2. MLO 2: Culture
2.1. Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, for example, art, history, literature, music).
2.2. Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas, such as how Japan’s cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
Courses taken to fulfill this requirement:
JAPN 300 - Introduction to Advanced Communication
This course is a bridge course from intermediate to advanced Japanese language. It continues development of proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge to prepare for advanced courses. Taught in Japanese.
JAPN 402 - Japanese Literature
This course aims to develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by authors of the modern period. Taught in Japanese.
JAPN 305 - Intro Japanese Culture and Civilization
This course introduces various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, geography, religion, government, politics, customs and traditions. After a broad historical overview beginning in prehistory, this course focuses on the Tokugawa period as the bedrock for understanding modern Japanese society as a mass society. Taught in English.
JAPN 306 - The Japanese Mind
Project-based course that looks behind the social mask the Japanese present to the outside world by examining the people, their life, and their "inner culture." Covers modes of thinking and communicating, negotiating, and decision making; ethical systems; the central role of social status and consequent hierarchical relationships; patterns of making friends and influencing others; psychological factors such as dependence and duty; and the Japanese addiction to perfection. Taught in English.
JAPN 308 - Japanese Pop-Culture
Explores post WWII Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. Investigates social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japan to adult hedonism to childhood by looking at adult comic books (Manga) and animated movies (Anime). Includes popular music from Enka to Rock to Karaoke, fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. Explores the evolution of pop culture and its impact on society. Examines the development of multimedia technology in Japan and America. Taught in English.
JAPN 313 - Manga, Anime & Modern Japan
Manga, Anime & Modern Japan: Reality of an Illusion - This class uses Japanese manga (cartoons) and Anime as modern mirrors that reflect the Japanese experience of rapid economic and social transformation over the past 150 years. Starting with the examination of ancient Japanese style of visual expression, in this course we will trace how popular visual texts such as Manga and Anime sketch out a parallel world that is linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state. Taught in English.
MLO 2: Reflective Narrative
The CSUMB Japanese program puts emphasis on learning Japanese culture by offering a variety of culture-based courses, some taught in Japanese and others taught in English. Japanese 300 was a bridge course from intermediate to advanced Japanese language. It continued the development of proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication through speaking, listening, reading and writing (see first attachment). Taught in Japanese, it enabled me to develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge to prepare for advanced courses; the class also gave me the ability to explain and compare aspects of my own culture with Japanese culture which fulfills MLO 2.2. Japanese 402 was a class on Japanese literature. The course helped me develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by famous authors. This course was also taught in Japanese and expanded my cultural knowledge through Japanese literature (see attached book report and .pdf). Japanese 305 was a course which pertained to the dense subject of Japanese history. The course further expanded my knowledge of Japanese culture and civilization through presentations and readings. This course set the foundation for my development of historical, civic, and cultural literacy about Japan; it presented me knowledge that allowed me to conceptualize Japan as a culturally-rich society being the product of a long and involved history (see attached "Japanese History Language") .
The CSUMB Japanese language and culture program offered me a number of course pertaining to Japanese culture which I enjoyed taking. All of the courses contribute to the fulfillment of both MLO 2.1 and MLO 2.2 by providing a wealth of cultural knowledge about Japanese society, religion, art, music, food, etc., through a number of perspectives via readings, lectures, group activities, media resources, and the like. The course entitled "The Japanese Mind" (JAPN 306) was a very interesting course that was taught in English. Being taught in English, the course covered a significant amount of material across a broad spectrum of disciplines and allowed us to synthesize the information with our already established body of knowledge about Japan. It was a very fun course to take as it allowed us to be creative all while expanding out cultural knowledge of Japan and its people (see attached "Music of Japan" file ). Through the final paper, the course allowed me to first of all learn about and appreciate Japan's traditional music (fulfilling MLO 2.1), and also compare Japanese traditional music with the classical music prevalent within my own culture. It gave me a perspective of the philosophy behind music which I was not aware of before taking this course; I am also able to see more specifically, but also in general, what role music plays within society and how it develops over time (fulfilling MLO 2.2).
