Dr Lucy Fraser
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course deals with the manner in which modern Japanese literature reflects issues of concern in Japanese society, among them family life, the ageing population, war, identity, gender and sexuality. Critical reading, against the grain of the translated text and "unlearning" of the unconsciously acquired preconceptions will be encouraged. The course aims to give an added dimension to the students' understanding of Japan through the study of the relationship of literature to society.
This course may be cancelled if there are fewer than 20 enrolments.
This course examines how modern Japanese literature reflects Japanese society. The course aims to give an added dimension to the students’ understanding of Japan through the study of the relationship of literature to society. Students will read a range of translated Japanese literature including fiction, non-fiction, academic articles, and short-form literature (i.e. poetry, short stories) written from the early twentieth century to the early twenty-first century. Students will also engage with material written about Japan by non-Japanese writers (i.e. news articles, academic articles etc.). Critical reading against the grain of the translated text, and “unlearning” of our own unconsciously acquired preconceptions and stereotypes will be encouraged. The ability to identify and analyse our own assumptions, as well as the biases and nuances of a particular text (whether it be literary, media, academic, or professional) is a vital skill both in the workplace and in navigating mass media, social media, and entertainment in everyday life.
Course requirements
Assumed background
There is no assumed background for this course; however, experience with literary or cultural studies, and essay-writing and research in the humanities is an advantage. Extensive reading (novels, short stories, articles, etc.) and essay-writing will be required as part of this course.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LTCS1003
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Dr Lucy Fraser
Ms Asli Kaynar
Miss Saffron Nyx
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Classes for this course will not be recorded.
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice.
Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable. Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ
student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
Students in this course can expect to learn about current Japanese social issues and their historical backgrounds through reading and analysing Japanese literary texts. We will learn how to research, analyse and make evidence-based claims about Japanese society as reflected through Japanese literature.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary Japanese society and modern Japanese literature.
LO2.
Critically analyse literary, media and other texts within their sociohistorical contexts.
LO3.
Organise, plan, and present the results of scholarly research in written and oral format.
LO4.
Reflect on and respond to feedback to improve your work.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Quiz |
Weekly Contribution
|
25% |
Week 2 Task. 4/08/2025 5:00 pm Week 3 Task. 11/08/2025 5:00 pm Week 4 Task 18/08/2025 5:00 pm Week 5 Task. 25/08/2025 5:00 pm Week 6 Task. 1/09/2025 5:00 pm Week 7 Task. 8/09/2025 5:00 pm Week 8 Task. 15/09/2025 5:00 pm Week 9 Task. 22/09/2025 5:00 pm Week 10 Task. 7/10/2025 1:00 pm Week 11 Task. 13/10/2025 5:00 pm Week 12 Task. 20/10/2025 5:00 pm Week 13 Task. 27/10/2025 5:00 pm
The tasks will open at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon in the week before the class, and are due to be submitted by 5pm on Monday the day before class. As Monday in Week 10 is a public holiday, the task in that week is due at 1pm on Tuesday. |
| Presentation |
In-class Presentation
|
20% |
Students sign up for a presentation week at the beginning of semester. The sign-up will be available on Blackboard and the student's assigned date is considered the due date for this assessment. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Presentation Proposal
|
20% |
31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 13 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation |
Research Presentation
|
35% |
11/11/2025 - 20/11/2025
EXAM WEEK 1 - 2 Sign up for a session. The student's assigned session will be considered the due date and time for this assessment. |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Weekly Contribution
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Quiz
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
Week 2 Task. 4/08/2025 5:00 pm
Week 3 Task. 11/08/2025 5:00 pm
Week 4 Task 18/08/2025 5:00 pm
Week 5 Task. 25/08/2025 5:00 pm
Week 6 Task. 1/09/2025 5:00 pm
Week 7 Task. 8/09/2025 5:00 pm
Week 8 Task. 15/09/2025 5:00 pm
Week 9 Task. 22/09/2025 5:00 pm
Week 10 Task. 7/10/2025 1:00 pm
Week 11 Task. 13/10/2025 5:00 pm
Week 12 Task. 20/10/2025 5:00 pm
Week 13 Task. 27/10/2025 5:00 pm
The tasks will open at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon in the week before the class, and are due to be submitted by 5pm on Monday the day before class.
