ASAM1515 - Gender, Work, and Family in Global Asias

In the context of an increasingly globalized world, this course explores the complex interconnections between gender, labor practices, family structures, and broader socio-cultural dynamics within and across Asian societies. Drawing on perspectives from sociology and gender studies, this course offers a comprehensive examination of how global forces shape individual experiences and societal structures in contemporary Asia and beyond. The course is divided into six thematic sections: In the first section, we will learn and critically analyze the key concepts, perspectives, theories, and debates in the literature on gender, work, family, and globalization. This foundational understanding will frame our explorations throughout the course. The second section delves into the rise of globalized beauty standards and the hidden economies of sex work in transnational Asia. The third section focuses on the globalized care chains in which domestic care work is outsourced to underprivileged populations. In the fourth section, we will investigate how intimacy is commodified and shaped by transnational and socio-economic forces. The last two sections look at untraditional, transnational families and their children, examining how parenting styles, immigration decisions, and division of labor are influenced by race/ethnicity, class, and gender.