General Description (概要)
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Students will complete an in-depth study of an American Studies topic of social, cultural, political, and/or economic
significance.
社会、文化、政治、経済等のアメリカ研究に関わるトピックについて深く学ぶ。
The United States of America has long attracted people from all over the world, and has become a home for many unique individuals. This course will examine the lives of some of these people, and learn about their personal and intercultural journeys, their achievements, and their impact on American society and the world. There will be a special focus on individuals whose lives can shed light on the relationship between Japanese and American cultures. They will help us reflect on the complex nature of American cultures, and themes that form a common core of American-ness. The individuals covered are people who have made notable achievements in a variety of fields, such as art, literature, architecture, the environment, and Japanese cultural studies.
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Learning Goals(学習目標)
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The goal of this course is to deepen our understanding of the cultural impact that individuals have on society. Through biographies and/or their works, this course examines the complexity of individual’s lives, cultural identities, intercultural experiences, and social background. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course seeks to look at American cultures from a variety of perspectives, rather than trying to draw conclusions about a singular American culture.
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Contents(内容)
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The course will consist of lectures, group discussion, film, and presentations of research projects by students. Students will be expected to read the assigned text before attending each class, write their reflections, and give two presentations, one during the course, and another one at the end of the course.
1. Introduction: Biographies and a brief overview of the USA.
2. American Studies and Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) : The history and the development of the study.
3. "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) : A classic holiday-season movie, with issues of community, fairness and success.
4. Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879): Uncovering how Thanksgiving Day became the national holiday.
5. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) : Examining American-ness through the individual and community.
6. Rachel Carson (1907-1964): An American woman whose writings inspired modern environmental movements throughout the world including Japan.
7. Individualism and the Self in the USA. (Guest lecture, Joseph Shaules)
8. Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959): A worldly-renowned American architect, his connection to Japanese buildings and culture, and the theme of nature and humans.
9. Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988): A celebrated sculptor and artist, who had a multicultural background (Japanese and American), and tried to live beyond borders while pursuing art.
10. Student presentations: people and issues in American culture. Students will present an American of their choice, and examine cultural impact of this person to the American society.
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Language of Instruction(教授言語の詳細)
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Lecture: English
Readings/Materials: English
Tests/Quizzes/Assignments: English and Japanese (particularly written assignments)
Discussions/Presentations/Other learning activities: Mainly English, but Japanese is allowed.
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Communication with the instructor: English and Japanese
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Grading Policy(成績評価基準)
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Attendance and active participation to the class 30%
Short reflection and other assignments 30 %
Presentations 40% (20% each)
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Expected study hour outside class(授業時間外学習)
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Reading materials and discuss them with some reading questions before the class (2 hours).
Reviewing the contents and write a reflection after the class (1 hour).
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References(参考文献)
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Photocopies of required readings will be posted on Moodle. Other references will be introduced 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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Schedule(スケジュール)
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5/W,6/W,7/W
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URL
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