This course is an introduction to contemporary cultures and societies in Asia. It aims to interpret the region's historically and culturally broad themes and demonstrate them by focusing on certain Asian countries, primarily Japan and Southeast Asia. We will use relevant textbooks, ethnographies, short articles, still images, and film clips to analyze the meanings and implications of external global processes for local Asian peoples in their daily lives.
The first part of the course presents students with anthropological approaches to Asian Studies. The study also provides an overview of Asia in globalization, reflecting cultural flows, fractions & conflicts, power relations, and unequal development in various parts of Asia. The second part examines pervasive broad themes of contemporary Asian cultures and societies to understand several aspects of historical contexts and socio-cultural processes.

1. Students will have knowledge of contemporary cultures and societies in Asia concerning its historically and culturally pervasive broad themes.
2. Students will understand the current state of anthropological debates concerning contemporary Asian societies and cultures.
3. Students will have knowledge of the Asian countries in focus, including Japan and Southeast Asia, historically and socially.
4. The course will help prepare students for future dealings with cultural diversity, differences, and conflicts of contemporary human society by providing the necessary skills for critical analytical thinking about cultural differences in an increasingly globalized world.

This course is held on campus. If the course must be switched to remote teaching due to an emergency, we will use Zoom.

This class uses lectures and discussions as primary teaching methods. The course will proceed with the lecture format, using reading and media materials for analysis, such as PowerPoint presentations, film clips, and still images. Most course readings are from relevant textbooks, ethnographies, academic papers, and short essays. The readings will give students a profound look at relevant issues and present current theoretical and methodological approaches to understanding contemporary Asian cultures and societies.
The course highlights an interactive learning environment that stimulates dialogue between the instructor and students and among students. The learning process requires the instructor and students to play active roles collaboratively in achieving the course goals. One week before the start of each class, the instructor will provide students with an assigned handout to read via electronic mode.

Students will receive detailed comments on their reflection papers before the start of the student’s seminars.

•Students must read the assigned readings thoroughly before class attendance and actively share their ideas in class discussions.
•Students must select two themes/topics from the readings to write two short reflection papers and present them in the student seminars.
•A reflection paper is about two pages long (using A4 sized form, Times New Roman 12 font size with double line spacing).

•Class participation & presentation 30%
•Two short reflection papers 30%
•A final report in English 40%
Total of 100%

Bestor, Victoria Lyon, and Theodore C. Bestor (eds.) with Akiko Yamagata. 2011. Routledge Handbook of
Japanese Culture and Society. London and New York: Routledge.
Hendry, Joy. (ed.). 1998. Interpreting Japanese Society: Anthropological Approaches. Second edition.
London & New York: Routledge.
Martinez, D.P. (ed.). 1998. The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and
Global Cultures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ortner, Sherry. 2006. Anthropology and Social Theory: Culture, Power, and the Acting Subject. Durham
and London: Duke University Press.
Rigg, Jonathan. 1997. Southeast Asia. London and New York: Routledge.
Scupin, Raymond. (ed.). 2006. Peoples and Cultures of Asia. New Jersey: Pearson Prentices Hall.
Varley, Paul. 2000. Japanese culture. Fourth edition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

The instructor will supplement the above readings with materials from relevant texts, ethnographies, academic papers, and short essays. Copies of these will be sent to students via electronic mode.

This course does not presume any background knowledge of Asia. Students must read assigned handouts/ texts carefully before class attendance and engage in class discussion energetically.