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.
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.
Classes that meet this MLO:
JAPN 306: The Japanese Mind
JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema
JAPN 314: Japanese Visual Media and Culture
JAPN 407: Japan in Asia
JAPN 306: The Japanese Mind
JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema
JAPN 314: Japanese Visual Media and Culture
JAPN 407: Japan in Asia
The culture courses I took before I studied abroad in Japan were extremely beneficial, to say the least. For example, there were always a few Japanese exchange students enrolled in the course which helped in the in-class discussions. JAPN 306, in particular, was the most beneficial with in-class discussions because we were able to share and express intercultural perspectives on many Japanese practices and philosophies. We would often discuss about cultural practices and inquire one another if we did similar practices in our cultures. For example, we talked about the concept of amae, or dependency. Many of Japan's structured relationships rely on dependency while in America, dependency can be perceived as a form of weakness. In my community, everyone can depend on each other, regardless of blood relations, which is why I found both views on dependency to be very intriguing. It also led me to write my final paper on an analysis of amae and uchi to soto, a concept I believed that was closely correlated with amae (as seen below).
In JAPN 310, I was able to analyze and discuss various topics in the class with my peers through class discussions and projects. For example, in the paper seen below, I went into depth on the concept of funerals and undertaking after watching the film "Departures." I was blown away with the amount of respect that the funeral process showed for the deceased, causing me to reflect on my own experiences with the practices that the main character took part in (as seen in my paper on "Departures" below).
In JAPN 314, I was introduced to other interesting concepts such as wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection) and kami (not necessarily a god or just a spirit - it is a divine being that inhabits both human and non-humans). Learning about these thought-provoking concepts through lectures, group discussions and presentations broadened my perspectives on how the Japanese utilize visual culture and media to speak to their audience.
In JAPN 407, we focused on Japan's relationship with Asia. I have never considered myself a political person and yet much of the content we discussed about in this course were the politics of Asian countries as well as trade agreements and international policies. Also, this course relied heavily on discussions based on the contents in our readings - something I found to be beneficial in the long run. Through our discussions, we discovered how little we knew about the relationships between Japan and other Asian countries and some of the issues these countries are struggling with. My final paper for this course (seen below) compared Japan, the Philippines and the United States' education systems and analyzed the difficulties in striving for higher education in those countries.
In JAPN 310, I was able to analyze and discuss various topics in the class with my peers through class discussions and projects. For example, in the paper seen below, I went into depth on the concept of funerals and undertaking after watching the film "Departures." I was blown away with the amount of respect that the funeral process showed for the deceased, causing me to reflect on my own experiences with the practices that the main character took part in (as seen in my paper on "Departures" below).
In JAPN 314, I was introduced to other interesting concepts such as wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection) and kami (not necessarily a god or just a spirit - it is a divine being that inhabits both human and non-humans). Learning about these thought-provoking concepts through lectures, group discussions and presentations broadened my perspectives on how the Japanese utilize visual culture and media to speak to their audience.
In JAPN 407, we focused on Japan's relationship with Asia. I have never considered myself a political person and yet much of the content we discussed about in this course were the politics of Asian countries as well as trade agreements and international policies. Also, this course relied heavily on discussions based on the contents in our readings - something I found to be beneficial in the long run. Through our discussions, we discovered how little we knew about the relationships between Japan and other Asian countries and some of the issues these countries are struggling with. My final paper for this course (seen below) compared Japan, the Philippines and the United States' education systems and analyzed the difficulties in striving for higher education in those countries.
analysis_of_amae_and_uchi_to_soto.doc | |
File Size: | 55 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Departures.doc | |
File Size: | 32 kb |
File Type: | doc |
japn 407 final_paper.doc | |
File Size: | 54 kb |
File Type: | doc |