Japanese Digital Culture Chinese Medical Ethics

Interested in knowing more about gaming, gender, and Japanese digital culture? What about the ethics of genetic enhancement from the perspective of Chinese philosophy? The Asian Studies Spring Lecture Series will tackle these topics. The event, co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, the Philosophy Department, and the Department of Latin American Studies and Women’s Studies, will take place on Thursday, April 12, at 11:30 a.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall (BRN 228). It will feature presentations by Kathryn Hemmann, Ph.D., from George Mason University and Ori Tavor, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hemmann will discuss "Strong Female Characters: Gender, Gaming, and Digital Cultures in Japan” and Dr. Tavor will present “Designer Babies and the Ethics of Human Enhancement: A Confucian Perspective.”

Dr. Kathryn Hemmann teaches classes on Japanese literature, video games, and popular 
culture. Her research examines the ways in which women interpret texts that are usually understood as 
being targeted at a male audience. She also runs a blog called Contemporary Japanese Literature 
(japaneselit.net), which features reviews of fiction in translation and occasional essays on anime, manga, 
video games, and internet culture.

Ori Tavor teaches Chinese religion, history, and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published 
on the history of ritual theory in China, the relationship between religion and medicine, and the 
role of excavated manuscripts in reshaping the study of early Chinese religious culture.

The event is open to the public and free of charge. For additional information, call 570-941-7643 or email asianstudies@scranton.edu or ann.pang-white@scranton.edu.