Last update: December 21, 2021

ARTH 2096 (811) 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 analysiss on this area of study. Although, not required, it is recommended to take Japanese Culture course before taking this course.

ARTH 2660 (811) 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 (811) Japanese Art Before and After WWII: National Identities in Modernization

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 Japans 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 Japans 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 analysiss on this particular field of study. Previous knowledge of Japans history or art is not required for this course.

ARTU 2400 (711) Creative Coding and Generative Art

Creative and artistic coding for beginners. Get to grips with Javascript and Java through the MIT authored artists coding languages P5JS and Processing, to create your own generative artworks and understand the fundamentals behind some of the technologies seen at TeamLab as well as interactive design implementations for the web. This course assumes no prior coding knowledge.

ASST 2000 (811) Diversity in Japan

Japan is often characterized as a homogenous and unique society with persistent gender gaps and a lack of accommodation for people with disabilities, while known as one of the most Westernized, developed countries in Asia.  What roles have ideas of race and ethnicity played in the construction of Japans national identity, and how have they evolved in relation to Asian and Western others? How have Japans racial/ethnic minorities negotiated their identities against its mono-racial/mono-ethnic myth? How have gender ideologies been sustained, challenged, and/or practiced in families, education, workplaces, or popular culture in Japan? What have been the experiences of children and people with disabilities and/or special needs in Japanese education and larger society, and to what extent has Japan become an inclusive society for all? This course will examine these questions through historically contextualizing Japans present state surrounding issues of race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, and disability, shedding light on ways in which these categories and issues have been interconnected through perspectives of intersectionality. We will explore ways in which diversity has been represented/articulated, masked, problematized, and/or negotiated in various oral and textual discourses, from policies, popular culture representations, to personal narratives in Japan.

ASST 2000 (812) Photography Theories and Practices: Photographic Culture in Japan and the US (Joint Class with Showa Womens University

This course aims at acquiring basic theories and practices of photographic media through understanding the historical transformation of photographic culture and technologies in Japan and US, as well as the significance of recent photographic trends. This course is a joint course with Japanese (Showa Womens) University. The lectures will be conducted in Japanese using English and Japanese bilingual slides. Segments of the course will be used for group work, with all group work discussions to be held mostly in Japanese, as well as group presentations. Most reading materials will be provided in Japanese and English. Your exam answers, reports, and papers may be written in English however, students are encouraged to respond in Japanese as much as they can. If there is a need, students may ask questions in English during or after the class. Some parts of the course will cover the practical ability of photography such as shooting and editing photos on a smartphone and/or a computer. Additional goals of this course will be to develop communication skills, as such, a portion of class is reserved to help you build vocabulary. This will give you the tools needed to discuss culture through understanding the similarities and differences between Japanese and American photographic culture.

ASST 2030 (811) Japanese Civil Society: Development & Approaches to Current Issues

This course examines key factors influencing the development of civil society in Japan, the main challenges facing Japanese society today and how nonprofit NGOs deal with those issues. After reviewing the how the diverse socio-economic pressures have brought about opportunities and challenges for the development of civil society, the course focuses on approaches, specific issues and organizations using diverse approaches to meet the needs of targeted populations. Through the course we will consider topics such as the needs of marginalised populations, the roles of government and the private sector as well as policy change and implementation. The course will be hands-on and include group work, presentation, discussion and role-play activities. This course is for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the work of local nonprofit organizations and current issues facing Japanese society.

ASST 3030 (811)/POLS 4310 (811) Chinese Foreign Policy

What does the rise of China mean for international society? What are the major challenges for Chinas 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 Chinas 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.

ASST 4096 (711) 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 1010 (811) Keywords in American Studies

What does “American” mean? Who counts as "White" or "Asian" on the United States census? Which states belong to the “South”? What does the term “Neoliberal” mean today? Keywords in American Studies introduces students to historical and contemporary terms that mark sites of unresolved conflict and contestation in the United States. None of these terms are unfamiliar sounding as they appear in every dictionary. The purpose of this course is to emphasize how these meanings have been made and altered over time. In lecture and through reading and film viewing, students will learn about these terms, their histories, their contexts, and associated prominent scholars and figures. Students will make meaning about this information through in-class discussion and collaborative writing. Students will be assessed through quizzes, presentations, and creative scholarly projects such as archive building. This course encourages students to be self-reflexive, open-minded, and future-oriented in their inquiry and analysis of these terms. Note: This course is offered through the Undergraduate Bridge Program, a pre-matriculation language and academic skill-building program. Any interested undergraduate student may enroll. Please consult with the Bridge Program Academic Coordinator for details.

CLA 2020 (811) 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 students 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 (811) 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 (811) 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 3000 (811) Introduction to Translating Japanese to/from English for Non-Native Speakers of Japanese

This introductory translation course is designed for advanced learners of Japanese whose language proficiency level falls somewhere between JLPT Level 2 and Level 1 or equivalent. In this course, students will be provided with translation exercises whose themes are categorized to be non-academic materials. Non-academic in this course ranges from magazine articles, comics, advertisements, and instructional manuals to movie/animation subtitles. These non-academic genres are omnipresent in our daily life in Japan, which require our in-depth understanding of complex nuances of the Japanese language. The ultimate goal of this course, therefore, is to deepen as well as to broaden students understanding of Japanese language structures and shades of meanings by translating and exploring different genres.

