Last update: December 15, 2017
Art Hist 2096 (801) / As St 2096 (803) Eurasia: Connecting European and Asian Art and Culture
Even though we are living in a globalizing world, our common knowledge of cultures other than our own is limited. Since every culture has its own uniqueness, it can often cause misunderstandings during interpretation. Located on the eastern side of Eurasia, Japan can be seen as a reflection of Europe itself in many ways. By comparing the cultures and historical incidents of these parts of Eurasia, they echo resounding similarities. This class connects European and Asian cultures into the singular continental culture of Eurasia - through cross cultural comparisons of significant moments in history and places of significance. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to compare the social and historical contexts of Europe and Japan, while being able to create your own critical analysis's on this area of study. Although, not required, it is recommended to take "Japanese Culture" course before taking this course.
Art Hist 2800 (801)/As St 3000 (803) Japanese Art Before and After WWII: From Manga to Performance Art
This course introduces Japanese art from the early 20th century to present day, focusing on traditional aspects of Japanese cultures. Through this course you will study Japan's relationship with modernization and its influence on arts and cultures such as; painting, sculpture, manga, movie, animation, performance art, and more. The artists who will be discussed in these courses will be; Hayao Miyazaki, Osamu Tezuka, Leonard Tsuguharu Fujita, Yasujiro Ozu, Yoko Ono, Yukio Mishima, and Yasumasa Morimura. Special attention will be paid to the historical context of Japan's modernization, World War II, and their influences on Japanese contemporary art. The aim of this course is to help you develop literacy on Japanese modern/contemporary art and culture. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to understand the social and historical context of Japanese art and culture. Enabling you to create your own critical analysis's on this particular field of study. Previous knowledge of Japan's history or art is not required for this course.
Art Hist 2896 (801)/As St 2096 (802) Modern Japanese Visual Culture: Early Edo Period through the Second World War
This is a writing-intensive Art History course examining Western influence on modern Japanese visual expression spanning the early Eighteenth century in the Edo period through the end of the Second World War. This period is marked by two watershed events linked to Western interventions: the collapse of centuries-old samurai feudalism and Japan's defeat in the Second World War. The course begins by introducing Japan's early encounters with the West and the following effort to modernize itself. Western influence touched every aspect of Japanese life including the visual arts. The course will explore the evolution and transformation of Japanese visual arts in which Western knowledge and culture played a crucial role, and often challenged Japan's long-standing traditional values and artistic practices. The course will chronologically highlight ways in which Japanese artists had to question and gauge their own artistic practices and styles to cope with the aesthetic pendulum swinging back and forth between the foreign and domestic in the rapidly changing political, societal and cultural climate.
Art Hist 2898 (801)/As St 2096 (801) Contemporary Japanese Art and Visual Culture, from 1945 to the Present
This course examines the development of Japanese art and visual culture in the postwar period. Instead of providing a linear history of formal developments, this course thematically explores some of the major theoretical issues that surround contemporary Japanese art and visual culture. Critical readings will provide social, historical, and political contexts for understanding a broad range of visual cultural practices including art, fashion, design, graphic novels, and films. Through the course we will consider topics such as the question of modernity and the West in Japanese art; underground art and political dissent in the 1960s; the rise of mass culture and design; roles of gender, cuteness, and fantasy; and representations of otherness and the myth of homogeneity.
As St 3000 (802) Law and Society in Japan
This course will examine how the law functions in Japanese society from empirical and critical perspectives. Starting with an examination of the Tokugawa legal system which has arguably influenced even the modern legal system and people's behavior toward the law, we will discuss major issues regarding legal education and legal profession, the judiciary, crime and criminal justice, civil disputes and civil justice, politics and the Constitutional Law, corporate governance, and some specific contemporary problems such as the legal aftermath of the disaster at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, and regulating hate speech.
As St 3900 (801) Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies Honors Seminar
The Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies is TUJ's premier research institute, with research fellows (adjunct, graduate and undergraduate), a public lecture series and special symposium, catering to the international community in Japan. The ICAS lecture series fosters the international mission of Temple University, bringing in scholars, journalists, politicians and diplomats, and noted public intellectuals who address issues such as US/Japan relations, the geo-politics of Asia, Japanese culture, international education and globalization. This course is organized into thematic modules of Japanese culture and history, electoral politics and international relations, stratification, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and Japanese popular culture. TUJ fellows and associates will lecture in-class on thematically-linked topics, and students will also be required to attend the ICAS public lectures throughout the semester. In addition, special fieldtrips and outings are organized, which are tied in to substantive course curriculum content.
