JSIS 484 / GWSS 490A / ANTH 469C Course Syllabus
Special Topics in East Asian Studies: Women, Nationalism & Cosmopolitanism in Taiwan
Autumn 2021 (5 cr)
T Th 4:30-6:20pm, remotely via Zoom
Professor Melissa Brown (she/her) mjbrown9@uw.edu
Ofc Hrs (Zoom): T 2:00–2:50 pm or by appt
Description:
This course explores why Taiwanese society’s treatment of women make it significantly different from—more cosmopolitan and more resilient than—China, where ultranationalism today promotes imperialism. We consider how gender shapes society—more specifically, how the treatment of women (and feminized genders) creates the basis for effective cosmopolitan counterpoints to imperialism, colonialism, and nationalism.
The course covers Taiwan’s history from approximately 1600 to the present. Lecture, in-class discussion, readings, and videos examine gender, nationalism, and cosmopolitanism in such key areas as marriage and kinship; household, regional, and global economies; political resistance and war; collective identities and community. Readings include primary sources and scholarly analysis and writing.
By the end of the course students should be able to critically analyze historical and contemporary events to understand their gendered and sociocultural context and contingencies. Students should also develop critical thinking skills to assess primary sources and consider multiple interpretations and analyses.