MLO 2: Culture
Major Learning Outcomes
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.
Qualified Courses Taken
Taught in Japanese:
JAPN 300: Introduction to Advanced Communication
JAPN 302: History of Japan
Taught in English:
JAPN 306: The Japanese Mind
JAPN 309: Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema
JAPN 311: Social Issues in Japan
JAPN 300: Introduction to Advanced Communication
JAPN 302: History of Japan
Taught in English:
JAPN 306: The Japanese Mind
JAPN 309: Japanese Literature in Translation
JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema
JAPN 311: Social Issues in Japan
Reflective Narrative
During the course of my education at CSUMB, culture has been a major part of the curriculum. To speak a language is simply not enough; one must also understand the culture and it’s products to gain insight not only of the people, but also their way of seeing the world. I have had a variety of classes to teach me about the perspectives, practices, and products of Japan, but some of the most enlightening have been from JAPN 311: Social Issues in Japan. When we are first excitedly learning about a new language and culture, we usually aren't aware of the culture's problems while we eagerly view their products without flaws; or the flaws we does see are ones that conflict with our own cultural ideas of “social acceptability.” In my final essay for the class, I explored the phenomenon of “Satoyama,” or a man-made and maintained landscape in balance with nature that allows it to thrive in our otherwise industrialized world. The concept of Satoyama, though Japanese, could be applied globally as resources become more scarce, and best represents my work for MLO 2.2.
I fulfilled MLO 2.1 through another major cultural aspect I learned, which was the aesthetics Japanese people traditionally find pleasing. Almost all classes addressed it at some point; however the best visual examples were in my Japanese Cinema course. The films combined Japanese history, traditional visuals, and dramatic story telling to present the ideal Samurai, which I explored the historical accuracy of in my final essay.
Learning about a culture is a continuous pursuit; one is constantly finding new aspects one hadn’t noticed before. As my experience abroad showed, living within the culture is the best way to absorb it. To that effect, I hope to return to Japan to further my cultural education.
I fulfilled MLO 2.1 through another major cultural aspect I learned, which was the aesthetics Japanese people traditionally find pleasing. Almost all classes addressed it at some point; however the best visual examples were in my Japanese Cinema course. The films combined Japanese history, traditional visuals, and dramatic story telling to present the ideal Samurai, which I explored the historical accuracy of in my final essay.
Learning about a culture is a continuous pursuit; one is constantly finding new aspects one hadn’t noticed before. As my experience abroad showed, living within the culture is the best way to absorb it. To that effect, I hope to return to Japan to further my cultural education.
Work Samples
311_litz_satoyama.pdf | |
File Size: | 75 kb |
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310_litz_samurai.pdf | |
File Size: | 80 kb |
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