East Asia Tradition And Modernity

AY2016/2017 Semester 1

Much of what we see in current day East Asia finds its roots in centuries past. This course introduces students to the history of modern East Asia through the main themes of tradition and transformation. Tracing from the 1500s to the present day, this course examines how China, Japan and Korea emerged as modern nation states. A thematic approach is combined with a chronological one, giving both the historical context of events but at the same time a wider appreciation of phenomena such as the rise of nationalism, modernisation, and the idea of reform versus revolution. This course encourages students to examine preconceptions of what is meant by 'East Asia` both in a historical and present-day sense and also to recognise that scholarship of East Asian history has also evolved over time.