East Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

When Herstory Goes Viral: Popular Resistance In The State-Platform Nexus In China, Qingyue Sun, Runze Ding

Interdisciplinary Studies

This article examines the rise of herstory content on Douyin to explore how feminist resistance takes shape within China’s platform environment. Drawing on digital ethnography, we develop the concept of popular resistance, a form of platform-mediated resistance whose popularity serves both as a condition of political traction and as a mechanism of containment. To clarify this duality, we identify two dimensions: (a) popularity on the platform, driven by trends, aestheticization, and commodification; and (b) popularity within orthodoxy, shaped by state-sanctioned values that render certain forms of feminist expression politically permissible. Popular resistance retains a critical, if slippery, edge. It gives …

Language Learner To Author: Ai-Assisted Children's Book And Theme Song Creation For Community Outreach, Hea Young Chun

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students will use AI tools to create original children's storybooks, complete with accompanying theme songs, and subsequently present their finished works to students at local schools.

An Introduction To East Asian Art: Tour Guide #3, The Year 1591, Victoria Weston

OER Textbooks

Please Note: This tour guide is the third in Victoria Weston's An Introduction to East Asian Art in Three Journeys. To access the full book, visit https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/3/

For the remaining sections, visit:

Guide Part 1: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/4/

Guide Part 2: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/5/ This book is an introduction to important art forms practiced in China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. It is in no way an encyclopedic treatment of the art histories of East Asia. Rather, it is a textbook for a single semester course. Each section is devoted to one year in time and framed by historical factors that naturally encourage comparative …

An Introduction To East Asian Art: Tour Guide #2, The Year 1230, Victoria Weston

OER Textbooks

Please Note: This is the second of three tour guides connected to Victoria Weston's Introduction to East Asian Art. For the full guidebook, visit https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/3/

The remaining sections can be found at these links:

Guide Part 1: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/4/

Guide Part 3: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/6/

This book is an introduction to important art forms practiced in China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. It is in no way an encyclopedic treatment of the art histories of East Asia. Rather, it is a textbook for a single semester course. Each section is devoted to one year in time and framed by historical factors that naturally …

An Introduction To East Asian Art: Tour Guide #1, The Year 748, Victoria Weston

OER Textbooks

Please Note: This book is chapter one of Victoria Weston's Introduction to East Asian Art in Three Journeys, which can be found in full at https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/3/

For the remaining chapters, visit:

Guide Part 2: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/5/

Guide Part 3: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/6/

This book is an introduction to important art forms practiced in China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. It is in no way an encyclopedic treatment of the art histories of East Asia. Rather, it is a textbook for a single semester course. Each section is devoted to one year in time and framed by historical factors that naturally encourage comparative analysis. …

An Exploration Of Third Spaces In China, Clare J. Hummer

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

Exploring Third Spaces in China in a multimedia format.

“I Ignored Western Media And Went Down The Rabbithole No One Warns You About”: An Exoticization Genre On Youtube, Dixon D. Dayton

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Jdm And The Formation Of Japan’S Underground Car Culture: Street Racing, Identity, And Regulation, Lizhou Chen

Student Publications

Japan’s underground car culture is often associated with street racing, JDM, and modified cars, but these visible features developed from broader economic, social, and regulatory conditions. This paper argues that Japan’s underground car culture was shaped by three factors: postwar economic growth that made mass car production feasible, social identity and status attached to car type and driving behavior, and government regulation of the road system and driving habits that forced reckless driving into less visible times and locations. By examining car ownership, kei cars, youth self-expression, gendered meanings of vehicles, road design, and moral expectations around safe driving, this …

2nd Place Contest Entry: "Destablizing U.S.-Japan Relations: Nikkatsu Film Noir As Postwar Social Critique", Thomas Graham Buchanan

Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Library Research Prize

This is Thomas Buchanan's submission for the 2026 Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Research Prize, which won second place. It contains their essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on how a generation of Japanese filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s borrowed the formal strategies of Hollywood film noir to mount a critique of U.S. Cold War policy, and their bibliography.

Thomas is a student in the Master of Arts in Film & Media Studies program at Chapman University. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Emily Carman.