JPNS 3000 (812) Practical Keigo

Keigo (Japanese honorific language) is vital for making interpersonal relationships go smoothly and is used throughout Japanese society, from high-end department stores and corporate environments to local restaurants and convenience stores. Despite this, many students of Japanese at all levels encounter difficulties in the proper use of formal Japanese in a given setting. In this course, students will learn the basics of honorific Japanese expression and develop a situational understanding of how Keigo is used through practical role-playing in a wide variety of potential situations. After completing this course, students should be able to speak and act correctly in a variety of situations (e.g., socializing with Japanese families, interacting with Japanese colleagues and superiors in a corporate environment, meeting with clients and vendors, and part-time work in restaurants and shops). Those whose major is not Japanese are also welcome to take this course, but the prerequisite for the course is Japanese 2702: Japanese Intermediate II.

JPNS 3010 (811) Kanji III

Kanji or Chinese characters are an integral part of Japanese orthography system, which is considered as a key factor to learners reading comprehension and vocabulary building.  However, Kanji is considered to be difficult and rather time-consuming to acquire especially for learners from alphabetic orthography systems such as English speakers. This course is a continuation of Kanji II and designed to promote students understanding and mastery of additional 500 Kanji or more at the intermediate level.  By mastering additional 500 Kanji, students will acquire the Kanji proficiency equivalent to JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N3 or N2, and also improve their reading and writing skills in addition to vocabulary building. In this course, students are expected to apply their understanding of Kanji principles and knowledge to learn intermediate Kanji. They will start learning Kanji representing abstract ideas and Kanji with complex radicals. Also, they will learn two- or three-Kanji combination words rather than individual Kanji as well as synonymous or antonymous expressions. Their progress and mastery will be monitored and tested by regular quizzes throughout the course. As part of learning process, students will be encouraged to try The Kanji Proficiency Test (Kanken) Level 7 to 6 depending on the degree of each students mastery of Kanji.

JPNS 3010 (812) Powering up Your Japanese through Business Case Studies

This Content-Based Instruction (CBI) course adopts the case method, which is utilized in business schools across the United States, to foster not only students Japanese language abilities but also their business skills, such as analytical, critical thinking and creative skills. In this course, students engage in learning about business practices of actual global businesses (real-world examples of how companies adjust their business styles and systems when they engage in international business) not only by completing activities that focus on linguistic elements but also by carrying out tasks that elicit communicative interactions that involves reading materials, documentary TV programs, and field trips to companies (their factories/offices). The subject matter (business cases) serves as a way to stimulate students interest to learn about 1) various aspects of Japanese culture and society, 2) whats behind businesses, and 3) the industries in which they wish to be in the future further and motivate them to share their findings with others in Japanese. By completing this course, students will have a deeper understanding of businesses that surround them daily in Japan and the way that they can serve the society when they seek employment in their future.

PSY 1110 (811) Whats Happening in Japan - From Foundation of Mental Health to Career

To learn about the similarities and differences of mental health across different counties is essential for developing a better understanding of mental health. In this course, a wide range of topics related to mental health will be covered with a focus on what is happening in Japan. This includes the history of mental care in Japan, the Japanese mentality, striking issues, unique treatment, and career in Japan as a clinical psychologist/non- psychologist. Main activity of this course will be peer discussion and a final group presentation. Peer discussion will require you to share your opinions with classmates and take part in active discussions after each lecture. These discussions will help develop your thoughts and attitude toward each topic. In the final group presentation, you will present a topic with your group about a topic of your choice related to Japanese mental health.

PSY 3620 (811) 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 3620 (812) Gender Studies in Psychology

In this course we are going to explore gender-related issues from the psychological perspective in the global context with special emphasis on gender issues in the Japanese context. This course will focus on the situation of women and men, as well as LGBTIQ+ community in different societies and Japan, highlighting the modern situation and future predictions in relation to family dynamics, gender equality, reproductive health/rights issues, maternal mortality, violence and sex abuse against women, male identity crisis, alternative expressions of gender including genderless identity, sexuality, sex work and human trafficking, all of which have tremendous and very significant impact on the status of women and men in different contexts of modern life and society. The important factor in this course is the analysis of psychological phenomena related to gender issues, which offers an added value for students and broadens the course content, and as a result the psychological models and theories offer students a comprehensive integration of gender studies in psychology, including anthropological, sociological and feminist discourse.

PSY 3620 (813) ADHD IN THE CROSS-CULTURAL CONTEXT

In this seminar, lectures, discussions, and assignments focus on the nature, assessment, and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in cross-cultural context. Through current scientific literature, students will learn not only the primary symptoms of ADHD, but also associated problems, comorbid disorders, and differential manifestations of symptoms at different developmental ages and across cultures. Furthermore, we will investigate different types of assessment methods and evidence-based treatments of ADHD.

PSY 4696 (811) The Self

Self is an important aspect of our consciousness and although most of us realize this, we question what it is, where its located, and what it does. In this course, students will explore how self is currently defined across fields of psychology and psychological perspectives, such as the psychodynamic, humanistic  and neuroscience perspectives, to name a few. Students will also consider theory and research evidence on when and how self develops. Lastly, students will explore various problems associated with disrupted sense of  self In this seminar course students will be responsible for discussing readings and at the end of the term give a presentation on their Capstone Paper, which will be an in-depth theoretical analysis or empirical research proposal on some aspect of self.