APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING CULTURES

Tomoko ARIKAWA (Center for International Education and Exchange)

Objective
   This course studies "culture," focusing on culture and learning from the approaches of Educational Anthropology and relevant fields on multicultural issues and education. The students will come to explain and compare issues on culture and learning and will analyze issues and problems on education in relation to multicultural issues. Each class will be conducted through lectures and discussion.

Course Schedule

Week1 Introduction
1. Explain relevant theories and approaches on culture learning and culture and individuals
Week2 Culture
Week3 Culture and perception, cognition, emotion (1)
Week4 Culture and perception, cognition, emotion (2)
Week5 Culture and verbal and nonverbal communication
2. Compare issues on culture and learning using cases of education in Japan
Week6 Culture and learning
Week7 Culture, self, and development
Week8 Learning in schools (1)
Week9 Learning in schools (2)
3. Analyze issues and problems on minorities and education using theories and cases in Japan
Week10 Discrimination, ethnocentrism
Week11 Minority and education
Week12 Long-existing minorities and education
Week13 Newcomers and education
4. Propose concrete approaches on education in relation to multicultural issues
Week14 Students' Presentations of their proposals
Week15 Students' Presentations of their proposals

Textbooks

1. Schultz, E. A. & Lavenda, R. H., (2009), Cultural Anthropology: A perspective on the human condition, Seventh Edition, Oxford University Press.
2. Matsumoto, David, (2000), Culture and Psychology: People around the world (2nd ed.), Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
3. Tsuneyoshi, Ryoko, Okano, Kaori H. and Boocock, Sarane Spence (Eds.) (2011), Minorities and Education in Multicultural Japan: An interactive perspective, London & New York: Routledge.
   *Reading lists for each class will be provided on the first day of the class.

Grading

• 30% will be based on participation and submission of worksheets assigned every week (2% for each class). Student is expected to participate actively in discussions of each class.
• 20% will be based on Essay 1. Student writes one to two page short essay about the chosen topic from the Section I, linking it to another issue covered in the Section II, discussing his/her own ideas about selected issues. Student turns it in by the end of class period in Week 10.
• 40% will be based on Essay 2. In this Essay 2 student (1) integrates one topic/issue from the theories and approaches on culture (Section I) with another chosen topic/issue on minorities and education (Section III) using specific examples, and (2) proposes concrete approaches on education in relation to multicultural issues. The student turns it in class in Week 14.
• 10% will be based on oral presentation. Student does a brief oral presentation about his/her Essay 2 in the Weeks 14 and 15.