Director’s Pick: New Digital Methods in East Asian Studies

Описание: Apr 12, 2022
Director’s Pick
New Digital Methods in East Asian Studies

The past isn’t what it used to be – and that’s a good thing. Computer power is allowing scholars of East Asian history and culture to approach their subjects in new and revealing ways, and we will hear from three especially innovative practitioners – all of them UChicago PhDs.

James Lee and his team have created enormous databases of Qing dynasty (1644-1912) officials, 20th century Chinese officials and college graduates, and Liaoning peasants that have revolutionized our understanding of Chinese demography, of long-run patterns of social mobility, and of the expansion of higher education and human capital in modern China.

Jeffrey Tharsen has used digital methods to uncover previously unexpected patterns in ancient texts, and relationships between different texts; among other things, this has enabled him to shed new light on how older versions of Chinese sounded, and thus on how both poetry and prose created their effects on listeners.

Susan Burns has used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to map patterns of disease and medical care in late 18th through early 20th century Japan, as well as urban history more generally, as well as text mining that reveals surprising patterns of social and cultural change; she also teaches courses in which students quickly learn to create their own historical GIS projects.

These scholars will both introduce their own work and discuss how digital tools are transforming the study of East Asia, the humanities and social sciences more generally. Spoiler alert: the future of the past looks brighter and brighter.

Speakers:
Susan L. Burns (PhD’94)
Professor of History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
The University of Chicago

James Z. Lee (PhD’83)
Yan Ai Foundation Professor of Social Science
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Jeffrey R. Tharsen (PhD’15)
Associate Technology Director of Digital Studies
The University of Chicago

Moderator:
Kenneth Pomeranz
Faculty Director
The Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex |
The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong

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▬ Content of the Webinar ▬
Opening - 0:00
Speaker Introduction – 2:04
Jeffrey R. Tharsen’s View – 6:46
Professor James Z. Lee’s View – 23:46
Professor Susan L. Burns’s View – 40:14
Panel Discussion – 57:24