CHIN 7012 - Asia: Culture and Identities

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

Asia is not only increasingly important economically, Asian culture is also more and more relevant around the world. Cultures & Identities highlights the diversity of this culture, particularly in China and Japan as these are the most influential in both Asia the West. How did we get from Confucianism in East Asia, to cosplay and anime shaping Western pop culture? Did one result in the other? This course covers how traditional forces like Confucianism and Shinto shaped culture and identity and explores how modernisation has helped bring about "Lolitas" in Japan and "Little Pinks" in China. This exploration will help us understand how tradition and identity is being reshaped by modernity and today's patterns of consumption. Cultures & Identities may therefore cover aspects of traditional society and religion, the social consequences of the post-war economic change, as well as the influence of contemporary globalisation and the digital revolution on religion, fandoms and sub-cultures.

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