GISDepartment of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies

With Disney films and anime becoming popular all over the world, it is hard not to see animation as a dominant form of global media. But how can we explore animation in its global position? Focusing on animation from the U.S., Japan, as well as Europe and parts of Asia, in this class we will closely examine the particularities of animation, exploring different thematic topics that intersect with globalization. Throughout the semester we will be engaging with the aesthetics of animation, analyzing its history, production processes, and global presence. In the first section of the class, we will learn how animation functions as a certain type of technology, how it operates transnationally, and how this is representative of contemporary globalization. In the second section of the class, we will examine specific topics that are relevant to globalization, including the spread of culture, the ethics of globalization, and global environmental destruction. Utilizing the methods learned in the first section of the class, we will analyze how specific animations and genres grapple with these topics.

In addition to teaching students information about animation and globalization, this class aims to develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Throughout the semester students will: 1) learn methodologies to examine animation as a particular type of media; 2) explore many of the problems of globalization through the example of animation; 3) learn how to apply those methodologies to analyze how certain animations engage with the problems of globalization.

Will be able to gain “DP 1”, “DP 2”, “DP 3”, and “DP 4”.

英語 / English

Classes will be lecture-based, with visual material such as clips of films and animation. Students will be asked to have group discussions on certain themes. Each week students will be provided with an academic reading relevant to the topic. These readings will be important background information and/or will be directly addressed as the topic of the lecture and discussion. Lectures will explain in detail and through examples the topic for that class. Discussions based on the lecture will be facilitated by questions from the instructor to help the students explore and develop their critical and analytical skills for that topic. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the lectures and readings through their presentations and papers. Students will receive feedback in class and in written form, based on a grading rubric.

あり / Yes

なし / No

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[オンライン/online]：Introduction

Media's part in globalization

2[対面/face to face]：Media Flows Across the World

Different ways of thinking about globalization

3[対面/face to face]：Transnational Production of Media

Animation production across national borders and Regions

4[対面/face to face]：Global History of Media

Transnational influences from Russia, US, and Japan

5[対面/face to face]：Global Expansion of Animation

Differences and similarities of consuming media in various locales

6[対面/face to face]：Animation as Global Technology

Effects of technology in the ways we see and think about globalization

7[対面/face to face]：Globalized Aesthetics

Implications of anime's globally recognizable stylistics

8[対面/face to face]：Animating Characters Differently

Disney's techniques vs. anime's techniques and their relationship to culture

9[対面/face to face]：Dislocation of Transnational Media

How different animations consider ways to exist in an interconnected world

10[対面/face to face]：Local Folklore Gone Global

Traditional cultures in conflict with globalization

11[対面/face to face]：Ecology as a Global Issue

Environmentalism in various types of animation

12[対面/face to face]：A Technological Globe

Imagining a global world in cyberpunk animation

13[対面/face to face]：Student Presentations

Feedback and Discussion

14[対面/face to face]：Student Presentations

Feedback and Discussion

Students should complete the assigned readings before each class and study the notes they take in class. Preparatory study and review time for this class are 2 hours each.

Stevie Suan, Anime’s Identity: Performativity and Form Beyond Japan . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2021.

Additional readings will be provided by the instructor.

Appadurai, Arjun. Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. University of Minnesota Press, 1996.

Participation 20%
Presentation 40%
Final paper 40%

Not applicable.

None.