Page of Political and Social History of Modern and Contemporary Japan and Korea 2022-23, by professor Marco Del Bene. Il corso vale anche per Storia dell'Asia Orientale e Sud-Orientale, LM, SAR)

1055441 POLITICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY JAPAN AND KOREA B (LCO LM-36)

History, Identity, and International relations in Japan and Korea through POP culture.

The course will address issues like history, memory, national identity and public relations of Japan and Korea in the global context using popular media and culture as a resource.

In the last decades, Pop culture, previously perceived as mere entertainment, has been increasingly used by scholars in humanities and IR as evidence for assessing broader issues like national groups self perception, otherness representation and identity. The case of Japan and South Korea is particularly interesting, both to understand bilateral relations among these two east asian nations, and how they stand in a global perspective.

The first part of the course will be devoted to general methodological issues. The second part will be devoted to the discussion of specific issues in Japan and Korea, with some insight at the general framework of East Asia. The third part will be devoted to student’s presentations on topics agreed upon with me.

E' richiesta la conoscenza della lingua inglese. E' preferibile avere già una conoscenza di base della storia dell'Asia Orientale nel contesto globale del XIX e del XX secolo.

English proficiency is a prerequisite. It is advisable to have, prior to the course, a basic knowledge of the East-Asian history in the global context of XIX and XX Century.

Questo corso ha struttura seminariale. La prima parte prima parte è costituita da lezioni impartite dal docente. Nella seconda parte del corso ogni studente (singolarmente o in gruppo) farà una presentazione sul tema concordato con il docente. Le due parti fanno parte integrale del corso per gli studenti frequentanti.

La presentazione in classe pesa per il 40% del voto. È richiesta anche la stesura di una tesina originale sullo stesso tema della presentazione in classe, di 15.000 battute, che pesa per il 60% del voto.

Gli studenti che non partecipano al seminario faranno un esame orale individuale in cui risponderanno a domande sui libri di testo indicati. Gli studenti che non sono nelle condizioni di sostenere l'esame con le modalità qui descritte sono pregate di contattarmi durante l'orario di ricevimento, onde trovare soluzioni alternative.

This course is a seminar. I will deliver the lesson for the first and the the second part of the course, while in the third and last one part, students themselves will deliver presentation (single or group).  Each part of the course have to be regularly followed by attending students.

For students taking part in the seminar: In class activity and individual presentation will account for the 40% of the vote. Attending students are also required to submit a 15.000 characters long paper, accounting for 60% of the vote.

For students not attending the seminar: Each student, during an individual interview, shall reply to questions on the  program. Students who are unable to take such kind of exam, are requested to contact me during office time, to look for alternative solutions.

Bibliografia

Bibliografia/Bibliography:

General methodological issues:

1) the Introduction of Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, Vintage, 1993, pp. XIII-XXXV;

2) Jittipat Poonkaham, Fictional International Relations: Problematizing Fact and Fiction in Global Politics

https://www.e-ir.info/2022/08/24/fictional-international-relations-problematizing-fact-and-fiction-in-global-politics/

East and South-Easth Asia general framework

3) Chua Beng Huat, Structure, Audience and Soft Power in East Asian Pop Culture, Hong Kong UP, 2012
Introduction, pp. 1-8;
East Asian Pop Culture: Mapping the Contours, pp. 9-30;
Pop Culture as Soft Power, pp. 119-143;
Conclusions, pp. 145-154.

Japan and Korea

4) Rumi Sakamoto and Stephen Eptesein, Popular Culture and the Transformation of Japan–Korea Relations, Routledge, 2021.

Further materials will be supplied during the course.