Popular Culture
Partner university (faculty)
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chiba University and The University of Alabama
Class schedule
Friday, January 29, 2021
Time difference
15 hours
Class objectives
The class explores the popular culture of modern Japan, seeking to understand its history, the background behind its consumption, and the issues concerning the research on its representations and consumption from the ways contents of popular culture are created and consumed.
Class content
The theme was "Representation of Japan and Japanese in Disney Films," and the films Big Hero 6 (Japanese title: "Baymax," produced by Walt Disney Studios), and Cars (produced by Pixar Animation Studios) were employed as specific examples.
The class also aims to examine the characteristics of how Japan as a country and its culture were depicted overseas and the accompanying issues, through an exchange of opinions on the representations of Japan in the works of popular culture with students who are studying the culture and language of Japan at American universities.
We showed the students from the University of Alabama, English video materials related to the theme that had been uploaded to YouTube. Their responses were collected through e-mails and these comments were shown to the students of Chiba University on Moodle, together with the video materials, and lesson materials in Japanese. Comments from the Japanese students were then collated and sent to the students from the University of Alabama through the function of Moodle.
Class format
Asynchronous
Tools used
Moodle, E-mail, youtube
We feel that we were able to provide an experience that students cannot have easily duplicated on their own. Despite the fact that it was an asynchronous activity, the class still gave the Japanese students the feeling of a live engagement with those who were genuinely interested and involved with the topic at hand. This is because they exchanged opinions with students who are studying the Japanese language and culture at a university in the southern part of the United States, on a topic that was found in a film (Cars) set in the southern part of United States. among the representations of Japan found in popular cultural texts of the United States, where there are large cultural differences by region.
実施大学（学部）
千葉大学国際教養学部 アラバマ大学
授業日程
1月29日（金）
時差
15時間
授業目的
現代日本のポピュラーカルチャーを対象に、コンテンツがどのように作られ消費されているかということから、その文化の歴史や消費の背景、表象研究、消費にまつわる問題をとらえる。
授業内容
テーマはRepresentation of Japan & Japanese in Disney Filmsとし、Big Hero 6（邦題：ベイマックス、Walt Disney Studios制作）とCars（Pixar Animation Studios制作）を具体例として扱った。
ポップカルチャー作品の中で描かれる日本表象について、アメリカの大学で日本の文化や言葉を学んでいる学生との意見交換を通し、海外で描かれる日本という国・文化の特徴とその問題意識を考える。
youtubeにアップロードしたテーマに関する英語の動画資料をアラバマ大生に示し、それに対するコメントをメールで集め、コメント・動画資料・日本語の授業資料を千葉大制にMoodleで示し、Moodleの機能でアラバマ大生へのコメントを収集し、メールで送付した。
授業実施形態
非同期型
使用ツール
Moodle, E-mail, youtube
地域における文化差も大きいアメリカにおけるコンテンツの中の表象の中でも、アメリカ南部を舞台にした作品（Cars）を対象作品に含んだテーマを、アメリカ南部の大学で日本語、日本文化を学んでいる大学生と意見交換するという、当事者性を強く持つ相手と非同期とはいいながらリアルライブ感を持った授業内容になり、個人ではなかなか簡単にできない体験を提供することができたと考えられる。
