Asian Studies 211GS - Gender/Sexuality in East Asia

This course explores the political/social meaning of gender and sexuality from the nineteenth century in the East Asian context. What did womanhood mean in neo-Confucian regimes? Why did gender emerge as a significant category in various social discourses, including anarchism, Marxism, and nationalism? How did certain types of women such as good wives and wise mothers, sexy modern girls, and socialist iron women emerge as (un)desirable models in these societies? How did women become historical agents or social victims during imperialist wars and economic development? We investigate the relationship between gender and ideologies/states/market economies to find our answer.