Program Outline
What is the real meaning of globalization? How can we ensure that the various dimensions of globalization contribute positively to greater peace, cooperation and understanding between nations? What roles do language and culture play in achieving these goals? What forms of knowledge and skills concerning language and culture do the youth of today – and the leaders of tomorrow – need in order to take an active part in promoting them? The Linguistics and Cultural Studies program has been specifically designed to respond to such questions and meet such needs.
Japan is an ideal location from which to study and experience both the historical roots and the latest developments of international society. It is a nation with close historical ties to many countries throughout the world and is a leading contributor to all aspects of globalization. At the same time, there is widespread global interest in many aspects of Japanese culture, from Zen Buddhism, noh drama and the classical arts of ikebana and tea ceremony to the latest trends in manga, animation, architecture and fashion.
Focusing on these diverse interrelationships, this program provides students with a transhistorical and multidimensional understanding of Japanese and other cultures through comparative studies underpinned by a sound knowledge of cultural analysis methodologies and a thorough grounding in fundamental research skills.
The courses comprising this program together offer students a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary introduction to various aspects of Japanese culture including literature, philosophy, the visual arts, film, media, subculture and sexuality – all considered from a truly comparative perspective. Students taking the program also have the chance to learn Japanese and to engage in linguistic studies of various aspects of the Japanese language.
Reflecting the importance of English as a global language all the courses in this program are conducted in English and applicants are required to demonstrate a high level of English ability. However, participants have access to a comprehensive range of university-wide academic English support services to enable them to get the most out of the program. In addition, there are academic writing courses available within the program itself.
Graduates from the program are expected to take their place on the global stage, acting as cultural communicators to promote international exchange and understanding in a variety of governmental, commercial and NPO contexts. Suitably qualified students wishing to pursue their studies further may proceed to one of the doctoral programmes offered by the Graduate School of Humanities.
