Unpacking Asia

Asia is a continent, a space, an idea, or is it?

In this folk high school class we will explore the rich diversity of Asian cultures and countries. We will consider the Image of Asia as well as conflicts and tensions in the different regions. 

The Unpacking Asia class is thought as a combination of practical, creative activities and more traditional learning through discussing and listening. The idea is not to feed you with other people’s words and ideas about Asia, but to engage with, challenge and add our own voices to unpack and set free an idea of Asia.

We will cover topics such as politics, values, food, arts and culture. Exploring different value models coming out of the region, from Buddhism to Ikigai, Confucianism to K-Pop. We might consider Bhutan’s policy of Gross National Happiness and how it can teach us to run our countries in another way. We could explore corruption in the Philippines, or just in general how elections are run there, compared to other models. An exploration of Article 9 in Japanese Constitution, the platform of bands like BTS to change policy and more. We are interested in exploring the beautiful and the ugly in “Asian” Politics.

And we will cook: with so many tastes and smells, we will try cooking some food, but also exploring different cultures, festivals and traditions when it comes to food.