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1 HUMA 1231 – Popular Culture of East Asia Professor – Mayyi SHAW ([email protected]) TA – Rena AIKELAMU ([email protected]) & Abel LAU ([email protected]) Class Time: Mon & Wed 12:00nn13:20pm (LTK) Prof. Shaw’s Office Hours: Wed 25pm or by appointment (Rm 3350) I. Course Description: This course provides an overview of the various forms of popular culture – music, film, TV drama, manga/anime, literature, art and design – in modern East Asia (Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). It explores not only the “uniqueness” of each location’s popular genres but also the shared “interconnectedness” among different East Asian cultures. The key questions that this course attempt to raise and address are – How does East Asian popular culture reflect people’s desire for “modernity” or “modernization” at each location? How has each cultural “wave” or “craze” significantly influenced East Asian relations in the postWWII period? Moreover, as global fascination with East Asian popular culture continues to grow, how has such regional “soft power” begun to inspire global aesthetics and transform both public imagination and understanding of East Asia? By placing the issues of “modernity vs. modernization” and “localization vs. globalization” in the heart of our discussions, this course aims to develop students’ critical thinking beyond the seemingly popular trends and inspire them to form their own reflections and creative responses to the prevalent cultural phenomena that they experience everyday. II. Course Themes & Assignments: Feb 1 & 3 – Introduction: Why Popular Culture Matters? Article – “Soft Power” by Joseph Nye Article – “Best of Both Worlds: Wisteria Tea House and Starbucks” by Lung Yingtai Feb 8 & 10 – NO CLASS due to Chinese New Year Holidays Feb 15 & 17 – Yearning in the Metropolis: For Love or Modernity?? TV Drama (selected episodes) Tokyo Love Story (Japan) Winter Sonata (Korea) Feb 22 & 24 – A Common East Asian Childhood & Adolescence: Shared Memories and Nostalgia Over Expressions of the Indigenous Manga/Anime – Dragon Ball (selected episode; Japan) Anime Film – My Life as McDull (Hong Kong) Doraemon Stand By Me (Japan) Article – “This City is Full of Otaku” by Nakamori Akio Feb 29 & Mar 2 – A Cacophony of Pop Tunes Music – Selected songs from Jpop, Kpop, and Cpop singers Article – “Popular Culture and Masculinity Ideals in East Asia, with Special Reference to China” by Kam Louie Response Essay #1 Due – March 12 on Canvas at 11pm Mar 7 & 9 – Screening East Asia I: History & Society on the Silver Screen Film – Tokyo Story by Ozu Yasujiro (Japan)

HUMA 1231 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

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Page 1: HUMA 1231 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

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HUMA  1231  –  Popular  Culture  of  East  Asia    

Professor  –  May-­‐yi  SHAW  ([email protected])  TA  –  Rena  AIKELAMU  ([email protected])  &  Abel  LAU  ([email protected])  

Class  Time:  Mon  &  Wed  12:00nn-­‐13:20pm  (LT-­‐K)    Prof.  Shaw’s  Office  Hours:  Wed  2-­‐5pm  or  by  appointment  (Rm  3350)  

   

I.  Course  Description:  

This   course   provides   an   overview   of   the   various   forms   of   popular   culture   –   music,   film,   TV   drama,  manga/anime,   literature,   art   and   design   –   in   modern   East   Asia   (Japan,   Korea,   China,   Hong   Kong,   and  Taiwan).   It   explores   not   only   the   “uniqueness”   of   each   location’s   popular   genres   but   also   the   shared  “interconnectedness”  among  different  East  Asian  cultures.    The  key  questions  that  this  course  attempt  to  raise  and  address  are  –  How  does  East  Asian  popular  culture  reflect  people’s  desire  for  “modernity”  or  “modernization”  at  each  location?  How  has  each  cultural  “wave”  or   “craze”   significantly   influenced   East   Asian   relations   in   the   post-­‐WWII   period?   Moreover,   as   global  fascination  with  East  Asian  popular  culture  continues  to  grow,  how  has  such  regional  “soft  power”  begun  to  inspire  global  aesthetics  and  transform  both  public  imagination  and  understanding  of  East  Asia?    By  placing   the   issues  of   “modernity  vs.  modernization”  and  “localization  vs.  globalization”   in   the  heart  of  our   discussions,   this   course   aims   to   develop   students’   critical   thinking   beyond   the   seemingly   popular  trends   and   inspire   them   to   form   their   own   reflections   and   creative   responses   to   the   prevalent   cultural  phenomena  that  they  experience  everyday.      II.  Course  Themes  &  Assignments:    Feb  1  &  3  –  Introduction:  Why  Popular  Culture  Matters?  

