Gender and Cultural Studies in Asia and the Pacific

This course investigates how gender and culture underpin everyday power in Asia and the Pacific. Students will be introduced to key interdisciplinary tools and approaches from the field of gender and cultural studies. Considering how these ideas have been theorised in Asian and Pacific contexts as well as in Western ones, the course engages students in critical thinking about how gendered and cultural norms inform pursuits of justice, empowerment, and joy in everyday life. Indicative themes include feminisms, gender diversity, popular culture, health and medicine, and environmental crisis in Asian and Pacific societies. A distinctive feature of this course is that students are asked to apply their conceptual understandings of gender and cultural studies in innovative ways through multimedia projects (no prior experience needed). The course builds student skills in creative inquiry, group collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. Through analytical, practical and multimedia assessments, students will gain crucial tools to engage with the politics of everyday life in Asia and the Pacific.