Animals and Society in East Asia (SoSe 2018)

"Animals and Society in East Asia"

(Summer Semester 2018)

by Alisha Gao

Weekly on Thursday 14:00-16:00

Room: PEG 1.G 165, Campus Westend

The emergence of the field of human-animal studies is a testament to the recent ‘animal turn’ in social science studies. Social scientists are exploring the implications of human-animal relations in societies by investigating such topics as, urbanization and pet-keeping, animals in industrial agriculture, and the use of animal figures in popular culture. This course will provide a window into this ‘animal turn’ by examining the significance of animals to East Asian political society, including Japan and South Korea, with a focus on China. It will address the philosophical debates concerning the proper role and treatment of animals in human society, and their impact on changing human-animal relationships. As a reflection of the interdisciplinary ‘animal turn’ in social sciences, the course will outline cultural, philosophical, religious and historical influences to contextualize the policies concerning human-animal relations in East Asia. By the end of the course, students will have gained a new perspective of East Asian politics through the critical evaluation of societal values, social movements and policies concerning animals.