Asian popular culture explored in symposium

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Scholars from around the country will be at Bowling Green State University for the Asian Popular Culture Symposium hosted by the Department of Popular Culture. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. April 15 in 207 Bowen-Thompson Student Union with “Time Continuity in Japanese Animation: A Media Theory of Anime.”

The symposium itself is made up of five sessions. Events on April 15 are in 316 Union. Sessions continue on April 16 in Room 314.

Co-organizer Dr. Jeremy Wallach, an associate professor of popular culture, said speakers will present their work and two discussants, one from BGSU, the other from another University, will comment on it.

“The idea is to develop works in progress and foster an intensive environment where they will work closely with the authors to refine their research and develop the precision and scope of their work,” he said.

Wallach explained there is really no place to study Asian popular culture at a graduate level. While there is a large Asian studies discipline, it focuses mostly on politics, history and language, even though many people become interested in Asian culture through its pop culture, he said.

The keynote event is at 4 p.m. April 16. A panel will discuss the future of Asian popular culture studies. The symposium ends at 7:30 p.m. with a performance and film screening in the Union Theater featuring BGSU’s The Game and Anime Music Ensemble (G.A.M.E.), which performs video game and anime music.

An exhibit of contemporary Indian art will also be on display on the third floor of the Union.


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(Posted April 08, 2010 )