Thomas' thesis is the scholarship that emerged from the research discussed …

Disney's American Mulan, Sofia Diascro

CAFE Symposium 2026

In America, we are taught that we should live for ourselves. We are told we have personal freedom to be an individual and do what we want. Ancient China prioritized collectivism, an idea deeply rooted in Confucianism. Collectivism is about hierarchy, family, duty, and obligation. Disney’s Mulan movies differ from the Chinese legend of Mulan by emphasizing American values of individuality and self-discovery.

From Progressive Politics To Media Censorship: Analyzing The Trajectory Of Lgbt Rights In Taiwan And China, Sabrina Malec

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

The Rise And Fall Of The Small Bronze Tripod Used For Pouring Heated Libations (A Pre-Confucian Libation Rite), Elizabeth Childs-Johnson

Art Faculty Publications

The rite of pouring out heated alcohol in honor of spirits begins during the Late Neolithic but matures as a formal institution known in writing and in cast bronze during the earliest phases of the historic Bronze Age, namely the Erlitou (ca. 1900-1600 BC) and Shang periods (ca. 1600-1046 BC). As will be analyzed, the libation rite known as ... [示 + 爵 = ...] (jue/guan) in Shang oracle bone divinations involved the use of the tripod jue爵 (bronze vessel). Although the rite [...] continues to appear in written inscriptions through most of the Western Zhou era, by the 9th-8th …

China's Economic Retaliation Against Norway After Liu Xiaobo's 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, Ian Murphy, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This case study analyzes China's geoeconomic retaliation against Norway after the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo. China employed non-tariff barriers, diplomatic freezes, and restricted exchanges, severely impacting sectors like salmon exports. This occurred despite the Nobel Committee's independence from the Norwegian government. Although Norway's overall economic impact was mitigated by market adjustments, the six-year diplomatic freeze significantly influenced its human rights foreign policy. This case exemplifies China's strategic use of informal economic tools to punish and deter, showcasing the link between political sensitivities and economic leverage in international relations.

The Low Human Rights Advantage And The Failure Of Globalization: The Challenge Of China Inc., Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

Purpose

We develop a framework of the low human rights advantage – labor repression, state discretionary expropriation and total control – that reduces factor costs and enables coordinated resource mobilization. These mechanisms generate economic advantage only when combined with access to global markets, which provide demand, capital and technology. By leveraging this low human rights advantage, the Chinese state has transformed China into a giant corporation that combines the agility of a firm with the resources of a nation, thereby reshaping global competition. Economic integration without corresponding political integration is a major contributor to the failure of the current wave …

"Why Don't I Talk To A Therapist?": Motivations And Reflections Of Female-Identifying Chinese Immigrants Seeking Psychotherapy For Depression, Qiuyi Wei

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Chinese immigrants and temporary residents struggling with depressive symptoms and their process of seeking and accepting psychotherapy support. The study aimed to describe the factors that motivated participants to enter therapy for depression while also addressing their internal concerns about treatment. Nine female-identified Chinese immigrant adults with such experiences were recruited. Participants’ perceptions of their depressive symptoms and the factors contributing to their decision to seek professional therapy were explored through in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in Mandarin. The interview transcripts were analyzed in Mandarin using interpretative phenomenological analysis, through which four …

Integrating Chinese Tradition And Western Techniques In Jiang Zuxin’S Piano Works: A Study Of Temple Fair And Mountain Flower Collection, Qi Zhang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This document focuses on Jiang Zuxin’s two piano suites, Temple Fair and Mountain Flower Collection, examining how traditional Chinese musical materials interact with Western compositional techniques. Through close analytical readings of selected excerpts, combined with considerations of performance practice and modal context, the research demonstrates that Jiang systematically employs pentatonic collections and their modal configurations (gong, shang, jue/zhi/yu), along with certain altered tones (such as biangong and qingjue), as foundational pitch material. He also draws on folk songs, dances, and theatrical elements from traditional Chinese culture. At the same time, he simulates the timbres and idiomatic playing techniques of …

