On September 29, 2024, the USC U.S.-China Institute hosted a workshop at the Huntington’s Chinese garden, offering K-12 educators hands-on insights into using the garden as a teaching tool. With expert presentations, a guided tour, and new resources, the event explored how Chinese gardens' rich history and cultural significance can be integrated into classrooms. Interested in learning more? Click below for details on the workshop and upcoming programs for educators.
Understanding Korean Society Through Popular Culture (August 20- September 24, 2024)
Session(s) date
Session(s) date:
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 4:00pm
Discover the Korean Wave's impact in our seminar for educators! Learn how Korean films, K-pop, and other music genres captivate students worldwide. Explore the popularity of K-dramas and Korean TV shows. Delve into Webtoons, K-sports, and K-esports, bridging tradition and modern entertainment. Equip yourself with insights to engage and inspire your students with Korea's vibrant culture!
Overview:
Sessions meet on Tuesdays for the following dates: 8/20, 8/27, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24 (skip September 3rd for the labor day weekend)
This 5-week online seminar will overview the content and production of these hugely successful films, television dramas and music and will explore what they suggest about contemporary South Korean culture and society. The Korean Wave phenomenon has spread throughout the 21st century but recently, Parasite, Squid Game, and BTS have catapulted Korean popular culture to new levels of worldwide fame and fascination. In this seminar, we will examine the rise of Korean popular culture through films, dramas, and K-pop, as well as unscripted television, webtoons, sports, esports, beauty, fashion, and food. We will also use popular culture as platforms from which we can better understand dynamics of Korean culture and society.
Content
- readings
- pre-recorded video presentations
- online forum participation
- weekly live online Zoom discussion with (Tuesdays, 4-5pm PST).
Benefits (Must complete seminar requirements)
- Resources and materials
- 3 USC Rossier School of Education Continuing Education Units (processing fee $105 covered by the US-China Institute)
- 1 LAUSD Salary Point
- Certificate of completion
Lecturer
Jennifer Jung-Kim teaches courses on the history and cultures of Korea and East Asia in the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, the International and Area Studies program, the Honors Collegium program, and also is affiliated with the Food Studies program. She enjoys designing new courses and incorporating Reacting to the Past historical role-playing games into her courses. She earned a UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award in 2021. Jennifer has been a popular instructor in our teacher-centered programs for many years.
Seminar Schedule (Online discussions via Zoom will be each Tuesday, 4-5pm Pacific Time.)
Reading assignments and pre-recorded lectures for each week will be available in an online forum and are to be completed prior to the discussion sessions. Access and log-in information will be provided upon acceptance into the course. Please refer to the Seminar Requirements Document for details on assignments and course completion.
| Session | Date | Topics |
| 1 | Tue 8/20 |
Rise of the Korean Wave and Globalization of Korean Films |
| 2 | Tue 8/27 |
K-pop and Other Genres of Korean Music: BTS and Beyond |
| 3 | Tue 9/10 |
K-dramas and Korean Television for Worldwide Audiences |
| 4 | Tue 9/17 |
K-beauty, K-fashion, and Korean Food: Glocal and Global |
| 5 | Tue 9/24 |
Webtoons, K-sports, and K-esports: From Old to New |
How to apply - Submit your application below. Please add uschina@usc.edu to your address book so the email does not end up in the spam folder.
This program is sponsored by the USC U.S.-China Institute and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.
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