General Description (概要)
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This course will critically examine anthropological studies of culture in contemporary Japan.
現代日本に見られる文化的事象を批判的に考察する。
This course concentrates on the ETHNOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION OF JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE (hereafter JPC). The coursework consists of a series of workshops that revolves around essential themes and perspectives in thinking academically about popular culture at large. Taking advantage of being in Tokyo, which is the heart of JPC creation and dissemination, searching concrete "window-example" in each case, and conducting collaborative team investigation (developing such a team-research project) will be your duty as a student enrolling in this course! Such an investigation will aim to reveal and better acquire the social meanings and cultural mechanisms of popular expressive behaviors which constitute JPC. Fruits of your attendance and participation will be recorded on weekly basis in order to ultimately organize a publishable quality volume of ethnographic journals to be turned in at the end of this term. Two exams (midterm and final) will be conducted on set-dates in order to check your overall acquisitions of covered subjects in this course.
★PLEASE BE WELL-AWARE: that students who wish to enroll in this course should have abilities to: 1) select and pursue specific subjects of interest in JPC on weekly basis; 2) motivate oneself towards enthusiastic organization or ethnographic research projects as well as conducts of fieldwork including several weekend travels in and around Tokyo District; 3) strong commitments to produce thick descriptions on carefully chosen subjects of great academic values; and above all 4) wills and abilities to acquire academic skills through our coursework.
This course is suitable to the social science-, comparative culture-, and/or policy-related sectors of the ICU Diploma Policy. Students who are willing to get involved in popular artistry, entertainment business and media industry with sufficient academic skills may also find this course worthy of taking.
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Learning Goals(学習目標)
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1) Attaining greater understandings of JPC and its positioning in contemporary Japanese culture and society.
2) Thinking critically about the workings of JPC in Japanese lifeworld.
3) Developing academic skills - esp. in organizing and conducing socio-scientific researches, as well as in producing ethnographic descriptions.
★ THIS COURSE IS OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF ATTENDING CLASSES IN PERSON! We will NOT be using ZOOM or any other remote offering engine!
★ For whatever administratively unjustifiable reasons of personal kind, more than THREE consecutive- and/or cumulative absence from our coursework will AUTOMATICALLY result in FAILURE grading. Please "exist" intellectually, and avoid "being there" with overly defensive excuses!
★ For those of you who are willing to take this course, please ACTIVATE YOUR MOODLE ACCOUNT! Please be sure to make FOLLOW WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS PROMPTLY on the ANT204 section of your Moodle account.
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Contents(内容)
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The following timetable should give you a good idea on the flow of our coursework. Any crucial changes in our weekly events and activities will be announced in person as well as on Moodle accordingly.
01=12 Sept: Introducing JPC Studies (JPCS):
1) Course Introduction: Knowing Our Duties and Study Modes; Fundamental Concepts and Aspects
2) Three Crucial Perspectives: Cultural Logic, Politico-economic Framing, and Socio-historical process
[19 Sept: NO CLASS/Supplementary Class TBA]
02=26 Sept: Setting the Tone for Our JPC Investigations:
1) Project Team Organization and Investigative Rule Setting
2) Initial Workshop on Journal Editing and Research Designing
[20 Sept: Fieldtrip 1 (Destination TBA)]
03=3 Oct: Investigating Cultural Logic
1) From Yokai Demons to Pop-Idols: On the Symbolism of JPC from Past and Present
2) Team Project Workshop
04=10 Oct: Japan Inc. and the Bright New World Ideology: Realizing Japan's Cultural Matrix and the Internal Role of JPC
1) Acquiring the Essential Mechanism of Japan Inc.
2) Team Project Workshop
05=17 Oct: Think How Genres Evolve
1) Monadological Analyses of J-Pop Music and the Progression of Collective Sentiment
2) Team Project Workshop
06=24 Oct: Midterm Review Session
1) Reflecting the Past 5 Weeks
※ MIDTERM EXAM here!
07=31 Oct: From Animism to Anime: Think How Livelihood is Fantasized in Japan
1) Screening the Life of an Animator
2) Animation Workshop: Systematizing the Socio-historical Development
08=7 Nov: The Craftship Origin of Japanese Popular Visual Arts (JPVA)
1) Craftshipping Japan
2) Workshop: Coming to Touch with the Historical Flow and Lineage of JPVA Craftship
[11 Nov: Cyber Field-Exploration on Japanese Pop Idolatry: ZOOM]
09=14 Nov: Investigating Cultural Strategies and Tactics
1) Screening the Strategies and Tactics of J-Fashion
2) Team Project Workshop
10: Final Exam = November 21 @ 1500 HRS, Our regular classroom H152
※ Deadline of Your File of Ethnographic Journals = 26 Nov, 1700-HRS Sharp!
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Language of Instruction(教授言語の詳細)
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English will be used for all communications, lectures and discussions in this course, while keywords and important native concepts from the field will be referred to in Japanese but with English descriptions.
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Grading Policy(成績評価基準)
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1) Attendance and Participation = 30%
2) Your Ethnographic Journals (WEJ) = 40%
3) Exams (Midterm and Final) @ Week 6 and 10 = 30% Total
※ Midterm and final exams consist of multiple choice, T/F, selections, and partly essay questions. ANY PERMITTED MAKEUP EXAMs WILL TAKE THE FORM OF ESSAY QUESTIONS.
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Expected study hour outside class(授業時間外学習)
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Prepare to commit yourself to weekly journal editing as well as weekend (not limited to) field investigations! Your investigative destinations and hours as well as contents of your activities are to be recorded as a part of your weekly journal entry.
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References(参考文献)
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To be assigned in class.
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Learning Support Resources for Students (学生のための学修支援リソース)
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If there are learning support resources that are especially recommended for this course, they will be listed below.
Here (ICU Internal page) is the list of learning support resources available at ICU.
このコースで特に利用を推奨する学修支援リソースがある場合、以下に記載されます。
ICUで利用可能なリソースの一覧は こちらです （学内ウェブサイト）。
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Notes(注意事項)
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***WARNING: THIS IS A HEAVY-DUTY COURSE for STUDENTS WHO DEMONSTRATE THEIR GENUINE INTERESTs IN ATTAINING A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF JPC on levels of specific subject-matters as well as generative conceptualization, theorization and analyses! For those who have any doubts about partaking of goals and conditions mentioned above, or those who are going to be there to kill time with curious onlooking in mind, please DO NOT take this course! No lousy-, lazy-, pretentious-, hypocritical- and/or mediocre tilt will be excused or tolerated!
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Schedule(スケジュール)
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5/TU,6/TU
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URL
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