Zombies Go East

AAAS-282A-1

Binghamton University

  • Semester
    Winter 26/27
  • Instructor
  • Start Date
    12-17-2026
  • Total Credits
    4
  • Call to Register
    607-777-6088

Take your class online with SUNY

You will learn the same curriculum as our on-campus students

Zombies, rooted in Haitian folklore and popularized by American cinema, have become a global phenomenon. Much scholarship treats them as metaphors for U.S. cultural anxieties: subversion of order, financial crisis, war, contagion, and, centrally, the fear of the racial Other. Over the past decade, however, zombie and zombie-like figures have surged across East Asian media. How do these creatures resemble or depart from their Western counterparts? Do they mobilize the same archetypal fears, or do they stage distinct cultural fears? Are Eastern zombies different? To answer the above questions, we'll trace the zombie's evolution and transpacific crossing. In the first two weeks, we move from Haitian folklore to early U.S. films of the 1930s-40s that drew on that prototype, then to George A. Romero's genre-defining reimagining in the 1960s-70s and the 21st-century resurgence with its many twists. In the final three weeks, we survey East Asian zombie films from the mid-2010s to the present.
General Education Area(s): Arts , Basic Communication
Course Area: Humanities
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Dates: 12-17-2026 - 01-15-2027
Find books for your online class
Instructor:
Local Course ID: 27WI_BIN_AAAS282A_01
Books & Supplies

  • How to Register for an Online Course

    Let's put your mind at ease about online learning

  • Search
    Search for an online course by keyword, semester, campus, area, or a combination of each.
  • Select Course
    Select a course from the results list that fits your needs.
  • Visit College Website
    Click “register now” to visit the college website to register as a “non-credit” or “non-matriculated” student if you are not enrolled at the campus.
  • Contact Registrar
    Contact the registrar’s office or enrollment office to register for the course. Make sure you have the course name and course ID when you register.
  • Transfer Credits
    If you plan to transfer credit for the course, make sure you have reviewed the course with the advisor at your current college to ensure the credits will transfer to your degree program.
  • Locate Course Materials
    Once you register for the course, visit the campus bookstore to find the books and materials for the course. You will need the course ID to find the books.

Interested in registering for this class?