The course examines the contemporary history and development of the societies of East Asia- China, Korea, Japan and Mongolia-with a particular emphasis on the political, economic and cultural geography of the region. Rather than lumping the regional countries as a monolithic 'oriental' space, the course examines the complexities and peculiarities within this vast and fascinating region. Through surveying important themes including nationalism, political economy, human-environment relations, power, religion, identity, and gender, the course will provide in depth understandings of how geographies of identification and difference are constructed, contested, and renegotiated in these regional countries.
Themes to explore in this course are: To what extent a rapidly rising China matter in the future global politics? Why should the global community be concerned with the contentious Korean peninsula? What are some implications of miraculous growth of Japan and its subsequent economic stagnation? Is formerly communist Mongolia's rapid development based on dramatic mining boom sustainable? Does it matter? What are some of the social peculiarities of the regional countries? What can we learn about the family and gender relations of these societies? What are some of the differences and similarities between within the regional countries? How can we understand and conceptualize the exchange, flow and consumption of popular cultural products within the regional countries?