Last update: November 26, 2019

ARTH 2096 (801) 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.

ARTH 2098 (801) Feminist Art and Theory

The development of feminist movements and theories in the latter half of the 20th century has been and continues to be one of the most critical and productive forces to shape the direction and reception of postwar art. In this course, we will examine various trajectories of Western feminist theory and how they have intersected with feminist art practices and feminist art historiographies. By reading a range of primary and secondary texts, considering relevant artworks, and discussing their contemporary implications, we will consider critically a broad range of feminist practices and take seriously the urgent need to undo habits of classist, heteronormative, misogynist, racist, and sexist thinking. Through the course we will consider topics such as the definitions of sexual difference; performative constructions of gender; distinctions between sex and gender; relations between gender, sex, the look, and the gaze; the division of labor along lines of sexual difference; politics pertaining to representations of the sexed body; intersections between race, sex, and sexuality; relations between feminist and queer theories; those between feminist and postcolonial theories; and how all of these concerns might be put to productive and practical use against a heteronormative, masculinist, patriarchal, and white supremacist society.

ARTH 2660 (801) The Family in Japanese Film from Melodrama to Anime

This course considers the history of postwar Japanese cinema through its representations of the family. One of the major recurring subjects of Japanese film history, the family will be examined through critical texts addressing changing attitudes and sociopolitical contexts regarding such issues as modernization, nostalgia, postmodernism, gender, and sexuality. The course will consider films of various genres including classic melodrama, new wave, experimental narrative, documentary, and anime produced by a range of directors including Yasujiro Ozu, Nagisa Oshima, Toshio Matsumoto, Juzo Itami, Yoshimitsu Morita, and Hayao Miyazaki.

ARTH 2800 (801) 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.

ARTU 2400 (801) Design: Chance Processes

A hybrid graphic design/visual art hands-on studio class with world-renowned Japan-based Swiss graphic designer Alex Sonderegger exploring chance processes, embracing accidents, anachronistic approaches to pairing type and image, and the influence of literature and cinema on other forms of visual communication. Basic Adobe Creative Suite familiarity recommended.

ASST 2030 (801) Disaster Japan: Earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Crisis and the Politics of 3.11

The great East Japan Tohoku Earthquake of March 11, 2011 was among the greatest disasters in history and the direst social crisis in Japan in the post-war era. This course examines the events of 3.11, from the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami, Earthquake and nuclear crisis and the application of crisis management philosophies and procedures, to its influence on Japanese Civil Society, electoral politics and the reinvigoration of the anti-nuclear movement, and volunteerism in participatory politics.

ASST 4096 (801) Environmental History of Modern East Asia

In this writing intensive course, we will explore the changing relationships between human beings and “nature” in East Asia from the late-sixteenth century to the present day. Even for students with a strong background in early modern and modern East Asian history will find that the historical terrain we will look at will appear different. This is because the methods we are going to use in this course are different that what are used in a typical history course. Using many different disciplinary perspectives, this class will take a look at the historical interactions between the human world (culture) and the nonhuman world (nature). You will find that distinguishing between where culture begins and where nature ends can be quite difficult. Some of the questions that we will be thinking about as we move along are: How has the land and ocean limited or enabled human settlement and development of Japan, China, and Korea? How have human relationships with terrestrial and maritime worlds changed over time? How do the relationships differ from place-to-place? Who – or what – has flourished or suffered as human beings have altered the world around them? How have valuations of “nature” changed over time?

CLA 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.

CLA 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.

JPNS 2000 (801&802) 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.

