East Asian Languages and Cultures | Twentieth Century Japanese Culture
E271 | 1591 | Alvis

Intensive Writing, for freshmen and sophomores ONLY

Why does the figure of the "demon" mother in law appear so
frequently on Japanese soap operas? How does the media portray
Japan's ethnic minorities? What is a Ayakuza@ film and how do you
recognize one?   These are some of the questions we will be
exploring in E271, which studies contemporary Japanese society as
represented in popular culture. On one hand, E271 will familiarize
students with many aspects of Japanese popular culture, such as
television, and newspaper advice columns. On the other, E271 will
encourage students to examine specific aspects of Japanese culture
as they appear in popular media: for example, race and gender in
manga, religion in anime, and the family in popular films. 	

An emphasis throughout the course on basic critical thinking and
writing abilities makes E271 a good choice for freshmen and
sophomores who want to work on developing these fundamental academic
skills.  E271 may also be of special interest to students in the
field of journalism, owing to its focus on the media.

E271 meets three times a week for 50 minute interactive lectures.
In addition to daily attendance and participation, requirements
include: six short writing assignments, four in class group
projects, midterm and final exams; approximately 75 pages of reading
per week.