Major Learning Outcome 2: Culture
Outcomes:
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 analytic 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:
JAPN 305: Introduction to Japanese Culture and Civilization:
In this course I was first provided with a broad overview of Japan's prehistory, giving me general background knowledge of Japanese culture. We then focused on the Tokugawa period up to World War Two, using this time period as the bedrock from which Japan has developed into what it is today. For all of these periods I learned of various aspects of Japanese culture, such as government, religion, politics, and history.
JAPN 313: Manga, Anime & Modern Japan:
This course taught me how to interpret Japanese culture through the reflection of manga and anime. I learned about how Japanese manga and anime reflect the changes in Japanese society as the nation was going through a time of great economic growth, as well as social transformation, over the past two centuries.
JSC M-F (Art and Culture):
This course gave a detailed explanation and summary of some of the key points in Japanese history. We started in Japan's ancient history with the Jomon period, moving all the way up through World War Two. We covered important social issues along the way as well, such as the disappearing Ainu people of Japan, and related these issues to that of other nations, such as the U.S. For many of these periods we learned about the most prevalent art forms of the time, such Jomon's pottery style or the various styles of media during World War Two.
JSC L-S (Religious Studies):
For the religious studies course I learned about Christianity's role in Japanese history; I learned of what Buddhism is and how it is viewed today by Japanese people; and I learned about Shintoism, and how it relates to the other religions. We watched various movies covering these topics, and analyzed how they reflected the morals and values of each religion in Japan.
JSC J-S (Sociology: Community Service):
This course was a service learning course in which I volunteered with my classmates at a local orphanage. I saw first hand one of Japan's social issues and learned about how it is being dealt with by the government and the Japanese people. During the class hours, we learned about orphanages in other nations, such as the U.S. and the U.K., and how their system compares to that of Japan. We also learned about what steps we can take as university students to help improve the situation.
Reflective Narrative:
The second major learning outcome for the Japanese major is culture. This involves developing a deep understanding of and appreciation for Japanese culture (MLO 2.1), as well as developing a critical understanding of how Japan’s unique cultural and historical background contribute to modern Japanese life, and how it compares to the rest of the world (MLO 2.2). In order to meet this fulfillment, I needed a groundwork understanding of Japanese history and culture.
JAPN 305: Intro to Japanese Culture and Civilization helped me fulfill MLO 1.1 by providing me with this fundamental understanding of Japanese culture. This course gave me a deep understanding of Japan’s key historical periods (Tokugawa period, Edo period, Post WW2, etc.) as well as how the events of these periods help shape modern Japan, reflected in the midterm paper I wrote (see sample 1). Japanese Art and Culture covered a more broad expanse of Japanese history, going back to ancient times and the first people of Japan, helping me to better understand the development of Japanese culture and thereby also helping me understand MLO 1.1. What I gained most from this course, however, was my presentation on the Ainu tradition of Iomante, which helped me understand MLO 1.2 (see sample 3). This project gave me a chance to study a unique and important aspect of modern Japan, the Ainu people, and compare their situation with that of other native peoples, such as North America's Native Americans.
I also developed an understanding of modern Japan and its unique culture from the course Manga, Anime & Modern Japan, which taught me how two of Japan’s largest cultural products, manga and anime, contribute to the development of modern Japan and its popular culture, helping me fulfill MLO 1.1. It also helped me with MLO 1.2 by comparing Japan's popular culture, how it became what it is, and how it influences modern Japan; with that of the U.S.'s popular culture. Both of these points can be seen in sample 2.
The other important cultural factor in any society is religion, which I learned about in detail from the Japanese Religious Studies course I took while studying in Nagoya, Japan. Coming from a Christian-oriented nation, it was very beneficial taking a course that taught about Japan’s two most major religions, Shinto and Buddhism, which differ greatly from Christianity. It was also very enlightening to learn about Christianity’s influence on Japan, and Japan’s two hundred year ban on Christianity, as well as most foreigners. Having covered these points helped me to better understand both MLO 1.1 and 1.2.
Another course I took while in Japan was a service learning class, in which we volunteered at a local orphanage. This course gave me a first-hand look at not only modern day Japan, but a first-hand look at a modern social issue that Japan does not often show. Working with these orphans taught me much more about how Japan handles some of its social issues, and how it affects the targets of the social issues, furthering my development of MLO 1.1.
Through these courses and the experiences they gave me, I efficiently and effectively learned more about Japanese culture and some of its unique differences from my own culture. I was also going beyond textbook traditional Japanese culture and learning about day-to-day life in Japan, observing and experiencing how modern Japanese people live their lives.
