JPN225 Japanese Society

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Ing. Jan Sýkora, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Marek Mikeš, Ph.D. (assistant)
Mgr. Jiří Matela, M.A., Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jiří Matela, M.A., Ph.D.
Japanese Studies Centre – Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Japanese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 26. 2. 14:00–17:40 B2.23, Mon 4. 3. 14:00–17:40 B2.23, Mon 18. 3. 14:00–17:40 B2.23, Mon 15. 4. 14:00–17:40 B2.43, Mon 29. 4. 14:00–17:40 B2.23, Mon 13. 5. 14:00–17:40 B2.23
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is aimed at clarifying the basic issues and trends in contemporary Japanese society. The whole series is divided into five teaching blocks of two lectures each. The first lecture of each block provides a thorough, chronological account of the historical development of post-war Japanese society, followed by a second lecture analyzing the main social problems characteristic of the period. Particular attention is paid to lesser-known aspects and only marginally discussed issues, such as the resources and limits of the consumerist way of life, discrimination and manifestations of xenophobia, the failure of elites, and the loss of trust in the existing social system.
Learning outcomes
During the lecture series, students will become familiar with specific manifestations of selected aspects of Japanese society so that they will be able not only to name, analyze and evaluate them, but also to place them in the broader context of the cultural and historical development of Japan. At the end of the course students will be able to
define general principles of functioning of contemporary Japanese society;
explain the principles of functioning of contemporary Japanese society in their historical contexts;
evaluate the selected problems of modern Japanese society in the context of research in Japanese Studies.
Syllabus
  • Block 1
  • Introductory lesson, introduction of the course content, etc.
  • Contemporary Japanese History 1: A Time of Despair and Search (1945-1960)
  • Collective (historical) memory in post-war Japan. Political culture and political life in post-war society
    Block 2
  • Contemporary History of Japan 2: The Road to the Top (1960-1985)
  • Characteristic features of the Japanese economic system
    Block 3
  • Contemporary History of Japan 3: The Lost Decade (1990s)
  • Japan in international relations
    Block 4
  • Contemporary History of Japan 4: A Time of New Hope (2001-2011)
  • Three detonators in Japanese society – demography, discrimination, social exclusion
    Block 5
  • Contemporary History of Japan 5: System Failure and Loss of Trust (since 2011)
  • Elite failure, the role of the media and civil society in 21st century Japan
Literature
    required literature
  • Duss, P. (1988). Cambridge History of Japan. Volume 6: The Twenties Century. Zejména kap. 4 a 10.
  • GORDON, Andrew. A modern history of Japan : from Tokugawa times to the present. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, xiv, 400. ISBN 9780195339222. info
  • REISCHAUER, Edwin O. and Albert M. CRAIG. Dějiny Japonska. Translated by David Labus - Jan Sýkora. Praha: Lidové noviny, 2000, 441 s. ISBN 80-7106-391-6. info
    recommended literature
  • Davis, Winston B., Japanese Religion and society: Paradigms of Structure and Change, Albany, State University of New York Press 1992
  • Hamaguchi, Eshun, „A Contextual Model of the Japanese: Towards a Methodological Innovation in Japan Studies“, Journal of Japanese Studies, 11:2
    not specified
  • Reischauer, Edwin O., The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity, Tokyo, Charles E Tuttle 1990
  • Nakane, Chie, Japanese Society, Berkeley : University of California Press, 1970
Teaching methods
The basis of the teaching consists of lectures with the use of audiovisual materials. However, due to the limited time allocation and the wide range of content, the teaching requires intensive preparation (self-study) on the basis of the prescribed basic or recommended extension literature. The lecture is conducted in Czech, however, due to the focus of the content, the explanation will include a number of basic concepts in Japanese.
Assessment methods
To pass the exam, the student must master the body of knowledge contained in the lectures, study the basic (compulsory) literature prescribed for each topic and successfully pass the final exam in the form of a written test containing both open and closed questions. Attendance of 70 % is required.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo japanistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
Teacher's information
Due to the different focus of the individual lectures in the given teaching blocks, the following required readings refer only to the chronological interpretation of contemporary Japanese history (always the first lecture of each block). Required and extension literature for the problem-oriented lectures will be specified for each topic.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2024/JPN225