As St 4096 (801) Self, Culture, and Illness in Japan
Who are we? How is our understanding of our 'self' related to our physical and/ or psychological well-being? And to what extent do our cultural backgrounds affect our conceptions of well-being? This capstone writing course (for Asian Studies major) will aim at answering these questions through critically exploring the cross-cultural conceptions of self, health, and illness with particular focus on Japanese society. The topics to be covered in this course will include anthropological perspectives on conceptions of the self/ personhood, health/ illness/ disease, body/ mind, mental health & therapy, as well as critical perspectives on medical and healing systems. Students registered for this course will read works on these topics and will be encouraged to reflect on their own everyday practices so that they can engage deeply with the topics in the Japanese context and critically assess previous writings. They will also conduct independent research on a topic of their choice for the final research paper (upon consultation with the instructor) and will make a presentation on the topic. In the writing process, students will deepen their skills in choosing bibliographic tools, in finding and evaluating authoritative sources, and organizing and properly formatting a research paper.
As St 4096 (802) Contemporary Political & Security Relations in Northeast Asia: Japan, China & the Korean Penininsula
With three of the world's leading economies, N.E. Asia plays a significant role in an increasingly globalised environment. In political terms, however, relations among Japan, China, and the two contending states on the Korean Peninsula are often tense and fraught with difficulties. In security terms as well, regional territorial disputes and the real danger of military conflict on the Korean Peninsula - with sabre-rattling over how to deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea - call for timely study and attention. This course utilises International Relations' and Security Studies' approaches to explore current tensions, relations, and prospects for war or peace in the whole of N.E. Asia.
FMA 3696 (801) Auteur Study: New Masters of Japanese Cinema
Auteur theory has influenced film studies since 1954, when French critics identified the director as the primary author ("auteur") of the film, with a unique personal vision identifiable by recurring thematic concerns and a distinctive visual style. In this writing-intensive course, we will analyze the authorship role of eight contemporary Japanese auteurs.
FMA 3696 (802) Art Cinema in the 21st Century
This course will examine the aesthetics, politics, and economics of global art cinema since the year 2000. Throughout the course, we will investigate various definitions of the art film and identify prominent features shared by recent art films. We will also discuss and learn about film festivals, audiences, national cinemas, funding mechanisms, distribution, and exhibition. A selection of important recent feature films and documentaries from around the world will be screened, with special attention to (among other countries) China, Japan, Thailand, Romania, Western Europe, Argentina, Chile, the United States, and Canada.
FMA 4240 (801) Audio for Film and Video Production
An introduction to audio recording and editing for film and video production. Students will learn about the techniques and gear used for recording audio both in the field and studio settings, as well as editing systems to create soundtracks for film & video projects.
Japanese 1003 (801) Oral Intensive I
A bridge between beginning and intermediate Japanese levels, this course emphasizes vocabulary building and the use of spoken Japanese through situational conversational practice. Tests will be in the forms of listening and reading comprehension and structured interviews. An ability to read and write hiragana and katakana is required, as is a mastery of most basic grammatical rules.
Japanese 2000 (801) Practical Japanese for Study Abroad Students
This course is designed to give Temple Study Abroad Program students the essential conversational and written Japanese necessary to negotiate their time in Japan. Lectures, assignments, field trips, and other activities will be designed with practical, day-to-day life in Japan in mind. This course is not part of the Japanese Language and Literature major, and students pursuing this major or more rigorous study of the language should register for the formal course sequence, beginning with 1001.
Japanese 2003 (801) Oral Intensive II
A bridge between intermediate and advanced Japanese levels, this course focuses on vocabulary acquisition in a variety of conversational situations. Throughout the semester, several vocabulary quizzes and structure tests will be given, while the final exam will be in the form of interviews. Students are required to complete one project involving various communication activities outside the classroom. Note, the course uses different materials and works on different topics every semester and thus is repeatable. Students need prior written permission from the instructor to repeat.
Lib Arts 2020 (801/802) International Career Strategies
The aim of this course is to help students develop a professional mindset. It is designed to explore the career competencies and strategies that are necessary to confidently and successfully transition from college life to the workplace or graduate school. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills necessary in an international career. Participants will use these skills throughout their working life as professionals, managers, executives, or entrepreneurs. This is not a lecture course. It is an interactive workshop giving business majors, in particular, a chance to develop and realize their career potential through exploring career options, preparing a strategy to launch a fulfilling career and improving written and oral presentation skills. The course should increase the student's ability to: Present professionally (in writing and in person), realistically assess talent and job potential, think critically and creatively about career options and start an international or domestic career search.
Lib Arts 2030 (801) Technology in International Business
Explore the role of information technology as a business enabler and take a look at management information systems' impact on business models and society. Evaluate the organizational fit and suitability of various technologies and interpret the interaction between information technology, customers, processes, data, human resources, and the overall internal and external environment of international businesses. Understand the ethical challenges of information technology and explain the evolving role of management information systems in the organization, and the role and careers of MIS professionals.
