授業の目的 【英語】
Goals of the Course [ENG] | | | 【Standardized across all programs】 The central medium for expressing the culture that humans have created is language, which is realized through writing and speech. While its representative examples are historical documents, thought and literary works, the means of cultural expression is not limited to language. There are also forms of expression that use visual media, such as painting and sculpture, and dance and rituals. In this course, we will regard cultural creation realized through various media holistically as “symbols,” and explain the generality of the structures that are found in them. |
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授業の達成目標 【英語】
Objectives of the Course [ENG] | | | As a liberal arts course in the humanities, this course is designed to introduce students to theories and methods currently used in cultural studies, while fostering critical inquiry and understanding of other cultures. Students in this class will develop basic academic skills like critical reading and analytic writing, while also enhancing communication skills through group discussion and presentation. |
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授業の内容や構成
Course Content or Plan | | In this class, we will explore some of the ways in which digital technologies mediate our social lives and experiences within contemporary culture. Working primarily within the setting of Japan, we will start off with some historical context about pre-digital transmedia cultures of wartime and early postwar Japan, culminating in the Kadokawa “media mix” of the 1970s, followed by a look at participatory communities that formed around dōjinshi fanzines of the 1960s through the 1990s. Major shifts in the media ecology of Japan during the so-called “lost decade,” including the spread of the internet, digital tools for self-publishing, and the rapid development of gaming technologies, helped radically reshape the spaces of cultural consumption and fan labor, while also expanding the audiences for Japanese media on a global scale. Despite attempts to steer these developments towards national or political agendas—such as in the “Cool Japan” campaign of the 2010s—regular people like you and me still play a decisive role in determining how we consume or “prosume” culture. So, in a sense, this class is about us and about why our digitally-mediated experiences matter.
Week to week, we will meet to discuss a topic that relates to the overarching theme of the class. Readings will be selected to offer grounding for critical analysis, and in my own role as a teacher, I will be introducing theoretical concepts from media and cultural studies that (hopefully!) will give you new insights into your own digital practices. To that end, I will be keenly interested in hearing about your own experiences with Japanese media and culture, and what you think is significant about liking a video, sharing a meme, or going out of your dorm once in a while to play Pokemon Go. All primary readings for this course will be in English translation, with Japanese versions posted when available. Students are not required to have reading proficiency in Japanese or any prior background in Japanese Literature, East Asian Studies, or the Humanities prior to taking this course. All are welcome! |
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履修条件・関連する科目
Course Prerequisites and Related Courses | | | There are no prerequisites to enroll in this course. All are welcome! Some previous background in East Asian humanities and/or proficiency in Japanese would be helpful. |
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成績評価の方法と基準
Course Evaluation Method and Criteria | | Assessment in this course will be according to a contract system. At the start of the semester, each student will be given a choice of three different learning tracks, each with a different set of tasks and learning objectives that will culminate in a fixed grade--B, A, or A+/S. Upon successfully meeting all the objectives in their chosen track, students will earn the grade they signed up for. Specific details about the assessment schedule for each track can be viewed on the online version of the syllabus, on our CANVAS site, which will be accessible two weeks before the start of the semester (see below for details about how to access the course site before the start of the semester.
Students need to notify the instructor about the course withdrawal when they have no intention of finishing the course during the semester. |
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教科書
Textbook | | | All course materials will be provided on the first day of class. There is no textbook to purchase |
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参考書
Reference Book | | | A list of optional readings and reference materials will be made available on our course site. |
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課外学修等
Study Load (Self-directed Learning Outside Course Hours) | | | In addition to the ninety (90) minutes of time spent in each class meeting, students should expect to spend time outside of class each week reading and writing responses to weekly prompts. Your work load will depend on which learning track you have chosen to join. In general, students on the Discovery track (final grade of B) can expect an average of one hour or less per week, students on the Mastery track (final grade of A) around two hours per week, and students on the Research track (A+/S) around three hours per week. For more details, refer to the guide to learning tracks, which is posted on our CANVAS |
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注意事項
Notice for Students | | |
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本授業に関するWebページ
Reference website for this Course | | |
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担当教員からのメッセージ
Message from the Instructor | | IMPORTANT: I will NOT be using TACT to teach this class. Our class will be taught on CANVAS and our weekly meetings will be held in person. If you are considering enrolling, please add your name and address to the following signup sheet page on Google Docs so that I can send you an invitation to the course site:
https://forms.gle/DifnnRYdjnwmyf9m6
After you fill out the signup sheet linked below, I will provide you with the password for accessing the CANVAS site. On CANVAS, you can view the online version of the syllabus, peruse the schedule of course readings, and even get a head start working on some of the lesson modules before the semester starts. |
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実務経験のある教員等による授業科目（大学等における修学の支援に関する法律施行規則に基づくもの）
Courses taught by Instructors with practical experience | | |
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授業開講形態等
Lecture format, etc | | A-1）Face-to-face course （Only face-to-face classes）
* The classroom for face-to-face classes is listed in Timetable B on the ILAS website. |
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