Module manager: Dr Maki Fukuoka
Email: m.fukuoka@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Are there fundamental differences between the ways you see objects familiar to you and those from Asia? Are there ways in which the power and meanings of 'seeing' change in an Asian context so that, even though we are 'seeing' the same object, we understand the object differently? How do cultural and historical values and standards shape the act of seeing and how we interpret images? By engaging with wide-ranging historical and cultural examples drawn from a range of specialities from art to science, this module addresses the age-old problem of `nature` versus `nurture` through the perspective of Asian Culture. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module provides a broad introduction to issues of studying visual culture and art of Asia. We will de-naturalize and de-familiarize the act of seeing in the context of encounters with Asian objects. The goal of the module is to understand the complexities and dynamics imbued in the act of 'seeing' in Asian contexts, and to be aware of the processes of interpretation that we ourselves perform when we examine objects from Asia, using sustained engagements with select historical examples. By the end of the module, students should have a fuller grasp of the historical, cultural, and critical readings in the study of Asian art and visual culture through accumulative engagement with assessments and readings, supported by seminar sessions and readings.
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
1. Identify and articulate the challenges in universal application of how one sees
2. Apply research skills to uncover historical contexts of objects from Asian contexts.
3. Apply self-reflective practice, engaging with one’s own process of interpretation of objects
4. Demonstrate an informed understanding of different approaches to seeing in Asian historical and cultural contexts.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
5. Write in a clear, concise, focused and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.
6. Apply critical thinking skills to analyse and synthesise varying interpretations
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Seminar discussions and posting of biweekly responses on Minerva allow for on-going monitoring of student progress. The successful completion of the final essay will also be monitored through submissions of abstract, bibliography, and individual tutoring.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Written | 60 |
| Coursework | Written | 40 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 14/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team