Admission requirements
Only for students of MA programme in Asian Studies
Description
Mass availability of consumer goods has had the most significant impact upon the way of life of ordinary people during the last hundred years. No aspect of daily life has been left untouched by the emergence of the consumer society. It has not only satisfied our needs, and created new ones, but also in many ways affected the ways we view the world and our position in it. Consumerism, which may be defined as the cultural expression and manifestation of the routine practices of consumption, not only structures our everyday lives, but also offers us the illusion of freedom. This course will explore the historical transformation of consumption and its growing impact on society, with particular reference to Asia.
Course objectives
This course aims to introduce students to the key theoretical and conceptual literature on consumer society and to familiarize them with the ways to apply this literature to the study of Asian societies in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will explore the place of consumption (of both material objects and experiences) within modernity and post-modernity.
Timetable
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Course load
Total course load for this course is 140 hours – Hours spent on attending seminars (4 hours per week x 6 weeks) 24 hours – Time for studying the compulsory literature and preparing discussion questions (approximately 90 pages reading material per week) = 66 hours -Time for completing assignments (two position papers = 6 hours + a research paper = 44 hours) = 50 hours
Assessment method
Participation element (attendance, weekly discussion assignments): 40%
Analytic element (2 position papers): 20%
Research element (research essay 4000 words): 40%
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used extensively in this course.
Reading list
Readings will be made available for download through Blackboard and/or the University Library, or will be on reserve in the East Asia Library. A list of readings recommended for purchase will be provided to students in early January 2014.
Registration
Enroll via Usis
Contact
Remarks
This is a ‘fat module’ course offered in the first block of the second semester only.