UW-TSP will offer two courses for Winter Quarter 2023! Please consider these courses as you plan for your upcoming quarter.

Made in Taiwan: Arts and Culture of Contemporary Taiwan

Instructor: Ellen Chang

JSIS 484 B / CMS 320A

This course will provide an introduction to the arts and culture of contemporary Taiwan through audio/visual texts of several key themes. Our travels over the quarter will explore a curated series of audio/visual works that embodies the multi-faceted narratives of “Made in Taiwan” as they capture the complexity and multiplicity of Taiwan’s artistic and cultural scenes both within and beyond the geopolitical boundaries of the island, as well as the tensions and debates that emerge at moments of cross-cultural interactions. Our audio/visual sites of inquiry range from documentary and narrative films, independent and major labels music, folksongs, recordings of live performance, video art and installation, photo- and video-essays, television series, animations, video games, and vlogs, some of which were made with a distinct local or international audience in mind while others embrace both.

“Made in Taiwan” will address topics such as the role of gender as it intersects with other social formations, indigeneity of Taiwan, indigenous land rights and environmental protests, how migrant workers and transnational marriage confront racial constructs and multiculturalism of Taiwan, sport as vehicles for navigating national identity, collective trauma and cultural memories, cultural productions as soft power to negotiate global politics, and how local folk culture—cuisines, rituals, lifestyles—becomes spectacles for local and international tourism, urban regeneration, and community mobilization.

By the end of the course, students should have a good idea of what Taiwan is, how it looks, sounds, and feels like, and be able to discuss cultural products and issues about Taiwan in relation to local and global perspectives and interactions.

Environmental Issues in East Asia

Instructor: Yen-Chu Weng

ENVIR 430 / JSIS 484B

Date and Time: (hybrid instruction) W 1:30-3:20pm, and 2hr online work weekly

Credits: 5

This course surveys contemporary environmental issues in East Asia – China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Focusing on the topics of pollution, waste, energy, environmental movements, and environmental policy, we will delve into case studies to examine how each
country responds to the environmental challenges differently and with what consequences. International scholars with expertise in East Asia will be invited to share the latest research on course topics. This course culminates with a group project in which students will work in
groups to analyze and present a specific environmental case in East Asia by synthesizing diverse sources of information and stakeholder perspectives.

Students will learn to recognize and understand the causes and effects of contemporary environmental issues in East Asia through a comparative lens while examining the cultural, social, political, and economic implications of environmental challenges. By staying current with reporting on environmental issues in East Asia, students will critically engage with these issues as they happen.