2024 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Political Science A
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Takeshi Nakajima
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Mon
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.S103
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2024
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course focuses on issues in modern Japanese journalism. First, lectures are given discussing the forefront of journalism theory, and explanations of specific phenomena are given using video, audio, comics, etc. The point is "anxiety-based journalism". Consider why journalism thrives in a warped form as society becomes more fluid and stable social structures are lost. Furthermore, intrinsically understand the nature of modern anxiety and consider ways to politically resolve it by analyzing the phenomenon of "anxiety-based journalism" and Sekai-kei anime which is linked to it as well as indiscriminate killing incidents such as the Akihabara incident. This course has three aims. The first is to acquire fundamental knowledge on journalism. The second is to understand the traits of modern society which underlie the sudden rise of journalism. The third is to consider methods to resolve these using political science. Through this process, students can expect to deepen their understanding of the question of "how to live".
Course description and aims
Students will acquire the following abilities by taking this course. ①Students will be able to accurately explain the characteristics and history of journalism. ②Students will acquire the abilities necessary to accurately grasp the characteristics of modern society and resolve issues. ③Students will be able to approach a familiar phenomenon as a scholarly subject. ④Students will discover their own questions and learn methods to approach those questions.
Keywords
Nationalism, spirituality
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
It is conducted in an entirely lecture format. Resumes will be distributed and video and audio materials will be distributed as necessary. After-class review will be emphasized over preparation. Discovering one's own interest in the issues is the doorway to learning. If students develop and interest in or concern regarding something in the lectures, students will have the chance to directly view related materials such as documents, videos, and audio after class to deepen their enquiries.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Class guidance and Intro | Understand the problems of modern society |
| Class 2 | Nationalism theory | Learn the fundamentals of nationalism theory |
| Class 3 | Anxiety-based journalism in modern Japan - Why did Yoshinori Kobayashi's "Senso-ron" became a best seller? | Understand the relationship between social changes in the 90s and the rise of nationalism |
| Class 4 | Big Story, Small Self - The film "Atarashii Kamisama" and the 90s with Karin Amamiya | Become able to explain the relationship between anxiety in modern society and nationalism |
| Class 5 | Spiritual Boom and Nationalism - Theory of Yousuke Kubozuka | Understand the phenomenon of the hip hop and spiritual boom linking with nationalism |
| Class 6 | Evangelion and Sekai-kei Anime - The dream of the human race supplementation plan | Understand the world view depicted by Sekai-kei anime |
| Class 7 | The direction of anxiety-based journalism | Learn about political approaches to future issues |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None required.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students’ course scores are based on midterm (20%） and final papers (80%)
Related courses
- LAH.S203 ： Political Science B
- LAH.S304 ： Political Science C
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.