From Fascism to Fukushima: Navigating the Everyday in Modern Japan
CEAS 395
Spring 2020
| Section:
01
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| Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory |
| Course Cluster: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate |
Terms like "fascism" and "nationalism" have begun to creep into popular and media discourse on contemporary social and political experience, both in Japan and elsewhere. But what do terms like these actually mean? How can we conceive of the phenomena that they are meant to signify? This course explores questions like these (and others) by attending to the experiences of everyday life--what scholars have called "everydayness"--in modern and contemporary Japan. By attending to literature, music, film, and scholarly texts, we will consider some of the different ways in which "Japan" has been understood by different individuals in different historical moments, and think about the ways in which the contingent experience of living the everyday can engender specific--often ambiguous--political stances upon the world. By emphasizing the transnational commonalities of "everydayness" as the experience of life under capitalism, we will note some of the ways in which the everyday in modern Japan opens up ways for thinking about our own social and political moments, as well. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA CEAS |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CEAS-MN)(CEAS)(CEAS-Lit&Cult)(CSCT) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Gordon, Andrew, "A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present."
Other text(s) to be determined. In addition to the assigned texts, students will be assigned book chapters, literary selections, and other texts, as well as secondary-source readings designed to develop contextual understandings of the questions raised by the course. These will be made available via Moode and/or the Wesleyan course reserve system. Students are responsible for all readings, as well as for any listening and/or viewing tasks that may be assigned. Refer to course syllabus for comprehensive list of materials to be covered.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Reflection/reaction papers, in-class presentation, final research project. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
All textual materials will be provided in English translation. No prior knowledge of Japanese language or Japanese culture is necessary. |
| Instructor(s): Aalgaard,Scott W. Times: ...W... 01:20PM-04:10PM; Location: FISK122; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 1 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 2 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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