pop culture, and changing ideas of race, gender, and society in Japan.

(same as 23010 EAS 120, Lec A;   and 26840 History 172G, Lec A)
Days: TU TH  09:30-10:50 AM

Emphasis/Category: Atlantic Rim, Locating Europes and European Colonies, Pacific Rim, Inter-Area Studies, Locating Asias (Nation, Culture, and Diaspora)

The literature of Vietnam and the Vietnamese diaspora counts among the most vibrant, innovative, beautiful, and aesthetically powerful currents of contemporary francophone culture.  We will study a range of key texts from the nineteenth through twenty-first centuries by such key writers as Nguyên Du, Vu Van Huan, Marguerite Duras, Pham Duy Khiêm, Pham Van Ky, Ly Thu Ho, Kim Lefèvre, Xuân Phuc, Edith Simon, and Linda Lê, as well as filmmaker Trân Anh Hùng.

(same as 24934 French 127, Lec A)
Days: MO WE  11:00-11:50 AM