ESOPExchange Students from Overseas Program

This course uses an anthropological perspective to examine various aspects of Japanese youth and popular culture that have attracted local / global attention. Students should relate their readings to their everyday experiences throughout the course.

The goal of this course is to enable students to critically engage with the anthropological perspective on Japanese youth culture in relation to gender roles. In class, students discuss how young people reinforce or resist the gender norms by consuming popular culture.

英語 / English

This course will be taught through short lectures, group discussions and video analysis. Students are expected to read the assigned readings and discuss related topics in class on a weekly basis. They will also conduct mini-ethnographic projects of their own and write a report at the end of the course. Comments in the reaction paper will be introduced in class and used to deepen our discussions.

あり / Yes

あり / Yes

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[対面/face to face]：Introduction

Introduction to the course and to the anthropological perspective on youth popular culture

2[対面/face to face]：Gender equity in Japan

Lecture on gendered division of labour in the workplace and at home

3[対面/face to face]：Gender and sexual violence in Japan

Lecture on sexual harassment and sexual assault in Japan

4[対面/face to face]：Gender and sexuality in pop culture

Lecture on gendered and sexualised images in the media and music industry

5[対面/face to face]：Popular music I

Examining female idols and shojo

6[対面/face to face]：Popular music II

Examining male idols and shonen

7[対面/face to face]：Lolicon culture

Examining child pornography in pop culture

8[対面/face to face]：Same-sex marriage and the family registration system

Examining shared family names, same-sex marriage

9[対面/face to face]：Fashion I

Examining gender identity in fashion culture (e.g. crossdressing)

10[対面/face to face]：Fashion II

Examining gender identity in fashion culture (e.g. gender neutral fashion)

11[対面/face to face]：Body image and beauty ideals in Japan

Examining beauty standards, dieting and eating disorders

12[対面/face to face]：Fieldwork methods

How to conduct an ethnography,submit a plan for mini-ethnography

13[対面/face to face]：Preparations
for mini-ethnography

Submit a fieldnote

14[対面/face to face]：Data analysis of mini-ethnography

Submit a first draft of essay, peer review of essay

1. The instructor will provide a weekly discussion question. Students must answer the question based on the required readings and submit their answer via Hosei Learning Management System to each class.
2. Students will also use a significant amount of time outside of class to prepare and conduct an individual/group fieldwork project on a topic covered in class.
a. They will submit a plan for mini-ethnography by Week 12.
b. After conducting a mini-ethnographic project, they will write a report about it at the end of the course.
The average study time outside of class per week would be roughly 4 hours.

All readings will be distributed by the instructor.

Steger, B., Koch, A. & Tso, C. 2020. Beyond Kawaii : Studying Japanese Femininities at Cambridge, Zurich: Lit Verlag.

Contribution to class discussions (20%)
Weekly assignments (25%)
Prior to the mini-ethnography project: writing a plan (10%)
After the mini-ethnography project: writing a fieldnote (10%) and a 2,000-word report (35%)

Since some students were not familiar with fieldwork, the methodology including data collection and analysis will be explained in detail.

Hosei Learning Management System（授業⽀援システム）will be used: https://hoppii.hosei.ac.jp/portal

You should attend the first class if you are interested in the course.