EAST4530 - Topics in East Asian Culture and History
Course content
This course focuses on one or more central topics in the field of East Asian culture and history. Such topics may include literature, film, cartoons and other artistic expressions, history and historiography, thought, philosophy and religion, or issues relating to popular culture, intellectual life, subcultures, education, cultural literacy, modernity vs. tradition, conceptual schemes, self-cultivation etc.
East Asia is a region with strong historical and cultural links but also with many historical and cultural traits particular to each of the East Asian cultures and regions (Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tibetan). You are encouraged to approach the study of East Asia comparatively across Japan, Korea, China and/or Tibet.
During the course, you will study topics in the context of major theoretical approaches relevant to the analysis of East Asian culture and history. The course includes reading, analysis and discussion of East Asian sources in English translations. Training in essay writing and oral presentation is an integrated part of the course.
Learning outcome
You will learn to identify, summarize, and analyze sources directly relevant to the study of key topics in the field of East Asian culture and history. Through teacher guided writing of an essay you will learn to present academic knowledge in a written form, and through class presentations and oral discussions you will learn to present and debate academic knowledge orally.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in StudentWeb.
International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Id does not exist in shared textPlease see the admission requirements defined by one of the relevant programme options, East Asian Culture and History, Chinese Society and Politics or Modern Japan.
Teaching
The course is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars organised as 10 classes of 2 hrs each throughout the semester. Active participation and at least 80 per cent attendance in class is required.
A preliminary draft of the final essay must be approved by the teacher in order to take the exam. The draft is to be submitted in Fronter within a given deadline.
An approved draft is only valid for one semester.
Guidelines for obligatory instructional activity at the Faculty of Humanities (only in Norwegian).
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
A preliminary draft of the final essay must be approved by the teacher in order to take the exam (see "Teaching").
The exam consists of one written and one oral part:
The oral part consists of an oral presentation in class.
The written part consists of an essay of 6-8 pages (2300 characters per page) on a subject approved by the teacher. The essay should be based on both East Asian primary sources and East Asian and English secondary sources.
The oral presentation and the written essay should be based on different topics or research questions.
Each part counts for 50% of the final grade.
The essay is to be submitted in Fronter within the given deadline. Before submitting your paper, you must electronically sign an "Obligatory statement concerning cheating" in Fronter.
Information on writing and submitting papers at IKOS (only in Norwegian).
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
Id does not exist in shared textEnglish
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.
Resit an examination
You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.
Withdrawal from an examination
A student may sit this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do so in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit the exam.
Special examination arrangements
If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.
Evaluation
Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, periodic evaluation of this course.