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Ruth Benedict-ian "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword,"1946

 Japanese Culture: An anthropological study

Mitzub'ixi Quq Chi'j

Ethnography 2015 (--->>> Japanese edition of this page)

• graduate students for all graduate schools, undergraduate students more than third year (junior and senior ), citizens required by permission
• first semester, 6th and 7th period (18:00-21:10), every two weeks
• Building I (i), School/Graduate School of Engineering Science, The Toyonaka campus, Osaka University - There has been a location change.
  

Japanese Culture: An anthropological study

- Course Objective

This course examines Japanese culture from anthropological(ethnographical) perspectives. The course will examine some ethnographic books and papers describing Japanese traditional society and culture. Every two weeks there will be one or two reading assignment(s) and other suggested/optional readings written in both English and Japanese.

- Learning Goals

For understanding historical endeavors of cultural anthropologists and ethnographers the students attending this class will be required to assist oral presentations on Japanese cultures according their each research papers at end of semester.

- Requirement / Prerequisite

The lectures will be presented in both Japanese and English languages for explaining about Japanese people and their culture. The students attending this class will be required Japanese language competency.

- Special Note

none

- Class Plan

Every two weeks there will be one or two reading assignment(s) and other suggested/optional readings written in both English and Japanese.

- Type of Class

Lecture and Discussion

-Independent Study Outside of Class

Preparation & review depending on one's comprehension.

***

1. Objects and Method of Ethnography: April 09, 2015
2. Introduction to Studies of Japanese Culture: A short history: April 09, 2015
3. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.01 & 02): April 23, 2015
4. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.03): April 23, 2015
5. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.04): May 14, 2015
6. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.05): May 14, 2015
7. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.06): May 28, 2015
8. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.07): May 28, 2015
9. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.08): June 11, 2015
10. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.09): June 11, 2015
11. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.10): June 25, 2015
12. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.11): June 25, 2015
13. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.12): July 09, 2015
14. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.13)& Peer Review: July 09, 2015
15. Final Presentations: July 25, 2015
    

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1. Objects and Method of Ethnography: April 09, 2015

The Objects and Method of Ethnography will be explained by using the extract of Ruth Benedict's "Patterns of Culture," 1934.

• Science of Custom and The Individual and the Pattern of Culture(Ch.08)
  
• L-POC_RB_1934.pdf with password(725kb)
• Jap-Pattern_Culture_Benedict01&08.pdf The Objects and Method of Ethnography will be explained by using the extract of Ruth Benedict's "Patterns of Culture," 1934.
  
• Science of Custom and The Individual and the Pattern of Culture(Ch.08)
  
• L-POC_RB_1934.pdf with password(725kb)
• Jap-Pattern_Culture_Benedict01&08.pdf

2. Introduction to Studies of Japanese Culture: A short history: April 09, 2015

• The history of major studies of Japanese culture will be explained.
• Ruth Benedici as configurationalist

3. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.01 & 02): April 23, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.01 & 02),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 01-02-LChrysanthemum&Sword.pdf

4. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.03): April 23, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.03: The Taking One's Proper Station),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 03-LChrysanthemum&Sword-2.pdf

5. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.04): May 14, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.04: The Meiji Reform),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 04-LChrysanthemum&Sword-3.pdf

6. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.05): May 14, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.05: Debtor to the Ages and the World),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 05-LChrysanthemum&Sword-4.pdf

7. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.06): May 28, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.06: Repaying One-Ten-Thousandth),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 06-LChrysanthemum&Sword-5.pdf

8. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.07): May 28, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.07: The Repayment 'Hardest to Bear'),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 07-LChrysanthemum&Sword-6.pdf

9. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.08): June 11, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.08: Clearing One's Name),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 08-LChrysanthemum&Sword-7.pdf

10. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.09): June 11, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.09: The Circle of Human Feeling),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 09-LChrysanthemum&Sword-8.pdf

11. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.10): June 25, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.10: The Dilemma of Virtue),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 10-LChrysanthemum&Sword-9.pdf

12. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.11): June 25, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.11: Self-Discipline),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 11-LChrysanthemum&Sword-10.pdf

13. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.12): July 09, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.12: The Child Learns),"1946, all participants attend class discussion.
• 12-LChrysanthemum&Sword-11.pdf

14. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.13) & Peer Review: July 09, 2015

• Based on reading of Ruth Benedict's book,"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Ch.13: The Japanese Since VJ-Day),"1946,
  
• All participants attend class discussion. In Peer Review section of this class, the students will reviews each students' articles for preparation of final presentation.
• 13-LChrysanthemum&Sword-12.pdf

15. Final Presentations: July 25, 2015

Final Paper Due

Textbooks

Benedict, Ruth／The Chrysanthemum and the Sword／Tokyo: Tuttle Pub.／ISBN 978-4805306710

ルース・ベネディクト／菊と刀（角田安正訳）／光文社（光文社古典新訳文庫K-Cへ-1-1）／ISBN 978-4334-7516-92

• Ruth Benedict  by Mitzub'ixi
• unknown author (Jun Nakamura, supposed), 『民族学研究』 14-4(1950年5月)　「ルース・ベネディクト『菊と刀』の与えるもの」
  

Reference

• Benedict, Ruth／Patterns of culture／Mariner Books／ISBN 978-0618619559
• The other suggested/optional readings will be listed in...
• ルース・ベネディクト『菊と刀：日本文化の諸パターン』 1946
• The happy youth of a desperate country : the disconnect between Japan's malaise and its millennials / Noritoshi Furuichi ; translated by Raj Mahtani, Tokyo : Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture , 2017
  

Grading Policy

Class Participation 50%, Research Paper 25%, Final Presentation 25%

Keywords

Japanese Culture, Ruth Benedict, Pattern of Culture, Japanese Language, Ethnography, Cultural Anthropology

Cofigurationalism

"Any theory that stresses the whole rather than the parts, especially gestalt theory. In anthropology, associated with the ideas of Ruth benedict, who saw cultures as having coherent personalities whose configurations could be analyzed. The notion has been criticized but has echoes in some later writers, such as Clifford geertz. See also culture and personality and compare holism." Concise Dictionary of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Morris, Mike (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2012.

Messages to Prospective Students

If you have any question, please ask me by e-mail, rosaldo[at]cscd.osaka-u.ac.jp

Back to Mitzub'ixi's Course Introduction

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