2.1
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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).
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2.2
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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.
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Courses taken
Japanese 3
JAPN 300: Intro to Adv communication
JAPN 215: Cool Japan Today
JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema
JAPN 407: Japan in Asia
Study of Japan
Japanese and Nature
MLO Narrative
2.1
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Through study in these classes I developed a better understanding of the Japanese perspectives. These beliefs, attitu I des and values that are so often inclusive to other ideals is unique to Japan. I love the idea of a lifestyle and society in which one may incorporate any belief into their lives without social backlash, and I would especially like to study more about the religious aspect of it (i.e. Buddhism). It is because of this unique dynamic that people in Japan more often incorporate both Shintoism and Buddhism, along with any assortment of ideals or perspectives they desire (i.e. Christianity), and thus their practices become both set and diverse at the same time. I learned a lot about cultural products, especially in their effects and advantages with tourism, but I would most like to improve my knowledge about literature and history.
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2.2
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It was not until I spent a year in Japan that I understood the solid mindset of Japanese culture that holds its traditions. Being in a part of America that has both diverse cultures and diverse people, I have never had a set of traditions to follow. I come from a family of diverse backgrounds and their ancestors had stopped passing down traditions at some point. But it is not so much the passing down of traditions the way Westerners do, so much as a mindset of "this is the way things are" in Japan. It is an interesting concept, after living in Okayama City, and studying these courses, I better understand now why it is difficult to create progress and change in Japan. It is because that is the way things are. I would love to study more about this in the way of learning about previous progressive changes in Japan, to learn about the historical advances both recent and distant, to understand how people have broken from old cultures to make its modern culture.
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