Unit rationale, description and aim
The nations of the Korean peninsula play an out-sized role in the contemporary world, in international relations, economic power and cultural influence. The Republic of Korea is currently Australia’s fourth-largest trading partner, after China, Japan and the US. South Korea has successfully created global engagement with its history, society and culture via cultural products such as K-Pop, film and TV dramas.
This unit will introduce students to the skills required to interpret narratives about the history, politics, societies and cultures of the two Korean nations through musical, aesthetic, literary, social and cultural forms. The unit will examine the continuing influence of foundation myths, Confucian traditions, popular story-telling, war and colonialism on contemporary society and introduce primary sources that present Korean experiences of the world. Students will also develop their understanding of key scholarly debates and explore a specific area of interest in inquiry-based research activities.
The aim of this unit is to acquire cultural and historical competency in a dynamic and powerful region of the world, providing students with opportunities to develop the skills to analyse key developments in the history, societies and cultures of the Korean peninsula and to assess their continuing impact in the world today.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from 糖心原创 with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Trace the contours of the social, cultural, and po...
Learning Outcome 01
Identify the key scholarly approaches and debates ...
Learning Outcome 02
Communicate clearly in written form to critically ...
Learning Outcome 03
Use and appropriately reference a variety of prima...
Learning Outcome 04
Apply critical thinking skills to interpreting a v...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- The history of East Asian international relations
- The impact of war and colonialism on Korean identity constructions
- Narratives of the past in contemporary Korean culture
- Confucian traditions and their legacies
- Korean traditions of story-telling
- North Korea and juche
- Gender relations in Korea’s past and present
- The Hallyu wave and K-Pop as art and industry
Assessment strategy and rationale
This unit introduces students to historical strategies for understanding how to interpret a broad sweep of Korean history, society and culture to the present. Students will learn to analyse historical materials and contemporary cultural products, such as music, music videos, tv drama, film and literature, to understand historical events, memory-making about the past, and contemporary Korean politics, society and culture. Students will complement these skills by learning how to interpret and assess historical and scholarly debates and consider how knowledge of the past is constructed.
Students will demonstrate broad knowledge of the social, cultural, and political history of the Korean peninsula to the present through Assessment 1. Students will research, construct and defend a scholarly argument in Assessment 2. Students then build on the skills developed in Assessments 1 and 2 to develop an historical argument using relevant evidence from primary and secondary material in Assessment 3.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Historical Knowledge Task Stu...
Assessment Task 1: Historical Knowledge Task
Students demonstrate a mastery of unit materials and broad knowledge of the social, cultural, and political history of the Korean peninsula to the present.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Analytical Task Students will...
Assessment Task 2: Analytical Task
Students will research, construct and defend a scholarly argument, evaluating competing perspectives on Korean culture and society.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Research Task: Students demon...
Assessment Task 3: Research Task:
Students demonstrate research skills to locate and use appropriate primary and secondary materials to communicate an evidence-based historical argument with appropriate referencing, in written and oral form.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Online Asynchronous Learning
This unit, delivered fully online through 糖心原创 Online, supports self?paced learning alongside structured opportunities for peer interaction. All learning activities are asynchronous and organised into modules that combine written, visual and linked video materials. These modules develop foundational content knowledge, introduce key approaches to interpreting sources across different media, and highlight central scholarly debates. Together they provide clear scaffolding for the independent learning expected in the unit. Regular online activities support active engagement and provide timely feedback. Students are encouraged to participate in asynchronous discussions, sharing examples and ideas to apply concepts, debate key issues, and strengthen analytical and communication skills through peer?to?peer learning.
Online Scheduled mode
In this mode, all learning is delivered online, with core content supported by live lectures and tutorials via Zoom. Online modules provide essential content, methodological guidance and engagement with key scholarly debates, forming the foundation for independent study. Live sessions extend this learning through real?time interaction, discussion and guided analysis with staff and peers. Assessment and learning activities encourage active participation before, during and after live sessions, with regular feedback on progress. Students consolidate knowledge and skills through a combination of structured online materials, collaborative discussion, and interactive Zoom?based learning.
Representative texts and references
REPRESENTATIVE TEXTS AND REFERENCES
Choi, Won-Oh, An Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology (2008)
Han, Jong-Woo and Jung Tae-Hern, Understanding North Korea: Indigenous Perspectives (2014)
Kim, Jinwung, A History of Korea: From Land of the Morning Calm to States in Conflict (2012)
Kim, Suk-Young (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to K-Pop (2023)
Lee, Hong Yung, Ha, Yong-ch’ul, Sorensen, Clark W. (eds), Colonial Rule and Social Change in Korea, 1910-1945 (2013)
Lee, Peter H. (ed.) A History of Korean Literature (2003)
Lie, John, K-Pop: Popular Music, Cultural Amnesia and Economic Innovation in South Korea (2015)
McCann, David, Early Korean Literature: Selections and Introductions (2000)
Park. J.P. Jungmann, Burglind and Rhi Juhyung, Arnold, Dana (eds), A Companion to Korean Art (2020)
Z?llner, Reinhard. Slavery and Servile Societies in Korean History (2025).