Japan

This course covers the fundamentals of news, features, and creative nonfiction writing. It also introduces photo-video journalism, and documentary filmmaking. The course explores how to: recognize good stories; interview; gather data and information; develop contacts and sources; create news and feature stories; take photographs and develop photo-essays; shoot video and make short video reports or documentaries. The course also discusses global issues and the role of global mass media.

Is Japan a racially and ethnically homogenous nation? Why is it that only a certain kind of "hafu" (multiracial) are on TV programs and ads? Why has Japan been ranked around the 120s in the Global Gender Equality Index, year after year? How could a prime minister claim that the “society would change, regrettably” (“shakai ga kawatteshimau”) with legal recognition of same-sex marriage in 21st-century Japan? Why are many female high school students in Japan wearing short skirts in the middle of winter, even in freezing temperatures? What is "karoshi" and why does it happen? Japan, the only country bombed by an atomic bomb in the world, has not yet joined the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons yet - why is this? Is Japan a part of the West or Asia? 

Sociology helps one understand the underlying factors of these questions. This course introduces you to the major aspects of contemporary Japanese society. The course investigates: race and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; education; work and the economy, and politics and nationalism. Through these sociological themes, one should be able to comprehend concrete social issues associated, such as: hate speech and racial discrimination; sexual violence and discrimination; gender tracking and class division in education; visible and invisible foreign workers; and the increasing militarization of society.

This course provides an overview pre-modern Chinese history up to the Opium War. Lectures will cover such topics as the Golden Age of Chinese Classics; the Han Unification; the arrival of Buddhism; the new empires under the Tang and Sung dynasties; the takeover by the Mongols; the rise and decline of the Ming dynasty, and the eastern encounter with the West.

 

The course provides an overview of key concepts and approaches of peace and conflict studies. It analyzes the most important problems that are central to understanding peace and conflict studies. What, for example, are the causes of war and peace? When do actors decide whether to go to war (as Russia and Ukraine did),  or cooperate? The class emphasizes critical thinking and encourages students to develop negotiation skills to resolve conflicts between two parties using negotiation games that will be implemented in class. 

Accounting is the process of identifying, recording, and reporting economic activities and serves a vital role in our economy. It is a language that presents the financial condition of a business, non-business or other entity as well as how an entity performed financially in a given period. There are many people who rely on accounting information for their decision making, including investors, creditors, regulators as well as executives and managers who run businesses.  

This course presents a fundamental framework and concept for financial accounting, which is used by for-profit business enterprises mainly in their external reporting. In any business, financial accounting is imperative; it is simply impossible to understand a business without understanding accounting. The objectives of this course are to 1) Understand the basic concept of financial accounting; (2) How it is processed, and (3) How it is used.  

There are no prerequisites for this course. An accounting background or any specialized knowledge is not required.  

A topic-based survey class of American Literature, this course focuses on understanding and analyzing the main changes and important aspects of American culture, society, politics, and history by exposing students to the works of various kinds of American literature authors. Class readings include not only prose writings but also letters, diaries and several official documents written by American influential writers from the 15th century to the 19th century. From time to time, the course will also analyze rare photographs, musical CDs, and films. Students are expected to be interested in basics of modern literary theory which are widely associated in American literary studies. As we challenge the process of creating the notions such as “America,” “American History/Literature,” “race,” “class,” and “borders,” our readings will sometimes go beyond narrowly-defined “American” texts. Through these readings and analyses, students will learn various cultural aspects to approach social issues seen in American society, past and present. This course is conducted in a mixed style of lecture/seminar, and research works at the main library; therefore, participants will be assigned to make presentations, discussion, research and other activities. In the library survey sessions, students are expected to write and submit 2-3 page long paper each time during the class hours.