HIST 311 - Trauma, Memory and Justice: Quests of Modern East Asia

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as ASIA 311) How do historical events continue to shape the political, social, and personal landscapes of contemporary China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan? This seminar explores the emotional and intellectual frameworks that have molded both collective and individual memories of humiliation, violence, trauma, and accountability. Key topics include the construction and manipulation of historical memory, the role of museums in representing memories of warfare and imperialism, gender violence during WWII and the associated social stigma, wartime conduct and war crimes trials after WWII, political violence and transitional justice, the pursuit of democracy rooted in historical memory, industrial disease and environmental justice, memories of earthquakes and tsunamis, and the efforts of grassroots organizations and non-state actors to preserve memory. For the final project, students choose a topic of interest from the course themes. The project may take the form of a website, film, video essay, podcast, or another creative format focused on a historical event or issue of their choice. Yu-chi Chang.

One 2-hour period.

Course Format: CLS