Japan in Today’s World Program, Semester 1, Fall 2013-Winter 2014 Adjusting to Japan—Course Syllabus Class meets: Tuesdays, Period 5, 4:40-6:10 p.m., 403 International Student Center Instructor: Jordan Pollack, 2nd Floor, International Student Center, Hakozaki Campus Office hours: Fridays, 3:00-5:00 p.m. (at Hakozaki), or by appointment Office phone: 642-2153; Mobile phone: 080-56027368 Email:
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[email protected] Course Overview and Goal This orientational course, intended for students with little or no prior experience in Japan, introduces you to some of the more important requirements for effective, appropriate functioning in everyday contexts. Lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments will develop your awareness of many of the understandings, attitudes, and communicative skills that are needed for social competency, and we will consider these also in light of broader cultural patterns and principles. The objective is to equip you with insights and strategies for successful interaction. Procedure, Requirements, and Evaluation Each class meeting will consist of two segments: 1) discussion of readings (distributed in class the previous week) and your reflections on these; and 2) discussion of some aspect of everyday life as was assigned (in class, the week before) for “in-the-street” observation, whether individually or in groups. I will ask leading questions to provoke and guide those discussions, as may be needed, and offer brief lectures as well as supplementary comments when appropriate. Your final course grade will depend on your effort in five areas: writing of five reading- based reflections, writing of five observation reports, completing a group research project and presentation, keeping a personal journal, and participating regularly and actively in class discussions of assignments.