Digital Book Project: Analyzing Social and Cultural Values in Japan
Course Description
Summary
This fourth-term Japanese course is purposefully designed to enable students to create digital books that promote cultural understanding among Japanese children. The curriculum begins with students engaging with short stories and Japanese animations to analyze expected behaviors and communication styles among Japanese children. Additionally, students examine social and cultural values in Japan—focusing on how these values are conveyed and how gender roles are represented in children’s literature and media. Throughout the course, students will enhance their language skills by participating in discussions in Japanese, where they will articulate and justify their viewpoints on narrative texts. As a culminating project, students will compose their own digital storybooks aimed at teaching children to appreciate cultural diversity, informed by their analysis of Japanese social and cultural norms. These stories will be presented to Japanese children in local communities. The course introduces approximately 60 new Kanji characters and is conducted entirely in Japanese.
Learning Outcomes
- ①. Raise valid questions about what they have observed and learned.
- ②. Discuss their ideas in a culturally respectful and appropriate way.
- ③. Analyze Japanese cultural values in children’s books and TV shows and reflect on them both objectively and subjectively.
- ④. Embrace cultural differences.
- ⑤. Create their own digital books that help Japanese children learn to appreciate and embrace cultural differences.
Prerequisites
Three terms of Japanese or the instructor's permission.
Please contact the faculty member : iyoshida@bennington.edu