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.
Having knowledge in another or secondary culture and language has many benefits such as better job opportunities opening up doors to multiple companies and employers rather than limiting the amount of employment prospects, it provides the chance to travel and explore other cultures in different countries, helps to learn more about the world and its complexities, and achievement in obtaining cultural knowledge and allowing a person to be more well-rounded. Other advantages include the improvement of brain function, establishing cultural connections and establishing friendships in many parts of the world, gaining a different perspective than your own on certain political and cultural issues, teaches one how to learn better in different learning environments, teaches you to appreciate a multitude of historical artifacts or art pieces of a particular culture, and much more! I have yet to take Introduction to the Japanese culture the following semester. When I do, I will provide a sample of my work demonstrating my understanding of what I have learned in the course. As of now, I only have evidence of the Hispanic culture. So I will provide a sample for you to review:
In My Japanese 308 class We learned about the importance of pop-culture within Japanese society. We also were able to find cultural similarities and differences of United States and Japan in pop-culture. We identified and analysed particular aspects of otaku culture in Japan, such as manga, anime, and drama. We were able to make connections with traditional elements of Japanese culture and modern perspectives of current artists'. Some of the elements included are: the depictions of young, innocent girls and women and their roles within today's entertainment industry, the immersion of religion and fantasy in popular manga themes; it's influence among young people living in Japan, and how the culture has directly been impacted with the progression of technological media within the entertainment industry. I learned that the people's perspectives of certain controversial topics in Japanese society have gradually changed due to otaku influences. Here is a sample of one of my assignments relating to,and reflects what I learned in this course.
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