2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses

Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences55:Cultural Anthropology

Academic unit or major: Humanities and social science courses
Instructor(s): Maho Isono
Class Format: Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): 5-6 Wed (W9-325(W934))
Class: -
Course Code: LAH.S446
Number of credits: 100
Course offered: 2025
Offered quarter: 3Q
Syllabus updated: Sep 17, 2025
Language: Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Humans are beings that live cooperatively. So, how is this communality (friends, organizations such as clubs and companies, nations) created? In this lecture, we will learn how communities are formed in societies ranging from self-sufficient hunter-gatherer societies to modern societies characterized by industrialization and urbanization. The aim of this lecture is for students to be able to apply what they learn in class to their daily lives.This class also aims to share your own opinions through dialogue in groups, listen to others'
comments, and update your own thinking.

Course description and aims

To identify and contextualize common knowledge about the body.
To understand and express how society affects your body.

Keywords

culture, language, symbols, organization/community, body, technology

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The process of making one's own discoveries is valued through lectures and dialogues.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Introduction — What is an community?	N/A
Class 2	What is Totemism?	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.
Class 3	Rituals	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.
Class 4	Childrearing and Language	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.
Class 5	Grid and Group Analysis	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.
Class 6	“We-ness” in a Society Where“We-ness” Is Disappearing	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.
Class 7	Mechanism of social polarization	Review the previous content and be prepared to contribute by providing a discussion topic in the group discussion.

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)

Reading materials will be distributed as needed during the course.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Reading materials will be distributed as needed during the course.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluation will be based on a small assignment for each lecture (80%) and participation in
group dialogue during the lecture (20%).

Related courses

LAH.H103 ： Cultural Anthropology A
LAH.H203 ： Cultural Anthropology B
LAH.H303 ： Cultural Anthropology C

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course. The instructor expects active student participation.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

isono[at mark ]ila.isct.ac.jp

Other

Depending on the number of students and their level of understanding, the syllabus can be modified.