Department of Humanities and Social Sciences: Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies
Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies SectionArea Studies SectionSocial and International Relations
Culture and Representation Course
The Culture and Representation Course captures culture from the standpoint of artistic representation, amidst the rapid cultural changes of modern society such as innovations in science and technology, the growth of mass media, specialization of knowledge, and diversifying forms of inter-cultural contact. This field attempts to explain the historical nature and structural characteristics of individual cultures by analyzing the multifaceted and interrelated systems of its creation, transmission, and reception. Thus, the field does not simply take Western art or art philosophy as a model, but rather covers the complex range of artistic representations on a global scale, including those from Japan. In doing so, we attempt to conduct research from a truly international and pragmatic perspective, in order to aggregate and even surpass the level of current knowledge.
Within the curriculum, courses in Principles of Cultural Representations, Theories of Cultural Representations, Media and Representations, and History of Cultural Representations address topics from a comprehensive viewpoint, while courses in Drama and Performance Studies, Aesthetics of Space, Critical Studies of Music, Film Studies, and Literature and Criticism deal with more specialized fields. In addition, there are practical-classes that make use of electronic media tools.
By analyzing culture from the standpoint of artistic representation, the course aims to develop highly skilled specialists and researchers with the internationally mindset, specialized knowledge and the ability to express themselves in multiple languages. Since its establishment in 1987 as part of the Cultural Studies Division, the course has produced graduates who have gone on to work in many sectors, such as communications, newspaper publishing, advertising, art museums, banking, and manufacturing, and it is anticipated that students will play increasingly active roles in modern fields such as art management. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences also offers a Culture and Representation Course under Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, which uses a fresh, innovative approach to art research unlike the traditional methodologies used in aesthetics or art history. Notable research accomplishments are showcased in Kouza Hyosho no discours (Discourse of Culture and Representation) (University of Tokyo Press, Six volumes). In addition, the Association for Studies of Culture and Representation was founded in 2006, and achievements in research are also presented during its annual conventions and meetings.
[Courses]
| Cultural Anthropology | Culture and Representation | Comparative Literature and Arts |
| Contemporary Thought and Philosophy | Interdisciplinary Japanese Cultural Studies |
| Interdisciplinary Language Sciences | Studies on Text, Culture and Theory |
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Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies SectionArea Studies SectionSocial and International Relations