The Integration Of Western Compositional Techniques And Traditional Chinese Folk Music In The Piano Works Of Jianzhong Wang, Yingqi Wang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This document explores the method by which Jianzhong Wang (王建中) (1933–2016), a celebrated Chinese composer and pianist, integrates traditional Chinese folk melodies with Western compositional techniques in his solo piano works, including Western harmonic techniques and tonal language, contrapuntal and polyphonic textures, formal structure and thematic development, and the imitation of instruments and sounds. Introduced to Wang’s music during high school through the piece, “Embroidering the Golden Plaque” from Four Northern Shaanxi Folk Songs, the author reflects on the artistic challenges posed by Wang. Over years of study, an appreciation for Wang’s innovative fusion of Chinese folk elements and Western …

Pearl Buck’S Humanitarian Vision In War And Peace, David M. Crowe

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

"Eurasia, that vast continental region that encompasses Europe and Asia, was a tablet for many of Pearl S. Buck’s works and campaigns for human rights and international efforts to improve the human condition globally. Though she is principally known for her works on China, some scholars, while acknowledging that her novels were principally for an American female audience, gave little attention to her significant body of non-fictional works on a variety of subjects on America and East Asia. I made my first trip to China in the summer of 1985 via the Trans-Siberian Railroad and Mongolia to Beijing."

A Buddhist Critique Of Harmony, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Terminating Pregnancies In Boccaccio, Anne C. Leone

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

Analyzing examples from the Decameron (1349-51), De mulieribus claris (1361), and the Corbaccio (1365), I argue that Boccaccio (1313-75) demonstrates an awareness of theological, legal and medical opinions on abortion and contraception at the time. However, he is more attuned to the practical concerns of pregnancy than are many of his contemporaries. Acknowledging the variety of situations facing pregnant people and some parts of their lived experience that were ignored by many religious and legal authorities, Boccaccio highlights a disconnection between theory and practice, and thereby raises questions about the limits of abstract knowledge in the face of practical concerns.

Pawns In The Power Struggle: Navigating Creative Labor Precarity Across Mcns, Platforms, And State Regulation In China, Qingyue Sun

Interdisciplinary Studies

This study examines how digital creators navigate the precarious Chinese digital creative industries (DCCIs), shaped by multi-channel networks (MCNs), platform logic, and intensifying state intervention. Drawing on interviews with 34 creators, I identified three challenges facing Chinese creators: (1) dual exploitation by volatile platforms and capricious MCN management; (2) erosion of creative autonomy under MCN gatekeeping and state oversight; (3) involuntarily being enlisted as propaganda artisans. Creators, especially those affiliated with MCNs, are increasingly positioned as state labor with governed creativity: cultural workers whose output is shaped, constrained, and redirected by the layered imperatives of state mandates, platform governance, and …

Decomposition And Excavation Of War Memories And Massacres In Na Hong-Jin’S The Wailing, Grace Jung

BCES: Faculty Publications

This chapter examines Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing (2016) as an allegory of South Korea’s unresolved colonial and Cold War traumas, arguing that the film’s deliberate ambiguity, cacophony, and generic instability reflect the difficulty of recovering histories of violence that have been suppressed, erased, or inadequately mourned. While scholarship on South Korean zombie cinema has frequently interpreted the zombie through neoliberal capitalism, economic crisis, contagion, and social alienation, this chapter locates the Korean zombie within a longer history of civil war, massacres, sexual violence, and authoritarian state repression. Drawing on Heonik Kwon’s concept of Cold War “decomposition,” the zombie …

“Sisters, Are You Running Out Of Menstrual Supplies??”: Exploring #Sistersfightpandemicwithease And Tactical Hashtag Feminism In The Covid-19 Crisis, Qingyue Sun

Interdisciplinary Studies

This article examines the hashtag feminism movement#SistersFightPandemicWithEase (#SFPWE) on Weibo, analyzing how it navigated state censorship, online misogyny, and platform governance during the Wuhan lockdown in China. Through qualitative analysis, I argue that #SFPWE diverges from traditional hashtag feminism,instead operating as a form of pragmatic feminism in crisis. The movement embodies what I term tactical feminist activism—an issue-based advocacy that prioritizes pragmatic problem-solving over structural critique. Its tactical nature lies in its ability to appear politically non-threatening and temporarily valuable to authorities. However, findings indicate that #SFPWE ultimately reinforced state legitimacy rather than challenging the structural gender inequalities underlying the …

