2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Special Lecture: Human Relations
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Katsuhiro Yasumi / Jun Takata / Naoko Moridaira
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.T313
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course gives an overview of many aspects of human relations and the related issues in modern society. We discuss the diversity of human existence and relations, introducing the concepts or philosophy of human science and mental science. In particular, students will have the chance to reflect on themselves in adolescence from the viewpoint of clinical psychology and to appreciate mental health issues, which are becoming a major concern, in terms of psychiatry.
This course has two aims. The first is to develop communication skills and attitude as a scientist or engineer through practical work. The other is to facilitate a deeper understanding of perspectives on human relations, that is, relationship with others and society.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Grasp and control their emotions and thoughts
2) Understand the characteristics of others and develop communication skills.
3) Image their personal growth through interaction with society.
4) Comprehend various situations occurring in our society.
Keywords
self-concept, communication, network, collaboration, community, mental health
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Topics change every lessons. Every lesson contains not only a lecture but also a group discussion or workshop. Attendance is taken in every class.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Communication - from the viewpoint of neuroscience | Understand the concepts of cognitive function from the standpoints of neuroscience and medicine |
| Class 2 | Psychology of emotions | Learn about emotions, the process by which they occur, their significance, and how to deal with them effectively. |
| Class 3 | Supportive communication | Understand active listening |
| Class 4 | Assertive comunicatiion: effective skill to deal with struggle | Explain and realize how to express one's thoughts and feelings comfortably |
| Class 5 | Ego identity | Understand that establishing self-identity is a developmental task for adolescents. Deepening self-understanding using the ego identity status scale. |
| Class 6 | Gender then and now | Understand gender in terms of how men and women are described in the past and present |
| Class 7 | Exploration of values through consensus work | Deepen self-understanding and understanding of others through work on group decision-making that does not rely on majority voting. |
| Class 8 | Relationship Trouble : Bullying/Harassment | Explain and realize good communication and collaboration in the laboratory and on one's jobs |
| Class 9 | Stress and psychosomatic health (1) | Understand the concepts of stressor and stress reaction |
| Class 10 | Factors that distort understanding of others | Understand the influence of impression formation, halo effect, Pygmalion Effect, unconscious bias, etc. on understanding others. |
| Class 11 | Stress and psychosomatic health (2) | Learn about specific stress management practice |
| Class 12 | Team problem solving work | Through a problem-solving game using information cards, students learn about the characteristics of how they contribute to their own team. |
| Class 13 | Malfunctioning of human relations; neurosis and depression | Understand psychosocial maladaptation, such as neurosis and depression |
| Class 14 | Concepts of the self in psychosis | Understand the nature of mental illness |
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)
No textbook is set. This course places emphasis on the active appreciation of works of art rather than studying through textbooks.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Course materials are provided during class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Group work and workshop: 30% Exhibition report: 70%
Related courses
- None
Prerequisites
None.