• Article  –  “Soft  Power”  by  Joseph  Nye  • Article  –  “Best  of  Both  Worlds:  Wisteria  Tea  House  and  Starbucks”  by  Lung  Yingtai  

 Feb  8  &  10  –  NO  CLASS  due  to  Chinese  New  Year  Holidays    Feb  15  &  17  –  Yearning  in  the  Metropolis:  For  Love  or  Modernity??  

• TV  Drama  (selected  episodes)  Ø Tokyo  Love  Story  (Japan)  Ø Winter  Sonata  (Korea)  

 Feb  22  &  24  –  A  Common  East  Asian  Childhood  &  Adolescence:  Shared  Memories  and  Nostalgia  Over  Expressions  of  the  Indigenous  

• Manga/Anime  –  Dragon  Ball  (selected  episode;  Japan)  • Anime  Film  –    

Ø My  Life  as  McDull  (Hong  Kong)  Ø Doraemon  Stand  By  Me  (Japan)  

• Article  –  “This  City  is  Full  of  Otaku”  by  Nakamori  Akio    Feb  29  &  Mar  2  –  A  Cacophony  of  Pop  Tunes  

• Music  –  Selected  songs  from  J-­‐pop,  K-­‐pop,  and  C-­‐pop  singers    • Article  –  “Popular  Culture  and  Masculinity  Ideals  in  East  Asia,  with  Special  Reference  to  China”  by  Kam  Louie  

• Response  Essay  #1  Due  –  March  12  on  Canvas  at  11pm    Mar  7  &  9  –  Screening  East  Asia  I:  History  &  Society  on  the  Silver  Screen  

• Film  –    Ø Tokyo  Story  by  Ozu  Yasujiro  (Japan)  

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Ø Taegukgi  by  Kang  Jegyu  (Korea)    Mar  14,  16,  21  –  Screening  East  Asia  II:  Identity  on  the  Silver  Screen  

• Film  –    Ø Yiyi  by  Edward  Yang  (Taiwan)  Ø Aberdeen  by  Pang  Ho-­‐cheung  (Hong  Kong)*  

 Mar  23  –  In-­‐class  Mid-­‐term  Exam    Mar  30  –  NO  CLASS  

• Please  use  this  time  to  prepare  for  your  final  project.    • Project  Proposal  Due  –  March  30  on  Canvas  at  11pm  

 Apr  6,  11,  13  –  Global  East  Asia  I:  When  Intercultural  Exchanges  Run  Wild  

• TV  Drama  (selected  episodes)  –  Hana  Yori  Dango  (Japan),  Meteor  Garden  (Taiwan)  &  Boys  Over  Flowers  (Korea)  

• Short  Story  –  “A  Slow  Boat  to  China”  by  Murakami  Haruki  (Japan)  • Video  –  Interview  with  Murakami  Takashi  (Japan)  

 April  18,  20,  25  –  Global  East  Asia  II:  When  China  Goes  Global  

• Film  –    Ø Pushing  Hands  by  Ang  Lee  (Taiwan)  Ø To  Live  by  Zhang  Yimou  (China)  

 April  27  –  Class  Review  

• Final  Project  –  Creative  Art  Piece  Due  –  April  30  on  Canvas  at  11pm    May  4  –  Students’  Presentations  

• Selected  groups  only  based  on  online  submissions  • Response  Essay  #2  Due  –  May  3  on  Canvas  at  11pm  

 *Screening  Session  For  materials  placed  on  media  reserve  or  whose  online  sources  could  not  be  found,  screening  sessions  will  be  held  outside  the  regular  classroom  hours  for  English-­‐speaking  students.    *A  Field  Trip  to  PMQ,  Central  (Date  &  Time  TBA  later)      III.  Course  Requirements:    

• Attendance  –  10%  • In-­‐class  Quizzes  –  15%    • 2  Response  Essays  –  20%  (10%  each)  • Mid-­‐term  Exam  –  25%    • Group  Final  Project    

Ø One  creative  art  –  15%  Ø One  paper  –  15%      

Attendance  &  In-­‐Class  Quizzes:      

• Attendance  will  be   taken   through   the   “Personal  Response  System”   (PRS)  by   the  professor   raising  one  question  related  to  the  topic  of  the  week.    

