2024 Cultural Anthropology C

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Academic unit or major
Humanities and social science courses
Instructor(s)
Isono Maho 
Class Format
Lecture    (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Mon3-4(M-124)  Thr3-4(M-124)  
Group
-
Course number
LAH.H303
Credits
2
Academic year
2024
Offered quarter
2Q
Syllabus updated
2024/4/2
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

The body is an essential aspect of human existence, from birth to death. However, what exactly is the body? Why do people go on diets or remove body hair? Furthermore, illness and death are inevitable companions to our physical selves. How have humans historically confronted and coped with these realities? In this course, students will learn about the basic anthropological perspective on the body, illness, and death. Each group will be asked to write a novel that predicts the ideal body of the 21st century based on this perspective. A model novel will be provided during the lecture.

Student learning outcomes

1. Cultivating the ability to analyze the body, illness, and death using cultural anthropological theories is the focus of this text.
2. This text is already well-written and meets the desired characteristics. No changes are necessary.

Keywords

Body, Sickness, Preventive medicine, Technology

Competencies that will be developed

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

Class flow

This course utilizes theories from cultural anthropology and medical anthropology to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the human body and illness. The perspectives of cultural anthropology will be explored, and each group will create a novel on the theme of the ideal body in the 21st century.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Introduction: The Ideal Body in the 21st Century Read a novel about the ideal body in the 21 st century
Class 2 What is the body? (1) Consider how your perception of your own or others' bodies may have changed before and during the Covid-19 crisis
Class 3 What is the body? (2) Consider how one's own body is influenced by the bodies of others.
Class 4 Body modification (1) Compare and contrast bodily transformations in rites of passage, such as tooth extraction or tattooing, with those resulting from dieting.
Class 5 Body modification (2) Make a list of three examples where the boundary between technology and the body is blurred.
Class 6 Critique (1) Work as a group on the first draft of a novel.
Class 7 What is sickness? Think about moments in your life when you or others around you have felt ill.
Class 8 Treatmens & Healings Make a detailed list of the actions you take when you feel ill
Class 9 Preventive medicine Consider what changes occur in our lives when the scope of our disease expands
Class 10 Critique (2) Work as a group on a second draft of a novel
Class 11 Death (1) Think about why people have funerals
Class 12 Death (2) Reflect on what it mean to you to live with a deceased person
Class 13 Group work Work as a group to complete the third draft of the novel
Class 14 Critique (3) Finish the final draft of the novel

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Materials will be distributed as required during the lecture.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Materials will be distributed as required during the lecture.

Assessment criteria and methods

Evaluation will be based on the interim report (the first and the second draft) and the final presentation. The assessment will focus on the thought process that led to the final draft, rather than the completion of the novel itself. To ensure a fair evaluation of each group member's contribution, each member will be required to submit an evaluation sheet separately.

Related courses

  • LAH.H103 : Cultural Anthropology A
  • LAH.H203 : Cultural Anthropology B
  • LAH.S446 : Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences55:Cultural Anthropology

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

There are no prerequisites for this course. The instructor expects active student participation.

Other

Depending on the number of students and their level of understanding, the syllabus can be modified.

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