Admission requirements
This course is only available for BA3 students in Korean Studies who have successfully completed all BA1 and BA2 courses.
Description
This course is an introductory class designed to help BA3 students prepare to write BA theses in the broadly defined field of modern Korean political sociology. The course addresses a set of key topics concerning state–society relations in modern Korea (North and South; both separately and in comparative perspective). It examines these topics through English-language scholarship while also incorporating engagements with Korean-language data, media, and secondary literature. These sources introduce essential terminology and alternate conceptual frameworks for understanding key political and sociological questions as they appear in Korean contexts. The course aims to expand the range of research questions students may pursue in their undergraduate dissertations in the second semester.
In addition to the core topical content, the course includes a Digital Humanities component focused on research methodology. This component aligns with the substantive material presented in the content-based seminars and offers instruction in computational methods in the humanities. It introduces students to basic principles and techniques in digital research, including using available Digital Humanities research tools for organizing and analyzing primary sources and textual data. This methodological strand is designed to provide students with foundational skills in digital analysis for potential use in the thesis research.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, students are expected:
To have deep knowledge about the themes of the course and be familiar with related academic and social (in media, etc.) debates;
To identify various research methodologies and their respective strengths and weaknesses;
To acquire a foundational understanding of computational text analysis and apply basic techniques to primary source materials;
To develop critical reading, academic writing, and group presentation skills; and
To find and formulate a research topic/question for a BA final paper (thesis).
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
This course consists of three parts that are assessed as below. The final mark is determined by the weighted average of the three assessment criteria.
Weighing
- Participation (15%)
- Group Project on Research Methods (25%)
- Final Paper (60%)
Resit
To pass the course, students must receive an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher and a passing grade for the final paper assignment (5.5 or higher). Students who failed the course (receiving an overall mark of 5.49 [=5] or lower) or who failed the final paper assignment (5.49 or lower) must take a resit. The resit, which is only open to students who meet the attendance criteria for the course as a whole, consists of a revised and expanded version of the final paper worth 100% of the grade.
Inspection and feedback
Students may make an individual appointment with the instructor within 30 days after the publication of their final grades in order to review the grades.
Reading list
There is no course text. Weekly readings are listed in the course syllabus, which will be distributed in the period immediately preceding the beginning of the class.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
A strict attendance policy is imposed. Missing more than three sessions during the semester may get you barred from further attending the course and your papers may not be graded. Any absences must be notified in advance. Dispensation from the attendance policy for extenuating circumstances can only be granted by the Board of Examiners after consultation with the teacher.