Images of East Asia

How do we know whatever it is that we know about East Asia? For many of us, our ideas have been profoundly influenced by television programs or films we've seen or by websites, graphic novels, or other image-rich sources. Too often, though, we fail to consider how and why some images are conveyed and not others, why some stories are told and others neglected. And this tendency is even more acute with students.
 
This workshop features:

    -- an award-winning documentarian discussing the challenges of describing a particular place or time, illustrating his points with clips from his influential films

    -- a political scientist examines how East Asian peoples and states have been portrayed in popular films and television programs

    -- a specialist on Japanese literature explores the norms and power of manga (graphic novels) and anime (animated films)

Participants will be introduced to outstanding web resources which explore East Asian visual cultures and which frequently include lessons targeting secondary school students.
 
Teacher participating in the workshop will be better able:

    -- to utilize video and other image-rich resources to teach about East Asia

    -- to help students develop vital visual literacy skills

There is no fee to attend this workshop, but a $20 check is required to hold your registration spot.  If you participate, your check will be returned to you at the conclusion of the workshop. If you do not attend the workshop, your check will be deposited. 

Presenters

Irv Drasnin learned about China at Harvard and subsequently made documentaries for CBS and PBS. His Misunderstanding China (1972) was a startling and accurate assessment of the fears, hopes, and misrepresentations that caused Americans to fail to grasp critical realities about China. More recently, Drasnin has documented changes in China after the 1989 pro-democracy protests.

Lynne Miyake is professor of Japanese literature and chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures at Pomona College. She's written extensively on literature produced by and about women and has examined how filmmakers have interpreted literary classics.

Stan Rosen is professor of political science and director of USC's East Asian Studies Center. He's written extensively on Chinese film and on the film industry as well as on attitudes and expectations of young Chinese.

Sponsored by the USC U.S. - China Institute, the USC East Asian Studies Center, and the UCLA Asia Institute. Funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Freeman Foundation.