Dr Lucy Fraser
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- 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 the manner in which modern Japanese literature reflects issues of concern in Japanese society, among them discrimination, family life, the ageing population, war, disaster, identity, gender, and sexuality. 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.
Discuss significant events and issues in modern Japanese literature and society in detail.
LO2.
Research a topic in depth, identifying relevant primary sources and high quality academic resources.
LO3.
Critically analyse literary and media texts within their sociohistorical contexts, working across cultures.
LO4.
Organise, plan, and present the results of research in written format.
LO5.
Organise, plan, and present the results of research in oral format.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Pre-class tasks
|
20% |
Week 2 Task. 30/07/2024 1:00 pm Week 3 Task. 6/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 5 Task. 20/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 6 Task. 27/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 7 Task. 3/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 8 Task. 10/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 9 Task. 17/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 10 Task. 1/10/2024 1:00 pm Week 11 Task. 8/10/2024 1:00 pm Week 12 Task. 15/10/2024 1:00 pm Week 13 Task. 22/10/2024 1:00 pm
The tasks will open at 9am on Thursday morning in the week before the class, and are due to be submitted by 1pm on Tuesday the day before class. |
| Essay/ Critique, Portfolio |
Assignment
|
25% |
20/09/2024 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Presentation Proposal
|
20% |
25/10/2024 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation |
Research Presentation
|
35% |
11/11/2024 - 15/11/2024
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
Pre-class tasks
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Week 2 Task. 30/07/2024 1:00 pm
Week 3 Task. 6/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 5 Task. 20/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 6 Task. 27/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 7 Task. 3/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 8 Task. 10/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 9 Task. 17/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 10 Task. 1/10/2024 1:00 pm
Week 11 Task. 8/10/2024 1:00 pm
Week 12 Task. 15/10/2024 1:00 pm
Week 13 Task. 22/10/2024 1:00 pm
The tasks will open at 9am on Thursday morning in the week before the class, and are due to be submitted by 1pm on Tuesday the day before class.
Task description
Students are required to complete tasks in the form of Blackboard tests. They are due before class in the weeks provided.
There is a total of 11 pre-class tasks (x 2 marks each). The best 10 marks out of the 11 tasks will be counted towards the final mark out of 20 for this assessment item.
The pre-class tasks require students to demonstrate their preparation (i.e. whether they have read the required text/s and done any other assigned activities) and they are designed to encourage close engagement with the content in the lead-up to class.
***
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Likewise, students are not permitted to receive help from any other person to complete this task.
Submission guidelines
Blackboard test
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
This is a weekly task (due on the dates provided). Marks are awarded for completing the reading before class; answers to the task questions and feedback on students' responses is then provided during class. The task is open for 5 and a half days before the due date. The best 10 marks out of the 11 tasks will be counted towards the final mark out of 20 for this assessment item.
Assignment
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Portfolio
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
20/09/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
The Assignment requires students to respond to questions and short essay topics. These are based on the content from Module 1 (Literature and Nation) and Module 2 (Life Courses). They will require a combination of research and application of knowledge from the course, analysis and critique, and personal reflection. Assignment questions are released weekly on the class powerpoint and are related to the topic of that week's class; students are strongly encouraged to draft their answers soon after class, while the material is still fresh in their minds. Marking criteria will be available on Blackboard.
The final version of the Assignment, compiling all pre-released questions, will be released on Blackboard after class in Week 9, and be due on Friday that same week. It will be a Word document, with students required to input their answers, rename the file with their own name, and submit to Turnitin.
***
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Likewise, students are not permitted to receive help from any other person to complete this task.
Students with exam adjustments in place should contact the Course Coordinator directly and apply through Unitask to activate them for this assessment.
Hurdle requirements
The Assignment is a hurdle requirement for the course. Students who do not submit an assessable assignment cannot receive a grade of higher than 3 for the course.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.
Research Presentation Proposal
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
25/10/2024 5:00 pm
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 10.
This Proposal assessment requires students to choose a novel from the list below, read it and research about the novel (in relation to the chosen presentation topic), 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 the Research Presentation (see assessment details and marking criteria for the Research Presentation in the Assessment section of Blackboard).
Novels (choose one):
- Kobayashi, Takiji. Crab Cannery Ship, Trans. Željko Cipriš. U of Hawaii P, 2013.
- Nakajima, Kyoko. The Little House. Trans. Ginny Takemori. Darf Publishers, 2019.
- Kayama, Shigeru. Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. Trans. Jeffrey Angles. University of Minnesota Press, 2023.
- Tsushima, Yuko. Laughing Wolf. Trans. Dennis Washburn. Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan, 2011.
- Furukawa, Hideo. Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure. Trans. Doug Slaymaker with Akiko Takenaka. Columbia University Press, 2016.
- Kashiwaba, Sachiko. The House of the Lost on the Cape. Trans. Avery Fischer Udagawa. Restless Books, 2023.
- Tawada, Yoko. The Emissary. Trans. Margaret Mitsutani. New Directions Books, 2018.
***
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Likewise, students are not permitted to receive help from any other person to complete this task.
Students with Alternative Exam Adjustments in place should contact the Course Coordinator directly and apply through Unitask to activate them for this assessment.
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
11/11/2024 - 15/11/2024
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.
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, using the novel selected from the list in the "Research Presentation Proposal" assessment description. It 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.
***
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Likewise, students are not permitted to receive help from any other person to complete this task.
Students with exam adjustments in place should contact the Course Coordinator directly and apply through Unitask to activate them for this assessment.
Hurdle requirements
The Research Presentation is a hurdle requirement for the course. Students who fail to give a presentation cannot receive a grade of higher than 3 for 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 Assignment (submitting assessable work) and the Research Presentation (giving an assessable presentation) are hurdle requirements for the course. Students who do not complete these hurdles cannot receive a grade of higher than 3 for the course.
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
Find the required and recommended resources for this course 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 |
General contact hours |
Week 1-13 Students attend and participate in weekly seminar-style contact classes to study and discuss literary texts and other materials in relation to Japanese social issues. |
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 - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.