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TEACHING JAPAN PROJECT
How do we “frame” Japan? As a polity or an ethnicity? Is it manga or is it tea ceremonies? This seminar examines the concept of “Japan” using the methods of cultural studies. Cultural studies is a contemporary interdisciplinary field of academic study that focuses on understanding the social power encoded in “texts” of a given culture. The definition of cultural studies can sometimes be misconstrued. It is not simply the study of different cultures but uses many other studies to analyze cultures such as philosophy, theology, literature etc. Cultural studies helps discover how and why cultures are formed and the reason groups of people act the way they do. focuses on how people make meaning, comprehend reality, articulate values, and arrange experiences through cultural symbols Cultural Studies is the study of how a society creates and shares meaning.
Based on resource readings and discussions, members will select a personal area of research and exposition. After developing and presenting their results, students will have the option of linking their research to an ongoing project, or creating a new project group.
giga program
“In September 2011 the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies will launch the GIGA Program, an undergraduate curriculum for international students that integrates information and communication technology with governance skills. Students who complete the course will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Information Studies.
The program will require at least 124 credits (the equivalent of 62 semester-length courses), and is designed to be completed in four years; however exceptional students may finish in three-and-a-half years. Rigorous courses in technology, engineering, mathematics and sciences will be reinforced by foundational courses in international relations, development, political science and language. All students will also be required to complete a BachelorĀfs Project and written thesis during their final two semesters.
In order to train students for productive careers in pan-Asian enterprises, and prepare them for postgraduate studies at academic institutions around the world, the GlGA Program will feature two distinct requirements. First, core lectures will be held solely in English, requiring students to possess a high proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing the language. Second, students will be expected to participate in research projects from an early stage, typically during their second year.”
– from GIGA Program webpage.
Freedman lab. 