Spring AY2022

Introduction to Cultural Studies
Undergraduate / Graduate

Undergraduate

Registration Code0055421

Course Category

Arts LiberalCredits

2.0

Term (Semester) / Day / Period

G-II (1st year, Spring Semester) / Fri. / 4 (14:45～16:15)

Instructor

MC GEE Dylan Patrick

Contact e-mail of the Instructor
mc.gee.dylan.patrick.x8@f.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp●Goals of the Course
As a liberal arts course in the humanities, this course is designed to introduce students to theories and methods
currently used in cultural studies, while fostering critical inquiry and understanding of other cultures.
●Objectives of the Course
Students in this class will develop basic academic skills like critical reading and analytic writing, while alsoenhancing communication skills through group discussion and presentation.
●Course Content or Plan
In this class, we will explore some of the ways in which digital technologies mediate our social lives andexperiences within contemporary culture. Working primarily within the setting of Japan, we will start off withsome historical context about pre-digital transmedia cultures of wartime and early postwar Japan, culminatingin the Kadokawa “media mix” of the 1970s, followed by a look at participatory communities that formed
around dōjinshi fanzines of the 1960s through the 1990s. Major shifts in the media ecology of Japan during theso-called “lost decade,” including the spread of the internet, digital tools for self-publishing, and the rapid
development of gaming technologies, helped radically reshape the spaces of cultural consumption and fanlabor, while also expanding the audiences for Japanese media on a global scale. Despite attempts to steer thesedevelopments towards national or political agendas—such as in the “Cool Japan” campaign of the2010s—regular people like you and me still play a decisive role in determining how we consume or “prosume”
culture. So, in a sense, this class is about us and about why our digitally-mediated experiences matter.
Week to week, we will meet to discuss a topic that relates to the overarching theme of the class. Readings will
be selected to offer grounding for critical analysis, and in my own role as a teacher, I will be introducing
theoretical concepts from media and cultural studies that (hopefully!) will give you new insights into your own
digital practices. To that end, I will be keenly interested in hearing about your own experiences with Japanese
media and culture, and what you think is significant about liking a video, sharing a meme, or going out of yourdorm once in a while to play Pokemon Go.
Here is our tentative schedule of discussion meetings (topic subject to revision):
Week 1. Course Overview
Week 2. Why talk about wartime cartoons?
Week 3. Precursors to transmedia storytelling and the media mix
Week 4. Dōjinshi fanzines and participatory subcultures of the 1960s-1990s
Week 5. Soft power meets scanlation communities
Week 6. Toys as authoring tools, collectibles, and social media content
Week 7. Kawaii, moe, and affective play
Week 8. Yurukyara mascot characters and economies of affectWeek 9. Pikachu jumps from your Gameboy to your iPhone—and into your heart
Week 10. A virtual date with Date Masamune (1567-1636)—history fangirls and heritage tourism
Week 11. On the road with hardcore Visual-K fans
Week 12. Are toxic fans really fans?
Week 13. Insutabae, microcelebrity and the digitally mediated self
Week 14. Animal Crossing and other guilty pleasures during the pandemic
Week 15. Conclusions●Course Prerequisites and Related Courses
There are no prerequisites to enroll in this course. All are welcome! Some previous background in East Asianhumanities and/or proficiency in Japanese would be helpful.

Spring AY2022●Course Evaluation Method and Criteria
Assessment in this course will be according to a contract system. At the start of the semester, each student will
be given a choice of three different learning tracks—Discovery track (final grade of B), Mastery track (finalgrade of A), and Research track (final grade of A+/S). Each track has a different set of tasks and learning
objectives that result in a fixed grade. The estimated time investment for each track is also different. This is sothat students can make informed decisions, early in the semester, regarding their academic goals and level ofcommitment to this class. Upon successfully meeting all the objectives in their chosen track, students will earn
the grade they signed up for. Specific details about the assessment schedule for each track can be viewed on theonline version of the syllabus, which will be accessible starting on Friday, April 1st (see below for link).
●Study Load (Self-directed Learning Outside Course Hours)
In addition to the ninety (90) minutes of time spent in each class meeting, students should expect to spend timeoutside of class each week reading and writing responses to weekly prompts. Your work load will depend on
which learning track you have chosen to join. In general, students on the Discovery track (final grade of B) canexpect an average of one hour or less per week, students on the Mastery track (final grade of A) around two hours
per week, and students on the Research track (A+/S) around three hours per week. For more details, refer to theguide to learning tracks, which is posted on our CANVAS site.
●How to Respond to Questions
Students are always encouraged to ask questions or make comments during class, before or after class, orthrough the discussion prompt box that will be open week to week on CANVAS. Students may also reach methrough e-mail.
●Notice for Students
Due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult for many international
students to enter the country, my current plan is to teach this course online. If conditions improve to the degree
that there appears to be little risk of students contracting COVID-19 by coming to class, I will reconsider; but
since my first priority is your health and wellbeing, I want to play it safe. So please assume that we will NOT
be meeting in person unless I notify you otherwise. Also note that even in the event that we are able to holdin-class meetings, any student in the class will still be able to participate in this class entirely online if they areoverseas or have concerns about attending in-person meetings.
If you are considering enrolling, or if you are still on the fence and would simply like to learn more about thecourse content, please visit the following signup sheet page on Google Docs so that I can send you an invitation tothe course site:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bR2MzFYjbnVXDs1k5diy0P8MMZbIas39QNVt0ysRY-I/edit?usp=sharing
IMPORTANT: I will NOT be using NUCT to teach this class. Our class will be taught on CANVAS and ourweekly meetings will be held on ZOOM. After you fill out the signup sheet linked above, I will provide youwith the password for accessing the CANVAS site and the URL for ZOOM. It is your responsibility to write meand request access to CANVAS before the semester starts.
Note that I will be opening the course site on Friday, April 1st. That way, you can view the online version of thesyllabus, peruse the schedule of course readings, and even get a head start working on some of the lesson modules
before the semester starts.
Required statement about course withdrawal: If you wish to withdraw from this class, please inform me inwriting (by e-mail) as early in the semester as possible. If you write me before the ILAS deadlines for rosterchanges, your name will be removed from the roster. If you write me later than that, then your name willcontinue to appear on the roster, and you will be given a grade of absent (W or ).
No required textbook for purchase. All course readings will be made available on theTextbook
first day of class.
A list of optional readings and reference materials will be made available on ourReference Book
course site.