8/31 Thursday | An introduction to the course
Welcome to the course. There is no assignment for this first class, although you should familiarize yourself with this web site, with the course v-2 site, and with the policies and requirements of the course.
I realize that your schedules are in flux as you shop for courses, but please understand that our early sessions are substantive and not just informational meetings. You are responsible for the material we will cover, in class and in the readings. If you decide to enroll in the course and have missed any of the opening sessions, please consult with me and/or the Teaching Fellows about how to make up the materials. I encourage you to begin thinking about and drafting the first writing exercise as soon as possible.
9/8 Tuesday | What Japan will we study?
Reading assignment: Jeannie Lo (1990) “Arriving in Japan” (Chapter 1) and “A Day in the Factory” (Chapter 2) in her Office Ladies / Factory Women: Life and Work at a Japanese Company. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Bass HD6197/L6/1990 [See my reading notes]
Media recommendation: “The Story of Noriko” [Note: This will be assigned in several weeks but you might take a look at it now if you have time. This and most of the other documentaries are available to class members via the Media Gallery on the course v-2 site.]
For further reading: William W. Kelly (1992) “Tractors, Television and Telephones: Reach Out and Touch Someone in Rural Japan.” In Re-Made in Japan: Everyday Life and Consumer Taste in a Changing Society, edited by Joseph J. Tobin, pages 77-88. New Haven: Yale University Press.
9/10 Thursday | Reading and writing anthropology: Context, Concepts, and Comparison
Your first writing exercise is due today.