MSP 3890 (801) TUJ Film Festival
TUJ's film festival is a great place for TUJ's filmmakers to gain exposure and awards every year. In this hands-on course you will be judging entries, produce English or Japanese subtitles for the films selected and promote and organize the actual screening event.
Pol Sci 3520 (801)/As St 3000 (801) Korean Politics
This course is about the government and politics in South Korea. We will first take a look at the historical processes from the liberation and division of the Korean peninsula to the democratization and economic development of the South Korea and nuclear and economic challenges of North Korea. We will then survey the political institutions and groups that shape politics and policy making in South Korea. We will analyze how mechanisms of delegation, representation, and accountability work, and what authorities and constraints decision makers possess and face. We will also analyze the politics and political economy of policy reforms by focusing on several areas of policy making. Lastly, we will look at the current state and prospects of Japan-Korea relations with a special attention to the ways in which history and present-day political institutions shape the incentives and thus, behaviors of the major decision makers in each of the respective countries.
Pol Sci 3530 (801) African Politics
Since 1945, the political structures governing Africa have changed perhaps more than in any other continent. At the same time, the success of African countries, cities and people have diverged markedly. How can we explain why this is so? African countries went from being colonies, to democratic republics, to authoritarian regimes, slipping into civil and between-country conflicts and moving back towards democracy. Some countries skipped steps or added steps of their own, while the pace varied across the board. At the same time, what came to be the central theme in African politics—development—remained an elusive ideal to which progress was made in some cases but not others. This class is going to try to demystify what's going on. We'll look at what different people have said, carefully weigh their arguments, and try to understand the rationale and natural logic for what we observe in Africa today. By the end of the semester you will have a clearer picture of contemporary Africa, a firmer understanding of why it came to be so, and where it is heading. This is a research preparation course, and we will also cover the purpose of original research, how to frame a research question and hypothesis, and different methodologies for empirical work.
Pol Sci 4310 (801) Chinese Foreign Policy
What does the rise of China mean for international society? What are the major challenges for China's relations with major powers in the world? What factors drive or constrain Chinese foreign policy? These questions are of significant importance for our understanding of international relations. This course explores modern Chinese foreign policy in a historical and sociological perspective. It aims to help students understand the domestic and international contexts of Chinese foreign relations by examining a variety of aspects, such as the history of modern Chinese foreign policy (from mid-19th century to the present), the institutions and process of Chinese foreign policy making, political culture and Chinese foreign relations, China and major powers (the US, Japan, EU, and Russia), and China's role in global governance. As a 4000-level research seminar, beside building up the knowledge about Chinese foreign policy, students are expected to participate in class discussion and develop their research interests on specific topics in this field.
Pol Sci 4320 (801) Eurasian Politics: The International Affairs of Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus
The Soviet Union may be long gone, but the countries that emerged from its collapse in 1991 remain highly significant in international affairs. This course traces the political and economic development of these independent states and highlights their continued difficulties in managing relations amongst themselves and with the world more generally. Inevitably, most attention in this regard goes to Russia. The largest country in the world, Russia dominates the Eurasian landmass and, via its veto in the UN Security Council and enormous nuclear arsenal, it retains a leading role in international politics. In discussing its global standing, this course places particular emphasis on Russia's status as an "energy superpower", its perception in the West as an unscrupulous spoiler, and its recent decision to reorient the country towards the Asia-Pacific. A further key topic is Russia's plan to create a Eurasian Union, a project condemned by the US as "a move to re-Sovietise the region". Away from Russia, this course has three further areas of focus. The first is Central Asia, where vast natural resources have encouraged the West and China to challenge Russia's hegemony. The second is the Caucasus where the 2008 Georgia-Russian war and the frozen conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan have left an explosive legacy. Lastly, there is Eurasia's western fringe where the people of dictatorial Belarus and politically unstable Ukraine struggle to determine whether their future lies with Europe or Russia.
Psych 3620 (801) Clinical Sexology in the Japanese Context
This course introduces the topic of clinical sexology offering discussion about various sexuality phenomena, which shape the contemporary Japanese society. Modern Japan is facing dramatic changes regarding sexual expressions, gender roles and expectations, as well as sexual behaviors, which challenge the time-honored stereotypes about feminine and masculine sexuality in Japan. This course also offers a comprehensive analysis of Japanese sexuality from clinical, psychological, social and cultural perspective, and it introduces cross-cultural models of clinical interventions, applicable in the Japanese context. In addition, the clinical and counseling tools applicable in cross-cultural sexology will be discussed in order to offer the students an opportunity to enrich their psychological studies.
Psych 4696 (801) The Power of Belief
In this capstone course we will explore the omnipresence of belief throughout psychology by examining what beliefs are and how they have been studied throughout the fields of psychology. Reading-centered discussions will facilitate development of your question and subsequent research. You will independently conduct a literature review and propose an empirical research study to attempt to answer your research question while contemplating practical implications of your answer for humans or societies of the world today.