Wallace Welcome Page / Announcements / EA105 Summer 2013

 

LEGEND

❖ Testable topics and materials
◊ Other topics and materials
✓ To be completed by class time

Orientation, Core course concepts

Topics for this session

◊ Orientation: Wallace's Web site, course structure, materials, syllabu, course themes, goals, method and topics
❖Basic course concepts related to interpretation: context-interpretation, "high & low love", triangles
❖ Basic course rules
◊ Completion of paperwork
◊ In-class exercise

About this session*

This session and the following several framework sessions are the foundation for the course.

This class is, at core, one where we compare certain aspects of the cultures of China, Korea and Japan. We look at premodern values and how they persist, or not, in a specific context: modern films. Thus we are comparing values, yes, but we are also comparing the different ways traditional values are upheld, or not, in these cultures. However, to accomplish this, we also must talk about issues of interpretation; therefore, this class is also a course about carrying out independent, skillful analysis of difficult, ambiguous topics. The Course Basics is a Web page that outlines the assumptions for this course, its goals, what we do to get there and so on. It is exceptionally easy to get off-track when the topic is as ill-defined as "love" and any successful analysis, and any successful completion of this course, requires vigilant discipline to keep on-topic and carry credible analysis.

Required or suggested to be completed for today's session

✓ Suggested: I do not summarize the content of the Syllabus or most areas of this Web site. However, not understanding either the syllabus or Web site is almost certain to compromise your grade and interfere with acquiring the content of the course. If you are able to look at any or all of this before today's session, it is an excellent opportunity to ask questions. For example, all I will say in class today about the syllabus is: "I recommend that you read the syllabus."

✓ Required: There is paperwork that must be completed in class today. This is not optional.

✓ Required: There is an in-class exercise that will be completed today. It is not graded, but it, too, is not optional. (A small frame version of "Clean-up" is on bSpace if you want to pre-view it ahead of class.)

Other

Details for "Clean-up" (for those interested):

Produced by HabuNami [dead link: www.habunami.com] 2010 | Short | Narrative | DV | 6 min Japanese with English subtitles. [From that Web site:] "Toshi and Yuka are struggling through marital issues. When a delayed weekend getaway forces Yuka (Miyuki Yasumoto) to return home unexpectedly, Toshi (Mio Takada) must divert her attention from the kitchen or, more specifically, from the recently deceased corpse on the kitchen floor. NOTES Best experienced with speakers/headphones that produce some level of bass/low-end + Your feedback is much appreciated! BEHIND-THE-SCENES: www.picasaweb.google.com CREDITS… JANET & EDDIE KAMIYA: translation JOSEPH KAMIYA: direction, camera, editing, soundscapes, script and ideas AYAME-AXEL ROX KOUSAKA: still photography YUKA NISHIZAWA: performance (Sayuri's outgoing cell phone message) ERASMO P. ROMERO III: make-up, lighting, production sound MIO TAKADA: performance, script and ideas, original song [www.miotakada.net] YOSHI TAKAHASHI translation KATT WARDLAW: production assistance, script and ideas JAMES YAMANOHA: performance, production sound, lighting, script and ideas MIYUKI YASUMOTO: performance, script and ideas © 2010 Visual Communications and HabuNami Media (http://www.independentfilmmakercontracts.com/clean-up-armed-with-a-camera-2010-version/ [link no longer has video])"

Overview of cultural psychology:

A YouTube video that is an introduction to cultural psychology. The first 12 minutes just happen to cover East-West differences, relying on professors and students at Berkeley and Stanford. It is slow moving, but is a very good overview. The whole video is about 27 minutes long: Cultural Psychology (2013, Philip Zimbardo, Stanford University).

Material that might be shown in class on this day:

  • Phases in Romantic Relationships (on site, Outline-Schedule sidebar > Support pages)
  • Clip from film Moulin Rouge! (America, 2001)
  • Guide to Wallace Web pages (on site, Announcements Page sidebar > Quick Guide to Wallace's Various Course Pages)
  • Membrane Potential Dynamics of Grid Cells Nature March 14, 2013 (mice generating spacial bearing based on hexagonal neuron web-pattern in brain)
  • Clip ("Sacred Danse-The Chosen One") from Igor Stravinsky's 1913 Rite of Spring, using the original staging and costumes: (the clip I use in no longer available but a better version is: Joffrey Ballet 1989 Rite of Spring (3 of 3))
  • Radio Lab: Stravinsky and dopamine: http://www.radiolab.org/2007/sep/24/
  • Film short excerpt: Rabbits (America, 2002) directed by David Lynch: Wiki page
  • Film trailer: Romeo + Juliet (American, 1996)
  • Soundtrack as Context (Quicktime video short based on film Aria, available only in class)
  • 21-year-old woman (bSpace, PPT)
  • Brain layers (bSpace, PPT)

*UNDER CONSTRUCTION: If this red font phrase underneath the session title has not been erased it means something on this page is incomplete. Perhaps I want to recheck information or perhaps I haven't converted the page from the version of the previous class. It is available but should be taken dubiously.

*ABOUT THIS SESSION: My hope is that you look at this portion BEFORE a session. If there is content here it might help you focus on the main points of the day. However, I add various things here at various times. When I feel I haven't succeeded in class stating something clearly, I might restate it here. Of if it is a difficult concept in might be given in written form here. I will assume that you have read and rechecked for changes this session in preparation for any midterm or test.

Schedule:

M, June 17
Tu, June 18
W, June 19
Th, June 20

M, June 24
Tu, June 25
W, June 26
Th, June 27

M, July 1
Tu, July 2
W, July 3
Th, no class


Course theme: The interpretation of East Asian narrated romance (premodern and modern) through awareness of worldviews and select core values as context.

Course goals:

1) Deeper and more accurate interpretations of East Asian romantic narratives premodern and modern.

2) Vertical analysis (contemporary narratives compared to historical traditions) — As a necessary activity in working towards Goal #1, we try to take a measure of the place of premodern values (relevant to romance) in instances of modern East Asian cinema (with speculation of what this might suggest of society).

3) Horizontal analysis (comparison to one another of values in film and beyond of China, Korea and Japan) — As a derivative of #2, a comparison of China, Korea and Japan, finding differences and similarities worth noting.

Primary means to the goal: Disciplined interpretation & analysis constrained to specific method and rules that consider narratives within cultural context. Analysis is carried out through individual, team, and classwide exercises, reports, presentations & discussions. The class, therefore, is part lecture, part discussion and part workshop.

Course rules:

"all about love" "equal interest in the three countries" "beat average Joe" "subtle differences" "contribution to the class" "tolerance of others" "team cooperation" "narratives are not reality" "subtitles are the official language"