2.1 Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, for example, art, history, literature, music). 2.2 Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas such as how Japan’s cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
Please see above links for more evidence of completion of this MLO.
MLO 2: Reflective Narrative
All courses listed above focused on exploring Japanese culture in a deep way. In each course, teachers guided students through understanding and analyzing different aspects of Japanese culture. For example, the Seminar on Japanese Mind, Culture, and Identity explored many Japanese cultural perspectives. In this course, we discussed things like "omotenashi" and "wabi-sabi" in detail in order to better appreciate and understand these concepts, which helped fulfill MLO 2.1. All discussions in the Seminar on Japanese Mind, Culture, and Identity included an analysis of what we understood of each concept, the historical origins of the concept, how we personally experienced the concept in modern Japanese life, and how Japanese values and attitudes may have changed across generations, tying in MLO 2.2. In the Seminar on Globalization and Japanese Culture, we discussed how Japanese products reflect certain images of Japan to the rest of the world, giving us both a greater knowledge and understanding of Japanese products, helping to complete MLO 2.1, and also offering an analysis which tied in MLO 2.2. In these and the rest of the courses, I gained a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and a deeper understanding of my own culture through comparison and contrast. Furthermore, I understand the challenges Japan faces with globalization and how Japan has extended itself across the globe using its economic prowess. My final paper in the Seminar on Globalization and Japanese Culture discussed the images people held of Japan. However, I feel I gained the greatest understanding of cultural practices through my study abroad experience, rather than through coursework. Through daily interaction with Japanese people I came to understand Japanese social structures and patterns in a deeper and more personal way.
I feel that I've collected a great amount of knowledge of Japanese culture. Of course, I am no expert, but I can apply critical thinking and analytical skills to what I learn about culture to understand it more intimately. I know a great deal about Japanese history and values, and I have an understanding of how that has shaped Japanese modern society. For example, in Japanese 311, I learned a great deal about many deep-seeded social issues in Japan, culminating in a final essay. I think I can also more easily accept and understand different cultures as well, because I have learned to critically think about and analyze Japanese culture, so I can apply those skills to other cultures and areas.
I would like to continue to develop my knowledge of Japanese culture and my own culture in general. I love history and learning, so this is an easy goal for me. However, I would like to focus on learning more about Japanese cultural practices, as these apply to my own interpersonal interaction with Japanese people. As I plan to return to Japan, I feel this area is especially important.
I think I found learning the social applications of Japanese culture to be most challenging, as this involves interacting with actual real life people. It's difficult, when you are living in a foreign country, to decide what habits and aspects of yourself you are willing to change to accommodate the culture and people you are living amongst. It is polite to "do as the Romans do," but some values, aspects, and socialization practices are deeply ingrained in who you are as a person. You have to find a balance, and also have an understanding of why you hold these values and practices. It is just as important, if not more so, to think critically about and analyze your own culture and society and the affects it has on you. I think this balancing act I had to learn how to do while studying abroad helped me understand myself and grow as a person.