• Pop  quizzes  will  be  given  from  time  to  time  in  class  without  prior  notice,  and  each  quiz  consists  of  2  questions  that  relate  to  the  assignment  of  that  week.  So  be  sure  to  complete  all  assignments  PRIOR  to  coming  to  class.    

• Those  who  are  absent  on  the  day  of  the  pop  quiz  will  NOT  be  permitted  to  retake  the  quiz  –  so  be  mindful  of  your  attendance!  

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 Response  Essays:    

• Throughout   the   course,   you  will   need   complete   2   response   essays   (2-­‐3   page   double-­‐spaced;   12-­‐point  font  or  smaller)  on  YOUR  OWN  reflections  on  the  works  assigned  in  class.    

• While   there   are   no   right   or   wrong   answers   to   the   response   essays,   being   “truthful,   thoughtful,  original  and  introspective”  is  the  key  to  quality  essays.  

• All  entries  need  to  be  submitted  as  a  WORD  file  on  Canvas  by  the  due  date.  Late  submissions  will  receive  reduced  marks,  and  any  submissions  that  are  beyond  THREE  day  late  will  not  be  accepted.    

 Mid-­‐term  Exam:    

• The  mid-­‐term  exam  will  assess  your  understanding  of  the  themes,  topics,  and  works  covered  in  the  first  half  of  the  course.    

• The   exam  will   comprise   several   types   of   questions   including   definition   of   terms/phrases,   short-­‐answer   questions,   and   short   essays.   The   best   way   to   study   for   the   exam   is   to   complete   all   the  assignment  and  pay  close  attention  to  lectures  in  class!  

 Group  Final  Project:    • The  final  group  project  (4-­‐5  students  max  per  group)  consists  of  2  parts  –  1)  one  creative  piece  of  

art;  2)  one  group  paper.  • The  final  project  will  ask  you  to  take  a  creative  approach  to  the  themes  and  topics  discussed  in  this  

course  by  producing  an  original  work  of  art  in  one  form  of  popular  culture.  For  example,  you  could  create  a   short   film   that   conveys  your  version  of   the  Hong  Kong  story,  write  up  a   short   story   that  reflects  a  rising  new  trend  among  your  peers,  or  compose  a  song  that  has  the  potential  of  becoming  the  next  “Gangnam  Style”  in  the  world!  

• The  golden  rule  –  the  more  creative,  the  better!  And  this  should  be  a  project  that  “matters  to  you”  and  your  group  mates  and  reflects  what  you  have  learned  from  this  course.  

• Please  submit  your  project  proposal  by  March  30th  and  your  creative  art  piece  on  Canvas  by  April  30th  at  11pm.    

• Each   group   also   needs   to   submit   1   paper   (5-­‐7   pages;   double-­‐spaced,   12   font   or   smaller)   that  explains  the  inspiration,  vision,  and  intent  of  the  project  as  well  as  the  contribution  of  each  group  member.  The  due  date  will  be  announced  later  but  should  be  around  end  of  May.  

 IV.  Class  Rules:      • NO  plagiarism!  –  violations  (including  using  online  device  such  as  Google  translation)  will  result  in  

a  ZERO  on  your  assignment.    • No  use  of  mobile  phone  –  i.e.  no  talking,  texting,  emailing,  or  web  browsing  on  your  mobile  phone.  

Please  put  your  phone  on  silent  mode  in  class.    • RESPECTFUL  use  of  personal  laptop  –  while  taking  notes  on  your  laptop  is  gladly  welcomed,  non-­‐

class-­‐related   use   such   as   checking   your   email,   updating   your   Facebook   status,   or   online  chatting/shopping  is  NOT.  Please  be  respectful  and  leave  those  habits  at  home!    

• Listening   etiquette   –   please   listen   carefully   when   someone   –   whether   it   is   your   professor   or  classmate   –   is   talking.  This   also  means  NOT  gluing   your   eyes   to   the   screen  of   any  digital   devices  when  someone  is  speaking  in  the  room!  

• Speaking  etiquette  –  please  raise  your  hand  if  you  would  like  to  ask  a  question  or  raise  a  comment.  Please  also  allow  others  to  finish  before  you  begin!  

 

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Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to: 1 To become familiar with various popular forms of contemporary East Asian culture 2 To understand the social, economic, and political factors that influence the rise of East Asian pop culture 3 To recognize the impact of “soft power” among East Asian countries and East Asia and the rest of the world 4 To integrate one's interest and creativity with academic inquiry