Sample Works:
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 analytic 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:
JAPN 305: Introduction to Japanese Culture and Civilization:
In this course I was first provided with a broad overview of Japan's prehistory, giving me general background knowledge of Japanese culture. We then focused on the Tokugawa period up to World War Two, using this time period as the bedrock from which Japan has developed into what it is today. For all of these periods I learned of various aspects of Japanese culture, such as government, religion, politics, and history.
JAPN 313: Manga, Anime & Modern Japan:
This course taught me how to interpret Japanese culture through the reflection of manga and anime. I learned about how Japanese manga and anime reflect the changes in Japanese society as the nation was going through a time of great economic growth, as well as social transformation, over the past two centuries.
JSC M-F (Art and Culture):
This course gave a detailed explanation and summary of some of the key points in Japanese history. We started in Japan's ancient history with the Jomon period, moving all the way up through World War Two. We covered important social issues along the way as well, such as the disappearing Ainu people of Japan, and related these issues to that of other nations, such as the U.S. For many of these periods we learned about the most prevalent art forms of the time, such Jomon's pottery style or the various styles of media during World War Two.
JSC L-S (Religious Studies):
For the religious studies course I learned about Christianity's role in Japanese history; I learned of what Buddhism is and how it is viewed today by Japanese people; and I learned about Shintoism, and how it relates to the other religions. We watched various movies covering these topics, and analyzed how they reflected the morals and values of each religion in Japan.
JSC J-S (Sociology: Community Service):
This course was a service learning course in which I volunteered with my classmates at a local orphanage. I saw first hand one of Japan's social issues and learned about how it is being dealt with by the government and the Japanese people. During the class hours, we learned about orphanages in other nations, such as the U.S. and the U.K., and how their system compares to that of Japan. We also learned about what steps we can take as university students to help improve the situation.
Reflective Narrative:
The second major learning outcome for the Japanese major is culture. This involves developing a deep understanding of and appreciation for Japanese culture (MLO 2.1), as well as developing a critical understanding of how Japan’s unique cultural and historical background contribute to modern Japanese life, and how it compares to the rest of the world (MLO 2.2). In order to meet this fulfillment, I needed a groundwork understanding of Japanese history and culture.
JAPN 305: Intro to Japanese Culture and Civilization helped me fulfill MLO 1.1 by providing me with this fundamental understanding of Japanese culture. This course gave me a deep understanding of Japan’s key historical periods (Tokugawa period, Edo period, Post WW2, etc.) as well as how the events of these periods help shape modern Japan, reflected in the midterm paper I wrote (see sample 1). Japanese Art and Culture covered a more broad expanse of Japanese history, going back to ancient times and the first people of Japan, helping me to better understand the development of Japanese culture and thereby also helping me understand MLO 1.1. What I gained most from this course, however, was my presentation on the Ainu tradition of Iomante, which helped me understand MLO 1.2 (see sample 3). This project gave me a chance to study a unique and important aspect of modern Japan, the Ainu people, and compare their situation with that of other native peoples, such as North America's Native Americans.
I also developed an understanding of modern Japan and its unique culture from the course Manga, Anime & Modern Japan, which taught me how two of Japan’s largest cultural products, manga and anime, contribute to the development of modern Japan and its popular culture, helping me fulfill MLO 1.1. It also helped me with MLO 1.2 by comparing Japan's popular culture, how it became what it is, and how it influences modern Japan; with that of the U.S.'s popular culture. Both of these points can be seen in sample 2.
The other important cultural factor in any society is religion, which I learned about in detail from the Japanese Religious Studies course I took while studying in Nagoya, Japan. Coming from a Christian-oriented nation, it was very beneficial taking a course that taught about Japan’s two most major religions, Shinto and Buddhism, which differ greatly from Christianity. It was also very enlightening to learn about Christianity’s influence on Japan, and Japan’s two hundred year ban on Christianity, as well as most foreigners. Having covered these points helped me to better understand both MLO 1.1 and 1.2.
Another course I took while in Japan was a service learning class, in which we volunteered at a local orphanage. This course gave me a first-hand look at not only modern day Japan, but a first-hand look at a modern social issue that Japan does not often show. Working with these orphans taught me much more about how Japan handles some of its social issues, and how it affects the targets of the social issues, furthering my development of MLO 1.1.
Through these courses and the experiences they gave me, I efficiently and effectively learned more about Japanese culture and some of its unique differences from my own culture. I was also going beyond textbook traditional Japanese culture and learning about day-to-day life in Japan, observing and experiencing how modern Japanese people live their lives.
Sample Works:
mlo_2_sample_1_japn_305_midterm.pdf | |
File Size: | 39 kb |
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mlo_2_sample_2_japn_313_midterm.pdf | |
File Size: | 33 kb |
File Type: |
mlo_2_sample_3_iomante.pdf | |
File Size: | 147 kb |
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