Intergenerational Family Dynamics Among Caregivers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development In China, Weiman Xu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The early years of a child’s life are pivotal for social-emotional development. While extensive research has explored the role of family settings in fostering children's social-emotional development (Bornstein, 2005), the impact of grandparental involvement, particularly the caregiving dynamics between generations, remains less well understood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining two critical aspects of intergenerational dynamics among caregivers (i.e. parent-grandparent coparenting and parent-grandparent relationship quality) and their associations with children’s social-emotional development (i.e. social skills and problem behaviors). Two specific aims were delineated: 1) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent coparenting, especially the power and authority domain …

Changes In Dialect Usage Across Generations In The Osaka Dialect Of Japanese, Chris Olson

Asian Languages and Cultures Honors Projects

Sociolinguistic research on Japanese regional dialects has generally found that regional dialects are assimilating to Standard Japanese, but that recently an increase in the popularity of dialects has led to reverse trends of “de-standardization” as well. This paper aims to utilize quantitative and qualitative analysis of a corpus of Osaka dialect interviews in order to observe how usage of the dialect differs across generations. The quantitative results find that some dialect features are falling out of use among younger generations, while others stay consistent, and some features are actually used more by younger speakers than middle-aged generations. The qualitative analysis …

The Struggles For Equality And Democracy In Modern China: Which Was More Influential?, Angelina K. Lambros

Publications and Research

This paper analyzes the struggles for democracy and equality in modern China, from the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the Tiananmen Square movement. It considers which struggle was more influential, evaluating the recurring theme of a fight for democracy in China since the New Culture Movement, and a quest for social and economic equality that Mao and the Chinese Communist Party committed themselves to. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the struggle for democratic norms and institutions was always present among the Chinese people, but it did not succeed in pushing the government or the Party to adopt political reforms. …

Bibliography For "Japanese Language Display", Arianna Tillman, Isabella Piechota, Annikah Carpio

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about the Japanese language in May 2025 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

Evolution And Strengths Of School Lunch Programs In The United States And Japan, Sarah Ritterling

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

School lunches around the world perform a vital role in children’s nutritional needs and overall health. These nutritional programs provide a chance for children to learn how to create a balanced meal and about the production and serving of food. However, many countries, including the United States and Japan, have taken different approaches to meet these goals, influenced by the needs of children and communities over time. The United States provides support, funding, and nutritional standards through the National School Lunch Program. Japan promotes the Basic Act of Shokuiku (food and nutrition education) within society and outlines goals for schools …

Centralized Urban Planning And Economic Segregation: Wealth Inequality At Tell Asmar And Khafaja, Mesopotamia, Yoko Nishimura

East Asian Studies Faculty Publications

This article explores a possible correlation between centralised planning and economic homogenisation within residential neighbourhoods in ancient cities. Pre-planned and constructed urban living quarters may have contributed to the concentration of residents with similar levels of material wealth. Distinct groups of people may be identified among different districts, neighbourhoods or specific sections within a neighbourhood at the intra-site level. Several examples from different parts of the world are given to show this correlation. Also, a case study to test this correlation is drawn from the third millennium B.C. cities of Tell Asmar and Khafajah in central Mesopotamia. Excavations at these …

ジェンダーを訳す：東村アキコの「海月姫」の英語版と役割語, Avery Austin

World Languages and Cultures Student Papers and Posters

Role language, a term coined for the different kinds of speech employed by fictional characters according to their archetypes, is notoriously difficult to translate from Japanese into English. There is no direct way to express in English the sentence-ending particles, variations in verb conjugation, and differing first-person pronouns associated with role language, but translators can often work around these issues through effective word choice. In manga, translators are further helped by the aid of the medium’s visuals, which can contribute to the reader’s understanding of a character’s archetype. However, what happens when a character’s role language does not match up …