JAPN 311 - Social Issues in Japan
Course Description:
As the drive to rebuild modern Japan after WWII slowed, latent and new social problems have become visible. This course offers interdisciplinary perspectives on issues such as aging and depopulation, equitable treatment of homeless individuals and other minorities, gender and labor issues, social withdrawals, educational structure problems, and ecological concerns. Taught in English.
As the drive to rebuild modern Japan after WWII slowed, latent and new social problems have become visible. This course offers interdisciplinary perspectives on issues such as aging and depopulation, equitable treatment of homeless individuals and other minorities, gender and labor issues, social withdrawals, educational structure problems, and ecological concerns. Taught in English.
MLOs and Evidence:
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.
- To fulfill this MLO, we examined how social issues in Japan have developed and what facets are involved. This included historical and global perspectives. We watched films, did readings, and wrote papers in order to examine different social issues in different ways.
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.
- To fulfill this MLO, we examined how social issues in Japan have developed and what facets are involved. This included historical and global perspectives. We watched films, did readings, and wrote papers in order to examine different social issues in different ways.
In this course, through discussions, media viewings, papers, and readings, we learned about various social issues in Japan. We were able to compare these issues with American social issues as well as social issues in other countries. Our final project for this course was writing a paper on a social issue in Japan. I chose suicide in adolescents, and the paper can be found by clicking here.
Through all of my activities in this course, I learned a lot about the issues listed in the course description, as well as things like enjo kosai, gay rights, and interrelations with other Southeast Asian countries. In the future, this knowledge will allow me to discuss Japan as part of the global community, and potentially apply it to my career. I hope to keep up with current events and developments in this issues to stay informed.
Through all of my activities in this course, I learned a lot about the issues listed in the course description, as well as things like enjo kosai, gay rights, and interrelations with other Southeast Asian countries. In the future, this knowledge will allow me to discuss Japan as part of the global community, and potentially apply it to my career. I hope to keep up with current events and developments in this issues to stay informed.