As Monday in Week 10 is a public holiday, the task in that week is due at 1pm on Tuesday.
Task description
This assessment is designed to encourage students' close engagement with the weekly content before, during, and after each class session. Through this engagement and feedback from both peers and instructors, students practise and build analysis and discussion skills, which in turn can enhance their work in all other course assessments.
There is a total of 12 weekly assessment tasks x 2.5 marks each. The best 10 marks out of the 12 tasks will be counted towards the final mark, ie. possible 2.5 x 10 = 25 marks.
The tasks are marked in the following way:
- Pre-class task mark out of 1.5: Blackboard test questions including multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer. These require students to demonstrate their preparation (i.e. whether they have read the required text/s and done any other assigned activities), and reflect on their learning from the previous class (powerpoints are released immediately after class so students who did not attend can complete the task).
- Participation mark out of 0.5: Actively contributes to class discussion and activities for the entire session.
- Peer-feedback mark out of 0.5: Engages respectfully with student presenters, and provides helpful feedback on the form submitted during class.
Use of AI / MT in this assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies in the pre-class task, it is not recommended as it will not adequately prepare them for the in-person components of this assessment. Successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
The use of generative AI or MT tools in the in-person participation and peer-feedback components of this assessment will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Blackboard test and in-class submission of handwritten peer feedback.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
WEEK 2 - WEEK 13
This is a weekly task (due on the dates provided) that is designed to encourage engagement and progressively build critical thinking, analysis, and discussion skills. The pre-class task is submitted and marked before the class each week, so that students' responses to the materials can be discussed during that class.
The best 10 marks out of the 12 tasks will be counted towards the final mark out of 25 for this assessment item.
In-class Presentation
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Students sign up for a presentation week at the beginning of semester. The sign-up will be available on Blackboard and the student's assigned date is considered the due date for this assessment.
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
Students give a 1-2 minute presentation during class, in the week they have signed up for. The topic and format options for each week are specified in the weekly schedule, and formats may include "talk", "artwork", "poster" and so on. The work must also be submitted, with a reference list, via Blackboard at 5pm on the day of the presentation. Each student's presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. As per the marking criteria (see Blackboard), students are marked on how well they demonstrate their understanding of the required and recommended readings for their presentation topic.
Students who wish to present their work in a different format from that of the assigned topic must gain approval from the Course Coordinator at least one week before the presentation is due.
Use of AI / MT in this assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies in preparation, it is not recommended as it will not adequately prepare them for the in-person component of this assessment. Successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
The use of generative AI or MT tools in the in-person component of this assessment will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
The In-Class Presentation is a hurdle requirement for the course. Students who do not give an assessable presentation cannot receive a grade of higher than 3 for the course.Submission guidelines
Submit transcript via Turnitin, 5pm on the day of the presentation.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Research Presentation Proposal
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 13
Task description
For this assessment, students submit a proposal for the Research Presentation assessment (which takes place during the exam period).
The choice of presentation topics, a reference list, and a detailed template for the proposal (including length and format requirements) will be made available in Week 9. Students are strongly advised to select a novel and (begin to) read it earlier in the semester, before the topics are released. The topics will require students to choose a novel from the list below, and compare it with one of the required readings from the course. Students are not permitted to present on the course reading that was the topic of their In-class Presentation. Students may contact the Course Coordinator by the end of Week 10 for approval to present on a novel not in the list provided below.
This Proposal assessment requires students to read and research about the chosen novel and the required reading, and to provide an overall argument, and an outline of the structure of their presentation, with supporting arguments and evidence for each supporting argument. Students will be provided with some references on the topic and required to locate more references on their own. A review of the relevance and reliability of the references is also required.
Students will receive feedback on the proposal one week after submission, to be used towards their Research Presentation (see assessment details and marking criteria for the Research Presentation in the Assessment section of Blackboard).
