EALC 250: Nation, Culture, and Power in East Asia

Why is nationalism dangerous in some contexts and a source of pride in others? How do ideas of national and cultural identity converge and challenge concepts of multiculturalism, diversity, and globalization? In this class, we will investigate the transnational flow of peoples, beliefs, and ideas into and out of East Asia and examine how such movements have sharpened as well as challenged national identities. Our collective goal is analyze how political power, nationalism, and cultural identity entangled in East Asia, and how nationalism and nation-building operate as political, cultural, and social projects around the globe. While the bulk of the course will be on the contemporary context, we will also examine how 19^th and 20^th century colonial encounters shaped ideas about cultural difference, including discourses of race, have been used to justify the oppression of certain minority groups up to the present day.