Education in Japan: Issues of Culture, Social Structure, & Worldview

(2 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In general, Japanese education has a bad reputation. Some scholars point out that bullying is widespread. Certainly there is a dark side, but there is also a lot to acknowledge and learn from. This course aims to look at Japanese education critically, yet with a multidisciplinary perspective and an objective balance, in order to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary Japan. Each week, there will be assignments of approximately 15-30 pages that everyone is required to read before class, and attention will be given during class to exploring the issues raised in these assignments, deepening analytic understanding, and articulating both a personal and academic response.