Lecture: 2 hrs/week
and
Seminar: 2hrs/week
Methods of Instruction will depend on the delivery mode: in person, online, hybrid or guided study.
Method of instruction may include, but are not limited to:lecture, screening of audio-visual materials, small group work, class discussions and debates, and field trips.
This course consists of the following three integrated components:
Basic concepts and theoretical frameworks
Students will be introduced to the terms and concepts needed for critical analysis and understanding of language and culture.
- The nature and definition of language and culture
- Critical perspectives related to language and culture (e.g., ideology, discourse and discursive formation, language and power)
- Concepts and terms related to language and culture (e.g., high/low culture, popular/mass culture, collectivism and individualism, harmony, orientalism and self-orientalism, Self and Other, imperialism, nationalism, hegemony)
Japanese language, culture, and society
With a particular focus on linguistic elements, students will learn about the language, culture and society of Japan.
- The development of Japan as a nation state and the Japanese language
- Japanese language education in the world
- Language policies and language education in Japan
- Linguistic ideologies in Japan
- The development of Japanese orthography and its usage in different contexts
- Japanese lexis and expressions: etymology of Japanese words, loanwords in Japanese, Japanese loanwords in other languages, slang, idioms and proverbs
- The Japanese language and translation: difficulty, what is lost in translation
- Gender/regional/generational difference in the Japanese language
- Japanese nonverbal communication
Analysis of Japanese cultural products
Students will explore aspects of Japanese language, culture and society through an examination of various cultural products such as literature, anime, food, mascots and festivals. The topics and themes may include, but are not limited to:
- Japanese social and cultural identities
- Japanese aesthetic values and religious beliefs
- The discourse on race and ethnicity in Japan
- Social stratification and minorities in Japan
- Gender and family system in Japan
- Japanese sub-cultures and pop-cultures (e.g., cosplay, otaku culture)
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
-Demonstrate their knowledge of linguistic, cultural, and social aspects of modern Japan;
-Explain the construction and representation of the language and culture;
-Articulate critical awareness of their own views and attitudes toward different languages and cultures;
-Recognize diverse cultural practices and perspectives;
-Demonstrate a deep understanding of and engagement with course content.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½Evaluation Policy. Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as a part of the student's graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation must be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.
Evaluation may include, but is not limited to: class participation; individual or group presentations; research projects; mid-term exam; final exam or paper; quizzes; journals; reading reports; and discussion forums.
Evaluation may be done in person and/or online.
Sample breakdown for this course:
Assignments: 20%
Quizzes: 20%
Participation in online discussion forums and/or classes: 20%
Mid-term Exam: 20%
Final Paper: 20%
Total: 100%
No single evaluation will be worth more than 20%.
Coursepack and/or textbook. A list of required textbooks and materials will be provided in the instructor's course outline which will be available to students at the beginning of each semester.
Examples of textbooks that may be used for this course include:
- Gottlieb, N. (2005). Language and society in Japan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Hendry, J. (2012). Understanding Japanese society. London: Routledge.
- Sugimoto, Y. (2020). An introduction to Japanese society. Sydney: Cambridge University Press.
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