Viewing Korean Society through Humor
Humor is deeply embedded in Korean society as tools for critique and catharsis. It is a time stamp of history, culture, and social expectations. Humor can create harmony, binding a community together, but also divide and exclude at the expense of outsiders. Humor can be dark and acerbic as well as playful and alleviating. This course will explore the various philosophical and psychological theories of humor and how it is used in Korean society as satire, critique, and escape, including its connection to tragedy. Through analyzing popular media, we will examine the cultural narratives in Korean society and how Korean artists use humor as entertainment, social critique, and a platform for highlighting controversial or taboo subjects.
This class teaches students how to find deeper meaning in popular media—films, drama, music videos, sketch comedy, and comics—while exploring Korean culture and humor. Students will also learn about the many functions of humor (psychological, sociological, philosophical, and dramatic), which can give greater insight into the shifting cultural, social, and historical contexts of Korea as well as other societies.
All readings and media will be in either English, contain English subtitles, or translated from Korean into English. No knowledge of Korean is required.
Course Listing: KOREAN 360
Instructor: Emily Marie Anderson Hall
Time: T Th 3:30-5:20 p.m.
Location: MEB 250