JPNS 3010 (801) Japanese for Job Hunting

Seeking employment (job-hunting) after university graduation in Japan is very unique process which requires long and careful preparation. Japanese for Job-Hunting is a Japanese language course that will focus on preparing students to purse careers in Japan after graduation, and the course has three main objectives. The first objective is to master the words and expressions, including the formal keigo phrases and conjugations, used in the job-hunting process. Students will come to understand what questions are typically asked in job interviews and what expression are appropriately used in answering these questions. Through becoming familiar with these expressions, students will build confidence in speaking Japanese in front of Japanese natives in formal situations. The second objective is to develop an application-ready resume and other preparation for job interviews. Students will explore career options based on self-analysis and try to strategically assess their talents and employment potential. Through frequent casual discussion practice, assessed group discussion, and mock interviews, students will develop the skills necessary to success in their job interviews. The third objective is to build networks both inside and outside of the university. Students will be required to talk to Career Office staff members and outside experts, conduct interviews, and attend career fairs for both experience and the formation of personal networks. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be both physically and mentally prepared to begin actual job-hunting in Japan.

JPNS 4196 (801) Japanese Society and Culture through Newspaper

Seminar in Japanese and Japan is a capstone course that builds on the solid foundation of advanced linguistics skills, socio-cultural knowledge, and critical thinking that students have acquired. It also marks their final stage of Japanese language learning. Three topics (Topic I: Socio-cultural, Topic II: Business, Topic III: Literature) are offered alternately and designed to allow students to select and pursue a topic of their interest. In the courses, students will learn to read critically and properly appreciate the original texts of a selected topic. While reading about socio-cultural aspects, topics/issues in business, or literature, students will further their understanding of Japanese language. This course focuses on reading on socio-cultural aspects of Japan by reading newspapers. Newspapers are one of the main sources of information to learn about the society’s present status, social and political problems, and perspectives for future. In this course, students will learn the most up-to-date information of Japanese society and develop their reading skills and comprehension by reading newspapers. To achieve those goals, the course is divided into two parts. The first half of the course will be devoted to developing reading skills and building lexicon necessary to understand newspaper articles as well as the stylistics and format characteristic of newspapers (e.g., the use of abbreviations and technical terms in the headlines and leads). In order to increase readiness for reading newspapers, students will read 5-7 short passages a day (with a complete vocabulary list) on a variety of topics. Students’ acquisition of new vocabulary and expressions will be tested on a daily basis. In the second half of the semester, students will read Japanese newspaper articles weekly. Each week, two articles will be chosen for a class reading followed by discussions. In addition, each student will choose an article for a weekly oral report. Through reading and class discussions, students are expected to gain in-depth understanding and analytical views of contemporary Japanese society and culture.

JRN 3701 (801) Journalism and Japan’s Geopolitical Impact on the World

Asia’s geopolitical impact on world affairs continues to expand in significance and tenure. What role do the press play in informing and deciphering the vast interaction of politics, business and culture? This course aims to introduce students to timely issues through attending real press conferences, discussion and practical journalistic writing. All students taking the course are given free student membership at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan and the Japan National Press Club.

JRN 3890 (801) The Future of Japan, The Future of the World

This class is intended to serve as an Honors Seminar, with a multicultural look at Japan today and how it is perceived around the world through the lens of the media. We will study the issues facing Japan and how that information is shared in the news. We will apply a Solutions Journalism approach, looking at the ways people are resolving those issues, and then discuss how Japan can take their lessons learned to the world.

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.

MSP 3890 (802) Creating Music for Media

Music for film, documentaries, commercials, tv and radio is one of the most vital parts of creating a final successful product. There is a reason that composing for media is a full time career and in many universities an actual major. The media creator that understands first hand what is entailed in selecting, creating and building the perfect music to enhance the mood, the emotion, the viability of the final creation will be the most successful of producers. To know the difference in tempos, tones, dynamics, instrumentation, styles and moods helps you make original and innovative choices to finish your projects in the most professional way. We will be exploring simple techniques to build tracks, manipulate music using basic editing techniques and digital options, and then eventually begin to create original music even if you are not a studied musician. You will be taught how to analyze how the masters in film composing have created and then begin to follow those step by step formulas without having to knowing any music theory.

POLS 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.

