Secondary Culture Knowledge
In addition to the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures, the student demonstrates a general knowledge of a socio-cultural group other than a Hispanic one or mainstream American culture. The student develops a basic understanding of the ways of thinking (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), the behavioral practices (patterns of social interactions) and the cultural products – both tangible and intangible (for example, art, history, literature, music) – of the second culture.
There are two pathways by which this outcome can be fulfilled:
The student completes at least one upper division course whose focus is a socio-cultural group not reflected by a Hispanic culture. General areas to choose from are: literature, the social sciences (anthropology, geography, history, political systems), art history, music history and/or the second cultural group.
With faculty approval, the student may opt for a more individual pathway, choosing to independently study, research and analyze the working components of the second culture.
There are two pathways by which this outcome can be fulfilled:
The student completes at least one upper division course whose focus is a socio-cultural group not reflected by a Hispanic culture. General areas to choose from are: literature, the social sciences (anthropology, geography, history, political systems), art history, music history and/or the second cultural group.
With faculty approval, the student may opt for a more individual pathway, choosing to independently study, research and analyze the working components of the second culture.
Reflective Narrative
Under this criterion, I have completed the course: JAPN 311: Social Issues in Japan (Fall 2019).
In a major in which respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is encouraged, it is important to be familiar with other cultures, as I was with what I learned through the social problems in Japan. Personally, this is the first time I have taken a class that examines a culture other than Hispanic or American. I have always been fascinated by history, and the only information I knew about Japan was its role in World War II, something that I learned in high school. After taking this class I became more aware of its history with a greater emphasis on the social problems that arose from the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the economic revival of the Asian country. As for Japanese culture, I was surprised that they had a homogenous society, in which there is greater acceptance of a person with Asian physical characteristics. This is undoubtedly a form of social exclusion and lack of respect for diversity. I found this issue interesting because compared to Latin American cultures, there is more tolerance and respect for the ethnic diversity of their people. On the other hand, one of the topics that caught my attention was the role of Asian women, especially "comfort women" who were sexually enslaved to serve in the Japanese military. For this reason, I conducted an investigative report, "The Pursuit of Justice for Comfort Women," in which I addressed the scarce efforts to bring justice to the victims. I also presented this topic to the class in order to inform my research and provide the latest information on the subject. This course helped me to improve my communication skills both in written and oral form. Being an English learner, this project was a great challenge that I overcame with great success since I had a very good evaluation in both assignments. That being said, I still need to be more exposed to research papers and presentations in English as they push me out of my comfort zone.
Certainly, the elements that make up this MLO seemed more challenging to me than the rest because I was exposed to a culture that was very different from my own. However, I found it fascinating to learn about Japanese culture and the social problems they face as they relate in one way or another to the issues of Latin America. What helped me to overcome these challenges was to read the assigned readings and complement them with videos to better understand the issues. In general, this class helped me a lot in my personal growth since it expanded my cultural perspective and gave me the opportunity to interact with students and professors whose focus of study is Japan.
In a major in which respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is encouraged, it is important to be familiar with other cultures, as I was with what I learned through the social problems in Japan. Personally, this is the first time I have taken a class that examines a culture other than Hispanic or American. I have always been fascinated by history, and the only information I knew about Japan was its role in World War II, something that I learned in high school. After taking this class I became more aware of its history with a greater emphasis on the social problems that arose from the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the economic revival of the Asian country. As for Japanese culture, I was surprised that they had a homogenous society, in which there is greater acceptance of a person with Asian physical characteristics. This is undoubtedly a form of social exclusion and lack of respect for diversity. I found this issue interesting because compared to Latin American cultures, there is more tolerance and respect for the ethnic diversity of their people. On the other hand, one of the topics that caught my attention was the role of Asian women, especially "comfort women" who were sexually enslaved to serve in the Japanese military. For this reason, I conducted an investigative report, "The Pursuit of Justice for Comfort Women," in which I addressed the scarce efforts to bring justice to the victims. I also presented this topic to the class in order to inform my research and provide the latest information on the subject. This course helped me to improve my communication skills both in written and oral form. Being an English learner, this project was a great challenge that I overcame with great success since I had a very good evaluation in both assignments. That being said, I still need to be more exposed to research papers and presentations in English as they push me out of my comfort zone.
Certainly, the elements that make up this MLO seemed more challenging to me than the rest because I was exposed to a culture that was very different from my own. However, I found it fascinating to learn about Japanese culture and the social problems they face as they relate in one way or another to the issues of Latin America. What helped me to overcome these challenges was to read the assigned readings and complement them with videos to better understand the issues. In general, this class helped me a lot in my personal growth since it expanded my cultural perspective and gave me the opportunity to interact with students and professors whose focus of study is Japan.
Assignment
JAPN 311: The Pursuit of Justice for Comfort Women