Undergraduate - UnitATS1327 - Understanding Contemporary Japan

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Notes

Synopsis

This unit provides a introduction to current affairs in Asia for students who take Asian language units or those planning to proceed to further Asian studies units. The unit tackles a variety of topics relevant to China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea, including such topics as language and literacy, work and education, crime and punishment, spirituality and secularity, humans and the natural environment, minority and other political issues, gender and sexuality , international relations, popular culture and soft power and other topics of current relevance to the region.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students will have:

1. Been introduced to some of the important current issues confronting Asian societies in the 21st century.
2. Been introduced to debates about political power and ideals, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, spirituality and secularism, social tensions and divisions in a variety of national contexts.
3. Become familiar with some of the concepts used in the Humanities to describe and analyse current affairs and issues.
4. Developed intelligent reading habits and learned to exploit library and internet sources efficiently and intelligently for specific purposes.
5. Become acquainted with the way scholars use 'evidence' to construct an 'argument'.
6. Been introduced to the technical elements of scholarly writing, such as the use of footnotes or endnotes.

Assessment

Written work (2500 words): 55%
Tutorial contribution: 10%
Exam (2 hours): 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Jeremy Breaden

Contact hours

3 hours (2 x 1 hour lectures and 1 x 1 hour tutorial) per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Asian studies