2022/23 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EAST1450 Foundations of East Asia

20 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Dr Clare Richardson-Barlow
Email: C.G.Richardson-Barlow@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2022/23

Module replaces

EAST1600 and EAST1602

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The East Asian region is home to approximately 22% of the world’s population, 25% of the world’s GDP, and several of the world’s most significant political hot zones. Some knowledge of East Asia, in its complexity and on its own terms, is increasingly important not only to students of East Asia, but to all adults in the contemporary world. The module will provide an introduction to the geography of East Asia, and an overview of the cultural, political and social diversity of the countries that comprise East Asia. It will provide an outline of major historical developments, examine some of the continuing areas of that make the East Asian region a political hotbed from Taiwan to Tibet, and the cultural diversity that make it a fascinating and dynamic part of our world.

Objectives

Introduces the geography and history of East Asia and considers at its and its cultural, political, and social diversity. The module introduces important long-standing historical features of the region which are necessary for a sound understanding of East Asia and the Asia Pacific. It also examines some of the current sociopolitical fault lines, as well as the important cultural features, like religion, literature, film, and folklore. These illustrate important continuities that make the region a useful unit of analysis and the complexities that undermine sweeping statements of the same.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the political, historical, cultural, and geographical diversity of East Asia, to be able to explain the key determinants of the political and economic development of East Asia, to have acquired an understanding of contemporary political development of the region and an appreciation of its diversity and dynamism. They should be able to compare and contrast changes in different parts of East Asia, and be capable of understanding of the social, political and economic reasons behind those changes.

Skills outcomes
Selected longue-durée historical concepts, with a particular emphasis on the evolution of the region and its contemporary features.

Syllabus

The module is divided into three parts. Part I will provide an introduction to the geography of East Asia, and an outline of major historical developments. In Part II, we give an overview of the cultural, political and social diversity of the countries that comprise East Asia. It will provide examine some of the continuing areas of that make the East Asian region a political hotbed from Taiwan to Tibet. Part III, "Religions, Cultures, and Societies," will examine the diversity of cultural forms in the region that make it a fascinating and dynamic part of our world.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	20	1.00	20.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			170.00
Total Contact hours			30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Reading in preparation for lectures, workshops, group-study sessions and seminars (100 hours); writing up notes of group-study sessions and preparation for presenting outcomes in seminars (20 hours); researching and writing essays (50 hours).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will have multiple opportunities for formative feedback throughout the module. Students will prepare individual, un-assessed, presentations on readings for seminars. In semester 2, they will also prepare annotated bibliographies to accompany their contributions to their group projects.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Group Project	Students will create a group digital storytelling project—a 10 minute video—for which they will be assessed as a group (50% of the assessment mark) and each group member will individually write and submit a short (750) word essay describing their work process, the sources they consulted, and what they learned about their topic.	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	48 hr	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Please note that all components of the module must be passed.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 22/08/2022

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD