ASIA 102Asian Popular Culture

3 credits · Asian Studies · Penn State

An exploration of popular culture in Asia. ASIA 102 Asian Popular Culture (3) (GH;IL)(BA) Asian popular culture encompasses a broad array of cultural practices and forms that shed light on the politics and societies of Asia. This course examines "low" or non-elite cultures that allow us insight into the day-to-day lives of the people who created or enjoyed them. Along the way, we will consider how popular culture intersects with issues such as politics, economy, and society, whether on a local, national, regional, or even global scale. Through examining the contested meanings and presentations of popular culture symbols and forms, students will be introduced to the diverse media through which popular culture has been disseminated and consumed. Themes and topics will vary depending on the instructor, but may include cities and urban culture, commercial cultures, television and theater dramas, film, anime, digital video, mass literature, comics, game shows, video games, youth cultures, gender and its representations, martial arts, popular religion, food, and net cultures and social media.