2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Social and Human Sciences Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
Special Lecture on Advanced Topics in Social and Human Sciences FB
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Hugh Barry Ziani De Ferranti
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- SHS.L420
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course addresses a set of important issues concerning music and our responses to it. In it we will read texts by leading writers and researchers about concepts and issues such as 'listening', intercultural experience through music, and music and emotions, among others. Each week we will listen to examples of music that illustrate those issues. Listening will be treated as an integral method of learning, as we identify elements in the music itself (including lyrics in the case of songs) as evidence of musicians' engagement with the issues.
Course description and aims
Students will acquire the following knowledge in this course.
-The basic terms in which intercultural experience through music can be analysed and discussed
-The interrelations among music and politics, in particular in song
-How music 'creates' place and identity, in particular in Japan
Keywords
culture theory, ethnomusicology, intercultural experience
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
(1) Students must read the assigned writings and listen to assigned music extracts in advance of each class and prepare their own set of comments and questions.
(2)A short discussion will be held at the start of each session about overall impressions of what students have heard and read, and the questions or points of argument they have prepared.
(3) A final paper on the material of the session 5-7 individual presentations must be submitted within a week after that session.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Explanation of syllabus. Introduction and discussion of musical interests and experiences. What is "listening"? |
| Class 2 | Intercultural experience through music I | Case study 1: wadaiko de Ferranti 2006:"Japan beating: the re-making of taiko drum music in contemporary Australia." |
| Class 3 | Intercultural experience through music II | Case study 2: Australian Aboriginal music |
| Class 4 | Emotion and music: an anthropological approach | Emotion in cultural context, and ways of understandingemotional response to music. Becker 2011: ‘Exploring the habitus of listening: anthropological perspectives' |
| Class 5 | Individual presentations on music genres or particular musicians I | Demonstrate understanding of some of the issues and the methods of music research that have been studied. Prepare a revised written version of the presentation for submission. |
| Class 6 | Individual presentations on music genres or particular musicians II | Demonstrate understanding of some of the issues and the methods of music research that have been studied. Prepare a revised written version of the presentation for submission. |
| Class 7 | Individual presentations on music genres or particular musicians III | Demonstrate understanding of some of the issues and the methods of music research that have been studied. Prepare a revised written version of the presentation for submission. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
Students must read the assigned writings and listen to assigned music extracts in advance of each class and prepare their own set of comments and questions. A final paper on the material of the session 7-8 individual presentations must be submitted within a week after that session.
Textbook(s)
Materials will be provided during class.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Related books and articles will be referred to as necessary.
Evaluation methods and criteria
class participation 30%, presentation 30%, written paper 40%
Related courses
- SHS.L416 ： Trans-disciplinary Exercise in Social and Human Sciences F
Prerequisites
Neither prior experience of the discipline of Musicology nor advanced knowledge of music theory are required. (If you are uncertain about this aspect, please ask the instructor by email before the class begins.) What IS required is an ability to listen deeply, a genuine love of music and an earnest desire to understand why human beings cannot live without it, as well as how we can think, talk and write about music coherently. Ability to read and discuss academic texts in English is also needed.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
hbd[at]ila.titech.ac.jp
Office hours
The instructor will inform students during class.