Delivered at:: Institute of Asian and African Studies

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 4 year, 3 module

Instructor

Lushchenko, Alexey

Full Syllabus

Abstract

In this course students will explore girls comics, boys comics, the Hatsune Miku vocaloid, cosplay, and J-pop idols, focusing on the themes such as Love, Battle, Technology and Fan culture, in which they’ll learn about the different cultural creations that underpin Japanese subcultures. With materials for cultural analysis, students will develop a basic knowledge of key Japanese subcultures, learning the recognisable traits of each. Also, on the course students will discover historic background of youth culture in Japan, and understand the enormous impact of World War II. Finally, this course will give students a new perspective on the young people of Japan, exploring how they can be seen to elaborate the world of “immaturity” and “vulnerability.” Students will see the reason these characteristics of Japanese subculture attracts “global” attentions.

Learning Objectives

This course aims to introduce students to Japanese subcultures that have developed since the 1970s.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Able to evaluate the significant meanings of youth culture
Able to compare the context of Japanese subculture with learners’ own cultural background
Able to interpret subcultural materials along with social background
Able to investigate the reason why Japanese culture has a strong impact and popularity in global context

Course Contents

On-line course
The discipline is taught in a blended format. Students will have to self-study online course “An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures” in English language on the platform of Future Learn [futurelearn.com] https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/intro-to-japanese-subculture. The course developer is Keio University.
Understanding Japanese youth culture
Considering vulnerability and immaturity in Japanese social context
Love relationship and self-acknowledgment
Battles and competition in educational institutions
Machine and Human
Derivative works and fan culture
A history of subculture since 1970

Assessment Elements

Essay
An essay is a written work with a size from 6 to 8 thousand characters. In the essay, the student must demonstrate the ability to logically and consistently present the content of the refereed scientific works, identify and formulate the main ideas of the refereed material, the author's concepts, generalize the studied material, cite author's text academically correctly, compile a bibliographic description of the refereed material in accordance with GOST.
Presentation
Depending on the number of students, presentations can be either individual or prepared in groups by 2-3 students. The time limit for presentation is 20 minutes and should not be exceeded. Students are expected to read literature recommended in the syllabus, as well as to search for extra sources, especially in order to get most up-to-date information on the topic of their presentation. If a student is not able to be present at the seminar due to illness or any other legitimate reason (relevant document should be provided), he/she should approach lecturers to be assigned with alternative task.
Online component
Students have to self-study an online course “An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures” in English language on the platform of Future Learn [futurelearn.com] https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/intro-to-japanese-subculture. The grade for online course is a mark for passing a test with multiple choice questions on LMS platform.
Exam
The final exam will be held online. The exam will have 90 minutes, during which students will have to write two detailed, clear and reasoned answers to the questions on the course. Each of these 2 mini-essays in English should be around 700-1000 words (in Word). Answers should be based on the online course materials and other materials of the discipline. The exam is conducted in a distance online format. All the details of the exam are communicated to the students via LMS.

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (3 module)
0.2 * Essay + 0.3 * Exam + 0.3 * Online component + 0.2 * Presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Kawamura, Y. (2012). Fashioning Japanese Subcultures. Berg Publishers.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Maya Keliyan. (2011). Kogyaru and Otaku: Youth Subcultures Lifestyles in Postmodern Japan.

Bachelor’s Programme 'Asian and African Studies'

An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures