Guide in PDF format

Advanced Issues in East Asian Art and Popular Culture

Code: 101535
Credits: 6

2026/2027

Degree programme	Type	Course
East Asian Studies	OP	4

Contact lecturer

Name :: Roberto Figliulo
Email :: roberto.figliulo@uab.cat

Teaching staff

: Roberto Figliulo
: Artur Lozano Mendez

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

As it is one of the subjects of the specialisation in Culture, Art and Literature of East Asia, this course is complemented by East Asian Comparative Cultural Studies. Nevertheless, it is not compulsory to take both courses if the student does not want to obtain that specialisation. Students who wish to do their bachelor’s degree final project about issues related to popular culture and contemporary art are advised to take this course.

Objectives

Acquire theoretical and methodological knowledge relevant to the analysis of the works, products and phenomena related to popular culture and art.
Apply those theoretical tools to the study of a particular issue, under the lecturers’ supervision.
Participate in collective analyses of documents (films, literary works, etc.) in class.
Improve critical thinking, individual analytical ability, and intercultural and communication skills for debating and exchanging ideas and experiences.
Develop a critical attitude, rigour and high standards in relation to one's own work.

Learning outcomes

Knowing, comprehending, describing and analysing the values, beliefs and ideologies of East Asia.
Utilising different tools for specific purposes in the fields of history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
Carrying out the documentary search in the specific languages of East Asia.
Using the specific terminology of history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
Assessing the obtained results in the information search process in order to update the knowledge about history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
Knowing and comprehending the art and popular culture of the countries of East Asia.
Applying knowledge of the art and popular culture to the analysis and comprehension of written texts in the languages of East Asia.
Knowing the great literary, philosophical, and artistic movements of East Asia.
Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
Developing self-learning strategies.
Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
Producing innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
Students must be flexible and capable of adapting to new circumstances.
Working in interdisciplinary and intercultural groups.
Solving problems of intercultural communication.
Ensuring the quality of one's own work.

Module 1

Introduction to critical theory and cultural studies: In the first sessions, cultural studies and critical theory’s key concepts, schools and thinkers, along with their impact in studies of contemporary Japanese popular culture, will be introduced in order to provide the students with tools for beginning to critically study works, actors and phenomena.

Schools:

Formalism
Narratology
Structuralism
Post-structuralism
Psychoanalysis

Case studies: the case studies will showcase the transversal application of the theoretical frameworks to the study of different contents, genres and themes in manga, anime and other productions of Japanese contemporary culture (gender perspectives, youth culture, ecology, family models, traditions and new trends in narrative and consumption practices).

Module 2

In the section dedicated to China, the analysis of artistic and cultural products will be carried out from the methodological perspective of visual culture studies. The focus of the analysis will be the artistic and cultural production of China in the 20th century and early 21^st century. Through a historical journey, the main currents, movements, and phenomena that have characterized the contemporary cultural production of the country will be presented.

Learning activities and methodology

Title	Hours	ECTS	Learning outcomes
Personal reading	46	1.84	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16
Document based comments and discussions	20	0.8	4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16
Lectures and analysis of papers	50	2	1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16

Critical and cultural analysis methodology will be acquired by studying, reading and discussing different prominent figures' contributions to cultural studies, as well as by applying that methodology to fragments of primary documents (films, episodes of series or printed excerpts) that will be discussed in the classroom.

In short, this course requires a high reading commitment in order to acquire relevant theoretical tools and add them in a productive way to intellectual and dialogical abilities. Presentations and written work must be academically structured and argued; they should not be just summaries of arguments or recycled comments from social media platforms.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title	Weight	Hours	ECTS	Learning outcomes
3. Analysis of a reading or a visual culture product through a written and oral assignment. (Module 2)	30%	15	0.6	1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16
1. Quiz about contents of the module dedicated to Critical Theory and Japan (Module 1)	20%	2	0.08	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
4. Quiz about contents of the module dedicated to Chinese art and popular culture (Module 2)	20%	2	0.08	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
2. Analysis of a reading or a visual culture product through a written and oral assignment. (Module 1)	30%	15	0.6	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

In case of retaking, maximum grade will be 5 (Pass).

Assessment

Assessment is continuous. Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing various tasks and tests. Tasks and tests deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class. The information on assessment activities and their weighting is a guide. The subject's lecturer will provide full information when teaching begins.

Review

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Missed/failed assessment activities

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.

Classification as "not assessable"

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Any irregularity committed during an assessment (academic fraud, plagiarism, or misuse of AI, unless expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that could lead to a significant change in the grade will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment. If multiple irregularities occur during assessments for the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any individual who commits any of these irregularities.

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies may or may not be permitted depending on the activity. The permitted and prohibited uses in each case will be detailed in the course introduction. Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using AI technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final result of the activity. A lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in graded assignments will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty on the assignment grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Single assessment

This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.

Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.

Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.

On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).

Single assessment activities

The final grade for the subject will be calculated according to the following percentages:

Quiz about contents of the module dedicated to Critical Theory and Japan (Module 1) – 30% of the subject's final mark.
Quiz about contents of the module dedicated to China (Module 2) – 30% of the subject's final mark.
Individual written assignment (3,000 words) – 40% of the subject's final mark.

Grade revision and resit procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this study guide.

More information: http://www.uab.cat/web/study-abroad/undergraduate/academic-information/evaluation/what-is-it-about-1345670077352.html

Bibliography