Asian Studies A

This course offers an introduction to contemporary cultures and societies in Asia. Its goal is to explore the region's diverse historical and cultural themes by focusing on specific Asian countries, primarily Japan and those in Southeast Asia. We will utilize relevant textbooks, ethnographies, short articles, still images, and film clips to analyze how global processes impact the daily lives of local Asian peoples.

The first part of the course presents anthropological approaches to Asian Studies and provides an overview of Asia in the context of globalization. This section reflects cultural flows, sociocultural changes, power relations, and the unequal development experienced in various parts of Asia.

The second part delves into prevalent themes of contemporary Asian cultures and societies, aiming to understand various aspects of historical contexts and sociocultural processes.

1. Students will gain an understanding of contemporary cultures and societies in Asia, focusing on historical and culturally significant themes.
2. Students will understand current anthropological debates regarding contemporary Asian societies and cultures.
3. Students will develop knowledge of specific Asian countries, including Japan and those in Southeast Asia, from both historical and social perspectives.
4. This course will prepare students to navigate cultural diversity, differences, and conflicts in today’s world by equipping them with critical analytical thinking skills necessary for understanding cultural discrepancies in an increasingly globalized society.

This course will be conducted on campus but may transition to Zoom for remote instruction in case of any emergency or spread of infection. The teaching methods will include lectures and discussions, incorporating readings and media such as PowerPoint presentations, film clips, and images. Most readings will be sourced from textbooks, ethnographies, academic papers, and short essays to provide an in-depth understanding of contemporary Asian cultures and societies.
The course aims to create an interactive learning environment that encourages dialogue between the instructor and students and among peers. To support learning, the instructor will provide an electronic handout one week before each class. Students are expected to read the assigned materials thoroughly before class and arrive prepared for discussions.

Students will receive detailed comments on their reflection papers before the start of the student’s seminars.

Students must carefully read the assigned materials before attending class and actively engage in class discussions by sharing their ideas.
Each student is required to select two themes or topics from the readings and write two short reflection papers on them. These documents will be presented during the student reflection seminars.

1回の授業につき予習・復習あわせて最低4時間の学修が必要となります。
「授業時間外の学修（予習・復習等）」に明記されている想定学修時間の合計が4時間を上回っている場合は、その学修時間を必要とします。

•Class participation and presentations: 30%
•Two short reflection papers: 30%
•A final report written in English: 40%
Total: 100%

No textbooks are required. The instructor will provide all assigned readings electronically.

Suggested readings:
Bestor, Victoria Lyon, and Theodore C. Bestor (eds.) with Akiko Yamagata.2011.Routledge Handbook of Japanese Culture and Society. London and New York: Routledge.
Hendry, Joy. (ed.). 1998. Interpreting Japanese Society: Anthropological Approaches. Second Edition. London & New York: Routledge.
Martinez, D.P. (ed.). 1998. The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and Global Cultures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ortner, Sherry. 2006. Anthropology and Social Theory: Culture, Power, and the Acting Subject.Durham and London: Duke University Press.
Rigg, Jonathan. 1997. Southeast Asia. London and New York: Routledge.
Scupin, Raymond. (ed.). 2006. Peoples and Cultures of Asia. New Jersey: Pearson Prentices Hall.
Varley, Paul. 2000. Japanese culture. Fourth edition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

The instructor will supplement the above readings with materials from relevant texts, ethnographies, academic papers, and short essays. Copies of these will be sent to students electronically.

This course does not require any background knowledge of Asia.
Students must read the assigned handouts and texts carefully before attending class and actively engage in class discussions.