Novels (choose one):
- Li Kotomi. Solo Dance. Trans. Arthur Reiji Morris. La Vergne: World Editions, 2022. [Warning: this story includes sexual assault and suicide].
- Tanizaki Jun'ichiro. Naomi. Trans. Anthony H. Chambers. Knopf, 1985.
- Murata Sayaka. Vanishing World. Trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori. Granta, 2025.
- Ogawa Yoko. The Memory Police. Trans. Stephen Snyder. Pantheon, 2017.
- Pulvers, Roger. The Dream of Lafcadio Hearn. Balestier Press, 2019.
- Iwaki Kei. Farewell, My Orange. Trans. Meredith McKinney. Europa Editions, 2018.
Use of AI / MT in this assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
In the Research Presentation based on this Proposal assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
While extensions are permitted, the Proposal needs to be submitted at least 5 days before the Research Presentation due date, to allow time for feedback for the student to improve their presentation. Students applying for a new submission due date for this task which is less than 5 days before the Presentation (during Exam Week 2), should also apply for an extension on the Research Presentation if eligible; otherwise they will receive 0 marks for the "use of feedback on the outline" criterion of the Presentation marking criteria (see Assessment section of Blackboard).
Research Presentation
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
11/11/2025 - 20/11/2025
EXAM WEEK 1 - 2
Sign up for a session. The student's assigned session will be considered the due date and time for this assessment.
- Other conditions
- Student specific, Secure.
Task description
Students are required to give a 5-6 minute research-based presentation, in person, to a small group of their peers.
Students sign up for a one-hour session, and are expected to attend the entire session and contribute to an evidence-based analytical discussion of their own and others' presentations (see marking criteria). The format of the discussion session is flexible; it may take place at the end of all presentations, or after each individual presentation.
The research presentation responds to one of the topics released in WEEK 10, which uses the novels listed in the "Research Presentation Proposal" assessment description. The Presentation is based on the Proposal submitted in Week 13, and should respond to the feedback provided on this proposal (see marking criteria).
Students are required to submit an updated version of their Proposal, reflecting any changes made to the presentation since the Proposal was submitted (see submission guidelines).
Use of AI / MT in this assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies in the Proposal and preparation, it is not recommended as it will not adequately prepare them for the in-person components of this assessment. Successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
The use of generative AI or MT tools in the in-person component of this assessment will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students much achieve a minimum grade of 40% on this assessment (14/35) to pass the course.Submission guidelines
In addition to delivering the oral presentation and participating actively in the discussion, students are required to submit an updated version of their Proposal, reflecting any changes made to the presentation since the Proposal was submitted: in hard copy at the time of presentation, and in Word/PDF via Turnitin by 5pm on the day they present. The hard copy and Turnitin version must be exactly the same.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
Lack of adherence to the submission guidelines is assessed on the Presentation marking criteria (see Assessment section of Blackboard).
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Failure to demonstrate a satisfactory performance on most of the stated objectives. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Failure to demonstrate a satisfactory performance on more than three objectives. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Satisfactory performance in most of the stated objectives with serious weaknesses in more than two criteria. *Or, did not meet hurdle requirements. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfactory performance overall, with minor problems in more than three criteria or with serious problems in more one or two criteria. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Good performance in all of the stated objectives, with problems in two or three criteria. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Excellent performance in all of the stated objectives, with minor errors or weaknesses in one or two criteria. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Exceptional performance in all of the stated objectives. |
Additional course grading information
The Research Presentation is a hurdle requirement. Students much achieve a minimum grade of 40% on this assessment (14/35) to pass the course.
Detailed assessment guidelines, marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
A detailed outline of weekly topics will be provided to students via Blackboard prior to Week 1.
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Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Workshop |
Week 1-13 Students attend and participate in weekly seminar-style classes to study and discuss literary texts and other materials in relation to Japanese social issues. |
Additional learning activity information
A more detailed weekly schedule of required and recommended readings and weekly in-class presentation topics is provided on Blackboard.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.