Unit details

ASIA3006 Contemporary Korean Society

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Semester 2	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Details for undergraduate courses

• Level 3 core unit in the Korean Studies major sequence
• Level 3 option in the Asian Studies major sequence
• The area of knowledge for this unit is Society and Culture
• Category A broadening unit for Bachelor of Arts students where relevant according to the broadening requirements for each student
• Level 3 elective

Content

This unit examines major social, political and economic developments that have taken place in twentieth century Korea, and the challenges and opportunities that these have created for the two Koreas. The unit investigates national identity discourses and ideas of ethnic nationalism in a divided (and increasingly multi-ethnic) country. Special attention is also given to conceptualisations of gender, body and sexuality that draw on both 'traditional' and more recent neo-liberal discourses of the same, and how these inform such increasingly commonplace bodily practices such as cosmetic surgery, as well as cultural representations of gender and subjectivity in popular culture. The unit will also examine how culturally specific social structures, such as generation, kinship and perceived social status, affect patterns of interpersonal communication and relations. Students evaluate how the combination of indigenous philosophical traditions, the legacy of Japanese colonialism, the presence of US military forces on the peninsula, the civil war and the influx of competing Cold War ideologies have shaped contemporary South and North Korean societies.

Throughout the unit, students are encouraged to actively engage in class through interactive interactive workshop tasks and design a short in-depth research project on a topic of their choice but relevant to the themes covered in workshops. This unit is taught entirely in English, and no prior knowledge of Korean language is assumed.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) compare South Korea's development of 'compressed modernity' with the modernisation and industrialisation processes in Western post-industrial societies, and apply this critical understanding to their own societies, thereby demonstrating 'ethical sensitivity towards our diverse and globalised world'; (2) describe key events and ideologies that informed the development of the two Koreas in the post-war period, identify and explain how gendered discourses of power and class interpellate individuals within society, as well as apply relevant theoretical frameworks to analyse these in the context of a research project assignment; (3) devise a research topic, identify a research topic and develop an effective line of argument and present it in a convincing manner; (4) use evidence appropriately in support of an argument, analyse and synthesise relevant data from different sources, and critique consulted literature; (5) with some guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis, practical investigation and enquiry used within social sciences and prioritise conclusions they reach from an analysis of variety sources, giving reasons; (6) apply knowledge of Korean society acquired through the unit to their Korean language study (where applicable); (7) utilise and apply digital fluency gained through preparing for assessment of the unit; (8) use a self reflective approach to devising, developing and delivering an enquiry-based research project, present their findings orally and in academic English, and work collaboratively within a group with an ability to deal with disagreement and conflict to reach consensus (social-emotional learning); and (9) acknowledge used source styles accurately, within the text for all sources used.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) group work; (2) research project; and (3) participation (which may include an online component). Further information is available in the unit outline.

Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit except in the case of a bachelor's pass degree student who has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 overall and is currently enrolled in this unit, and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Jo Elfving-Hwang

Unit rules

Prerequisites:

any ASIA unit
or
any KORE unit
or
any Level 2 Humanities
or
Social Sciences unit

Incompatibility:

KORE3812 Contemporary Korean Society

Contact hours

Up to 3 hours a week, including online lectures (over 10 weeks, see unit outline for further details). This is a blended-learning unit.