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2018　Studies of Culture and Representation B

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Academic unit or major
Humanities and social science courses
Instructor(s)
Kitamura Kyohhei 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Mon1-2(H112)  Thr1-2(H112)  
Group
-
Course number
LAH.H215
Credits
2
Academic year
2018
Offered quarter
3Q
Syllabus updated
2018/6/26
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

Movies, which had a tremendous influence as entertainment in the 20th century, produced a specific kind of representation—the “movie star.” Movie stars were eventually used as cultural apparatus to mobilize people into militarism during wartime and democracy during the postwar period, and they played an important role in determining the Japanese way of thinking and behavior. Also, as the film industry declined, television that penetrated into the home created idols/artists (in a different way from movie stars). The celebrity constructed by the media embedded in everyday life is also indispensable to contemporary cultural industries. In this lecture, we focus specifically on female celebrities (female star, female idol, and female artist) who have acquired fame mediated by media and outline the history of representation of female celebrities.
The aim of this lecture is to deepen our understanding of gender/sexuality norms from the collective desire of each society and culture, and to study how fame is constructed in cinema, magazines, television, electronic or mobile media—in other words, to explore visual media culture since the 20th century.

Student learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Historically grasp movie stars, understand the history of moving pictures.
2) Understand a transition of gender norms from the history of representation of female stars/idols/artists
3) Have a deeper understanding of the media culture we are living in.

Keywords

Female star. Idol, Artist, Media, Nationalism, Orientalism

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills ✔ Critical thinking skills ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Based on lecture-style presentations with practical sessions. Students are occasionally given exercise problems related to the contents.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Guidance and introduction Understand the early cinema and the birth of actress.
Class 2 Female stars in prewar Learn early cinema actresses such as Tanaka Kinuyo, Yamada Isuzu, and Irie Takako.
Class 3 The female star in wartime Consider nationalism through the image of Li Xianglan.
Class 4 The muse of militarism/democracy Understand nationalism through the image of Hara Setsuko.
Class 5 The female star in U.S. occupation period Understand orientalism through the image of Kyo Machiko.
Class 6 From a female star to the national actress Consider the post-occupation era through Takamine Hideko's performance.
Class 7 The female star in the Golden Age of Japanese cinema Grasp mass culture from Wakao Ayako's performance.
Class 8 The popular entertainment queen Understand media culture in the 1950s through Misora Hibari.
Class 9 The female star during the decline of Japanese cinema Explore the practices during the decline period through Yoshinaga Sayuri.
Class 10 Women in yakuza films Learn the norm of gender in the 1960s through Fuji Junko.
Class 11 The birth of idol Understand the singularity about Japanese idols from Yamaguchi Momoe and Matsuda Seiko.
Class 12 Kadokawa film and mediamix Learn mediamix from Yakushimaru Hiroko.
Class 13 Arrival of female artist Consider the culture in the 1990s from the reception of Shina Ringo and Utada Hikaru.
Class 14 The time of overflowing idols Consider the body images of Morning Musume., AKB48 group, and Momoiro Clover Z.
Class 15 Contemporary media culture from from the viewpoint of celebrity Review the course contents.

Textbook(s)

None required.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Fujiki, Hideaki. Making Personas. Transnational Film Stardom in Modern Japan. Nagoya: Nagoya University Press. ISBN: 978-4815805739 (Japanese)
Kitamura, Kyohhei. Cultural Sociology of Female Stars: Desiring the Madonna and Vamp in Postwar Japan. Tokyo: Sakuhinsya. ISBN: 978-4861826511 (Japanese)
Nishi, Kenji. Idol Culture through the Prism of Media Theory. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN: 978-4130530248 (Japanese)

Assessment criteria and methods

Class participation (40%) and final exam (60%)

Related courses

  • LAH.H113 ： Studies of Culture and Representation A
  • LAH.H314 ： Studies of Culture and Representation C

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites.

Contact information (e-mail and phone)    Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).

kitamura.k.af[at]m.titech.ac.jp

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