POLS 4896 (801) Contentious Politics and Social Movements

This seminar examines how ordinary citizens attempt to influence political decision-making in national and global politics. Citizens may organize street demonstrations, join political strikes, occupy buildings, and start hunger strikes. They also can use more contentious and violent forms of protest and resistance such as insurgencies and armed rebellions. In this seminar, students will study different modes of protest, passive or active, collective or individual, through a discussion of theories of contentious politics and social movements. Students will be exposed to various case studies ranging from revolutions in the 20th century to the Arab Spring in the 21st century. By the end of the semester, students will write a research paper on a specific case of contentious politics or social movements.

POLS 4896 (802) Foreign Policy Analysis

Whether ordering military strikes, funding opposition groups, or seeking to sign new trade deals, foreign policy decisions are some of the most momentous choices facing national leaders. However, what are the processes that cause decision makers to select one course of action over another? This is the key subject matter of Foreign Policy Analysis. This course introduces students to this sub-discipline of International Relations. It teaches them the field’s history, as well as its main theories and distinctive “levels of analysis” approach. Having learned these basics in the abstract, students are then required to apply the methods of Foreign Policy Analysis to specific case studies to determine which causal factors were most important in the making of each decision. The case studies selected cover a range of time periods and geographical regions, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the atomic bombings of Japan, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, North Korean nuclear brinkmanship, and Russia’ s annexation of Crimea.

PSY 3620 (801) Body Image Disturbances Among Females in Contemporary Societies

In contemporary societies such as the US and Japan, increasing numbers of young females are suffering from negative body image. In this topics seminar, we will learn about body image and body dissatisfaction, how it develops and what it leads to, and unique cultural aspects of body image in various countries. In addition, we will examine the role of males, family, peers, and the media in development and maintenance of body dissatisfaction. Moreover, potential prevention and intervention techniques will be discussed.

PSY 4696 (801) Mental Lexicon

Concerned with the nature and the organization of the word store, or dictionary, inside the human mind, mental lexicon research is a core topic of psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology and cognitive science more generally. By looking at a number of different approaches to investigating the mental lexicon, such as visual word recognition research and, particularly, priming experiments, semantic memory, and concept theories, as well as the second language (L2) mental lexicon and artificial intelligence, this course reflects on how major theories of cognition, such as connectionism, emerge and develop and on how such theories are increasingly being informed by advances in neuroscience. The course aims to help students in developing their abilities to critically analyze and evaluate research articles and to write coherent research papers by appropriately synthesizing various findings from the research literature.

ASST 3030 (801)/POLS 3510 (801) Japan’s International Relations

The Senkakus, “comfort women”, TPP, and the Ospreys, these are just some of the most pressing issues in Japan’s international relations. This course aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of such problems by providing a broad overview of Japan’s most important international relationships. Particular emphasis is placed on the country’s dealings with the United States, China, the two Koreas, and Russia, though attention is also drawn to relations with other regions and international organisations. In so doing, the topics of the regional balance of power, historical memory, and global trade patterns are all brought to the fore. As the focus of international politics continues to shift towards the Asia-Pacific region, this subject of Japan’s place in the world is becoming of ever greater significance.

ASST 3000 (801)/POLS 3540 (801) Southeast Asian Politics

Bounded by China, India and Australia, the eleven nations of Southeast Asia share a strategic location which is a frequent centre of great power rivalry. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam present a remarkable diversity of ethnicity and language, religion, political institutions, and stages of economic development. Yet all but one of them is also a member of ASEAN, an influential regional multilateral institution, and shared events characterise much of their modern history. These include independence from colonial rule; the Vietnam War; rapid economic development as well as financial crises; and recent tension highlighted by disputes over the South China Sea. Key questions include what the rise of China means for the region; how Southeast Asia should engage with outside powers; the role of regionalism as exemplified by ASEAN; the record of economic integration; and the effects of human rights and democratisation. The course is focused on the region as a whole and its collective interaction with outside powers, but issues specific to each individual country will be addressed throughout the course. A key academic goal will be to write a major research paper on one issue of interest regarding Southeast Asia.