JAPN 306: The Japanese Mind
Description
A project-based course that looks behind the Japanese social mask to understand how Japanese people build relationships, community, and lives worth living. Covers modes of thinking and communicating, negotiating, and decision making; ethical systems; the central role of social status and hierarchical relationships; patterns of making friends and influencing others; psychological factors such as dependence and duty; and the Japanese aesthetics and ideology. Taught in English. (Credit/No Credit Available)
Units: 4
Course Reflective Narrative:
This course covers MLO 2: Culture. This fulfills MLO 2 because it is a culture course where I studied certain aspects of Japanese culture, more importantly the Japanese Mind. I have come to understand and appreciation such ideas like Uchi-Soto, Japanese seasons and Japanese aesthetics of beauty. This course also had opinion bases essays where I could express culture differences and similarities from my own understanding.
This class was very much discussion based, almost every class we separated into groups and given questions to talk about and then report what we discussed to the classes. It was interesting to hear the different answers and discuss them in a professional manner where it was comfortable to speak. One thing that made the class so interesting were how many Japanese exchange students in it. The American students to get better understanding or even get corrections or clarifications from them. Having them in the class improved the understanding of Japanese culture. Beyond just the daily lectures, discussions and quizzes, there were also papers and projects. One assignment was a group project, where my group's topic was how is religion seen in everyday life in Japan (see Group project). For my final paper, I wrote a 12 page paper discussing the importance of Harmony in Japan and its different aspects. This paper helped me improve my understanding of this topic and helped me realized the importance of maintaining harmony with other people (see Final Paper & Final Paper Presentation).
From this course learn many philosophical ideas, practices and customs that still play a major part in Japanese culture. Without this course, I don’t think would be as prepared to go to Japan and understand what was happening around me as I do now. It has built up my cultural understanding and made me even more interested to learn more about it and experience it hands on.
Work Completed:
~Group Presentation:
PDF
~Final Paper:
PDF
~Final Paper Presentation
(This presentation was created to show the class and professor where I was in my research at the time)
PDF
A project-based course that looks behind the Japanese social mask to understand how Japanese people build relationships, community, and lives worth living. Covers modes of thinking and communicating, negotiating, and decision making; ethical systems; the central role of social status and hierarchical relationships; patterns of making friends and influencing others; psychological factors such as dependence and duty; and the Japanese aesthetics and ideology. Taught in English. (Credit/No Credit Available)
Units: 4
Course Reflective Narrative:
This course covers MLO 2: Culture. This fulfills MLO 2 because it is a culture course where I studied certain aspects of Japanese culture, more importantly the Japanese Mind. I have come to understand and appreciation such ideas like Uchi-Soto, Japanese seasons and Japanese aesthetics of beauty. This course also had opinion bases essays where I could express culture differences and similarities from my own understanding.
This class was very much discussion based, almost every class we separated into groups and given questions to talk about and then report what we discussed to the classes. It was interesting to hear the different answers and discuss them in a professional manner where it was comfortable to speak. One thing that made the class so interesting were how many Japanese exchange students in it. The American students to get better understanding or even get corrections or clarifications from them. Having them in the class improved the understanding of Japanese culture. Beyond just the daily lectures, discussions and quizzes, there were also papers and projects. One assignment was a group project, where my group's topic was how is religion seen in everyday life in Japan (see Group project). For my final paper, I wrote a 12 page paper discussing the importance of Harmony in Japan and its different aspects. This paper helped me improve my understanding of this topic and helped me realized the importance of maintaining harmony with other people (see Final Paper & Final Paper Presentation).
From this course learn many philosophical ideas, practices and customs that still play a major part in Japanese culture. Without this course, I don’t think would be as prepared to go to Japan and understand what was happening around me as I do now. It has built up my cultural understanding and made me even more interested to learn more about it and experience it hands on.
Work Completed:
~Group Presentation:
~Final Paper:
~Final Paper Presentation
(This presentation was created to show the class and professor where I was in my research at the time)