Japan

This course explores the origins of various types of deductive argumentation by working through the arguments of proofs in a historical context. The course looks at the sources of different approaches to mathematical demonstrations in many diverse cultures and periods. It focuses on the continuous tradition that began in Greece; was adopted by Arabic and Hebrew scholars and was further cultivated in the Latin west. Finally, the course confronts contemporary challenges to the idea of proof such as the delicate relationship between rigor and intelligibility and the possibility of computer-generated proofs.   

Although this is not a mathematics course, enrollees should have some familiarity with mathematics and mathematical ideas. The texts demand careful attention to reasoning but they do not require advanced mathematical training. Although it is important to understand mathematical arguments, one must pay attention to the historical and philosophical aspects of the text. The class will work on several proofs on the board at each class meeting.   

In this course students review and master elementary Japanese grammar and sentence patterns and develop a well-balanced lower intermediate level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn the 50 most important sentence patterns of the intermediate level, master 3000 basic words and 600 to 750 kanji. They read short written passages on various topics that consist of sentence patterns, grammar and new vocabulary, make speeches on topics familiar to them, and write well-organized passages. 

This course reviews and masters elementary Japanese grammar and sentence patterns and develops a well-balanced lower intermediate level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn the 50 most important sentence patterns of the intermediate level, master 3000 basic words and 600 to 750 kanji. They read short written passages on various topics that consist of sentence patterns, grammar and new vocabulary, make speeches on topics familiar to them, and write well-organized passages.

This course is designed for students who are not yet familiar with modern Japanese literature and literary analysis. The course provides an opportunity to read a selection of texts (novels, poems, and essays) on the class theme, with the hope of offering students a glimpse of the breadth and richness of Japanese literature. Additionally, the course considers these works within the historical/social context of modern Japanese society, especially in relation to processes of modernization and Westernization.
 

By the end of this course, students will be able:

1) To become familiarized with modern Japanese literature through reading a selection of literary texts.
2) To learn about Japanese history, culture, society and gender, from the Meiji era until the present, focusing on how historical events have shaped the works we read in class.
3) To analyze the relationship between history, gender, and literature.
4) To improve students' ability to articulate and develop their own ideas about literature.
5) To learn how to write an academic paper on literature. Students will learn how to structure their paper, how to support their argument, how to use academic language, and how to cite and reference other research.

This course introduces sociology and social science through the study of prominent social problems in the United States. It examines a diverse sample of social problems and analyzes issues of power, inequality, privilege and oppression. Topics include social stratification/inequality, crime and deviance, culture, health, environment, immigration, education, racial/ethnic conflict, gender inequality, and technology work. The course explores America's importance and uniqueness by examining both its problems and solutions to important societal trends.  

This course introduces students to Film Studies from a historical and a thematic perspective covering the 19th to the 21st century. It also intends to explore the relationship between Film and other media such as painting, photography, and/or social media). The course also introduces the various ways one can analyze a feature movie and/or a documentary.

This course covers basic concepts in theoretical linguistics while it focuses on how different kinds of meaning are conveyed as well as how they interact and/or are controlled by other factors, drawing examples mainly from English and Japanese. The course covres basic concepts such as word, phrase, sentence; natural language and logical language meanings; logical symbols and formula; valence and thematic roles; lexical (or sense) reactions; contextual information; implicature, presupposition, speech act theories and illocutionary acts; politeness, and discourse.