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2020/21 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EAST3470 Japanese Literature in Translation: Gender and Sexuality in Modern Japan

20 creditsClass Size: 11

Module manager: Dr Irena Hayter
Email: i.hayter@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

This module is mutually exclusive with

EAST2470

Japanese Literature in Translation: Gender and Sexuality in

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

What happens when modern Western conceptions of gender and sexuality are translated into a different cultural context? This module will engage with major Japanese literary texts (taught in translation) ranging from the 1890s to the present with particular intention to the representations of gender and sexuality. We will learn about some of the socio-political and cultural contexts of Japanese modernity that gave rise to specific formations of gender and sexuality and situate the literary works within this broader historical field. We will consider pre-modern Japanese configurations of gender and sexuality and the ways Western conceptions were translated. Our discussion of the texts will be informed by key concepts in gender studies, feminism, and queer theory. The module offers both a survey of important works of modern Japanese literature and an introduction to the field of cultural studies. No prior knowledge of Japan or of the Japanese language is necessary.

Objectives

This module will engage with major Japanese literary texts (taught in translation) ranging from the 1890s to the present with particular intention to the representations of gender and sexuality. It will situate the texts in a broader historical field: the socio-political and cultural contexts of Japanese modernity (1890s to the present) that gave rise to specific formations of gender and sexuality. The module will also discuss pre-modern Japanese configurations of gender and sexuality and the way Western concepts were translated and transculturated.
The discussion of the texts will be informed by key concepts in gender studies, feminism, and queer theory. The module will offer both a survey of important works of modern Japanese literature and an introduction to the field of cultural studies.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the representations of gender, sexuality and, to some extent, ethnicity in important Japanese literary texts ranging from 1890s to the present.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the socio-historical and cultural contexts that gave rise to formations of gender and sexuality specific to Japanese modernity.
3. Articulate an understanding of literary texts within their specific cultural and social contexts.
4. Be conversant with key concepts from gender studies, feminism and queer theory and use them to inform their readings of literary texts.
5. Demonstrate critical competencies, skills for textual analysis and independent research skills.

Skills outcomes
The module will strengthen skills for critical reading; theoretically informed literary analysis; developing, constructing and presenting arguments in both oral and written form.

Syllabus

The syllabus will include the following broad themes (precise content may be subject to change):
• The changes in Japanese male same-sex sexuality (samurai and monastic) in the modern age
• The construction of woman as a repository of tradition or as a dangerous, ghostly other
• The modern girl of the Japanese interwar years: between female subjectivity and male fantasy
• Male masochism and power
• The post-war condition and the gendered body of defeat
• The sexual and textual politics of the avant-garde writers in the 1960s and 1970s
• The imbrications of gender, sexuality and ethnicity in contemporary Japanese literature

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

90 hours preparation for class – reading the assigned text for every week
60 hours preparation and writing of the assessed essay
30 hours preparation for the verbal presentation

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Apart from seminar discussions, which will give the tutor opportunities to observe the work and thinking of students, feedback will be offered on the content and delivery of presentations, with presentation marking criteria included in the module handbook.
• The presentation will also offer opportunities for peer learning and feedback.
• Individual feedback to students will be provided in regular office hours and/or in meetings by appointment, if necessary, in order to discuss in-class performance, presentation and essay planning, as well as marks.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3500 word essay	80.00
Presentation	15 minutes	20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 10/08/2020 08:35:14

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• Undergraduate module catalogue
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