Japanese 308, "Japanese Pop Culture", which was also taught by Professor Andy Painter, was one of the most popular classes on campus and was a joy to participate in. We learned a lot about contemporary Japanese cultural trends through a variety of post-Second World War Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. The class also investigated social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japan to adult hedonism to childhood by looking at Manga and Anime. We also briefly covered popular music, karaoke, fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. From the class we learned about the evolution of pop culture and what impact it has within society. The information attained by taking this course also completes MLO 2.1 and as we thoroughly analyzed the differences prevalent between U.S. and Japanese pop-culture, I was granted insight into the meta-world of pop-culture, allowing me to further understand the evolution of the phenomenon and how it is influenced by globalization (MLO 2.2). "Manga, Anime & Modern Japan" (JAPN 313) was one of the most fun classes I have taken during my time learning about Japanese culture at CSUMB. Contrary to most Japanese Language and Culture majors, I did not know much about anime or manga until after I took this class. The class began by examining ancient Japanese styles of visual expression, and proceeded to trace how popular visual texts such as manga and anime sketch out a parallel world linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state. The final project for the class was to construct out own manga and reflect upon the process (see attached "Manga Project Feedback"). I thoroughly enjoyed the culture classes CSUMB provided. The provided a deep and rich understanding of Japanese culture, from old to new, and from ordinary to extraordinary. The courses also allowed for me to examine any assumptions I had made, or assumptions that exist within the context of American society, and rule out any erroneous preconceptions of Japanese culture. Through cross cultural comparison and analysis, we were able to understand much about Japanese society and culture and disseminate that information to our peers, family, friends, and of course our service learning students.
2.1. Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, for example, art, history, literature, music).
2.2. Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas, such as how Japan’s cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
Courses taken to fulfill this requirement:
JAPN 300 - Introduction to Advanced Communication
This course is a bridge course from intermediate to advanced Japanese language. It continues development of proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge to prepare for advanced courses. Taught in Japanese.
JAPN 402 - Japanese Literature
This course aims to develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by authors of the modern period. Taught in Japanese.
JAPN 305 - Intro Japanese Culture and Civilization
This course introduces various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, geography, religion, government, politics, customs and traditions. After a broad historical overview beginning in prehistory, this course focuses on the Tokugawa period as the bedrock for understanding modern Japanese society as a mass society. Taught in English.
JAPN 306 - The Japanese Mind
Project-based course that looks behind the social mask the Japanese present to the outside world by examining the people, their life, and their "inner culture." Covers modes of thinking and communicating, negotiating, and decision making; ethical systems; the central role of social status and consequent hierarchical relationships; patterns of making friends and influencing others; psychological factors such as dependence and duty; and the Japanese addiction to perfection. Taught in English.
JAPN 308 - Japanese Pop-Culture
Explores post WWII Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. Investigates social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japan to adult hedonism to childhood by looking at adult comic books (Manga) and animated movies (Anime). Includes popular music from Enka to Rock to Karaoke, fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. Explores the evolution of pop culture and its impact on society. Examines the development of multimedia technology in Japan and America. Taught in English.
JAPN 313 - Manga, Anime & Modern Japan
Manga, Anime & Modern Japan: Reality of an Illusion - This class uses Japanese manga (cartoons) and Anime as modern mirrors that reflect the Japanese experience of rapid economic and social transformation over the past 150 years. Starting with the examination of ancient Japanese style of visual expression, in this course we will trace how popular visual texts such as Manga and Anime sketch out a parallel world that is linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state. Taught in English.
