In this course, students will examine how Buddhism influenced Japanese thought on the after-life and analyze how Japanese views on the relationship between life and death are depicted in recent Japanese films. In the first seven weeks of the course, students will examine and discuss the history, beliefs, and deities of Buddhism and their influences on society. In the second half of the term, students will analyze how death and a common theme, reincarnation, are depicted in different genres of Japanese films such as love stories and fantasy. Throughout the course, students will develop both their linguistic skills and cognitive skills by discussing their understanding of Buddhist beliefs and analyzing Japanese perspectives on death and reincarnation. Individual projects are required. Conducted in Japanese. Intermediate Level.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Raise valid questions on what they’ve learned and express their ideas and thoughts in a culturally appropriate manner.
2. Be able to form ideas and opinions based on the information that they obtained and logically state and express their thoughts coherently and cohesively in the target language
3. Critically analyze and evaluate the findings of their questions
4. Improve their linguistic and cognitive skills through the analyses of Japanese society
5. Become independent learners who are curious about the world
6. Conduct research independently.
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Five terms of Japanese or permission of the instructor (contact iyoshida@bennington.edu).
Corequisites: CSL Series
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
T/F 4:10PM - 6:00PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 10
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Japanese , Updates
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