East Asian Studies 200 - COLQ: TOPICS EAST ASIAN STUD

Focusing on a theme of significance to the region, this course introduces students to a variety of methods of inquiry used for research in the interdisciplinary field of East Asian studies. Students are introduced to methods of locating and analyzing information sources, developing research questions and writing during the course of the semester. Normally taken in the sophomore or junior year. Also open to non-EAS majors. This course explores the various discourses of the "modern" through the study of two iconic female figures who were often labeled as "difficult women:" the New Woman and the Modern Girl. We will explore who these figures were, what was so modern and difficult about them, by examining the discourses accompanying them in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. By using these figures to enrich our understanding of gendered politics, consumer culture, colonial modernity and international relations, students become familiar with interdisciplinary studies. We also use historical, literary and visual texts to consider the possibilities and problems of comparative colonial history. Enrollment limited to 18.

Topic: The Difficult Female.