MLO 2: Reflective Narrative
The CSUMB Japanese program puts emphasis on learning Japanese culture by offering a variety of culture-based courses, some taught in Japanese and others taught in English. Japanese 300 was a bridge course from intermediate to advanced Japanese language. It continued the development of proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication through speaking, listening, reading and writing (see first attachment). Taught in Japanese, it enabled me to develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge to prepare for advanced courses; the class also gave me the ability to explain and compare aspects of my own culture with Japanese culture which fulfills MLO 2.2. Japanese 402 was a class on Japanese literature. The course helped me develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by famous authors. This course was also taught in Japanese and expanded my cultural knowledge through Japanese literature (see attached book report and .pdf). Japanese 305 was a course which pertained to the dense subject of Japanese history. The course further expanded my knowledge of Japanese culture and civilization through presentations and readings. This course set the foundation for my development of historical, civic, and cultural literacy about Japan; it presented me knowledge that allowed me to conceptualize Japan as a culturally-rich society being the product of a long and involved history (see attached "Japanese History Language") .
The CSUMB Japanese language and culture program offered me a number of course pertaining to Japanese culture which I enjoyed taking. All of the courses contribute to the fulfillment of both MLO 2.1 and MLO 2.2 by providing a wealth of cultural knowledge about Japanese society, religion, art, music, food, etc., through a number of perspectives via readings, lectures, group activities, media resources, and the like. The course entitled "The Japanese Mind" (JAPN 306) was a very interesting course that was taught in English. Being taught in English, the course covered a significant amount of material across a broad spectrum of disciplines and allowed us to synthesize the information with our already established body of knowledge about Japan. It was a very fun course to take as it allowed us to be creative all while expanding out cultural knowledge of Japan and its people (see attached "Music of Japan" file ). Through the final paper, the course allowed me to first of all learn about and appreciate Japan's traditional music (fulfilling MLO 2.1), and also compare Japanese traditional music with the classical music prevalent within my own culture. It gave me a perspective of the philosophy behind music which I was not aware of before taking this course; I am also able to see more specifically, but also in general, what role music plays within society and how it develops over time (fulfilling MLO 2.2).
Japanese 308, "Japanese Pop Culture", which was also taught by Professor Andy Painter, was one of the most popular classes on campus and was a joy to participate in. We learned a lot about contemporary Japanese cultural trends through a variety of post-Second World War Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. The class also investigated social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japan to adult hedonism to childhood by looking at Manga and Anime. We also briefly covered popular music, karaoke, fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. From the class we learned about the evolution of pop culture and what impact it has within society. The information attained by taking this course also completes MLO 2.1 and as we thoroughly analyzed the differences prevalent between U.S. and Japanese pop-culture, I was granted insight into the meta-world of pop-culture, allowing me to further understand the evolution of the phenomenon and how it is influenced by globalization (MLO 2.2). "Manga, Anime & Modern Japan" (JAPN 313) was one of the most fun classes I have taken during my time learning about Japanese culture at CSUMB. Contrary to most Japanese Language and Culture majors, I did not know much about anime or manga until after I took this class. The class began by examining ancient Japanese styles of visual expression, and proceeded to trace how popular visual texts such as manga and anime sketch out a parallel world linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state. The final project for the class was to construct out own manga and reflect upon the process (see attached "Manga Project Feedback"). I thoroughly enjoyed the culture classes CSUMB provided. The provided a deep and rich understanding of Japanese culture, from old to new, and from ordinary to extraordinary. The courses also allowed for me to examine any assumptions I had made, or assumptions that exist within the context of American society, and rule out any erroneous preconceptions of Japanese culture. Through cross cultural comparison and analysis, we were able to understand much about Japanese society and culture and disseminate that information to our peers, family, friends, and of course our service learning students.
zachwhitepresentation2japn300.ppt | |
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-_book_report.doc | |
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alittledarkness.pdf | |
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zach_white_-japanese_history_-_language.doc | |
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the_music_of_japan_zach_white.doc | |
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manga_project_feedback.doc | |
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