Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor
Tom Baudinette
Contact via Email
By appointment
Tutor
Camilla Wagemans
Contact via Email
By appointment
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
JPNS1220 or JPNS2020
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflection and analysis of Japanese media. Placing a particular focus on the study of popular culture as a site to acquire sophisticated understandings of Japanese society, students will gain advanced insight into the socio-cultural, political, and economic influences which shape contemporary Japan. Working with authentic Japanese media texts, the unit builds students’ Japanese cultural literacy and prepares them for careers in either Japan or which require significant engagement with Japan. Further, the unit situates the study of Japanese contemporary culture within the broader context of the global media landscape, extending students’ intercultural communicative competence through engagement with a range of sources in both Japanese and English. Students will complete reflective and persuasive writing tasks based in critically engaging with Japanese media, developing advanced skills in research and communication. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Assessment tasks are compulsory and must be submitted on time. If you anticipate unavoidable difficulty in completing an assessment task (in class and/or online), contact the convener or your tutor as soon as possible.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted.
Submission time for all written assessments is set at 23:59pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a demonstrable technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.
If a student is prevented by serious and unavoidable disruption from completing unit requirements in accordance with their ability, they may apply for support under the Special Consideration Policy. To access this support, students must notify the university via ask.mq.edu.au. Students should refer to the Policy for further information (see the link provided in the 'Policies and procedures' section of this unit guide).
Indicative examples of assessment tasks will be available in class and/or iLearn.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Quizzes | 30% | No | Weekly, except Weeks 1, 7, and 13 |
Reflective Presentation | 30% | No | 20/04/2025 |
Research Essay | 40% | No | 08/06/2025 |
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weekly, except Weeks 1, 7, and 13
Weighting: 30%
Online multiple-choice quizzes assessing students' knowledge of each module's key ideas and themes
Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 20/04/2025
Weighting: 30%
This collaborative group presentation requires students to critically reflect on a genre of Japanese media studied in the unit.
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 08/06/2025
Weighting: 40%
This task requires students to write a fully referenced persuasive essay, including appropriate examples and scholarly references.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
JPNS3015 adopts a partial "flipped classroom" approach in which students complete various study activities each week before entering the classroom (either physically or virtually). In order to successfully participate in seminars/forum discussions, each week starting from Week 2 students will be required to:
More information concerning the study schedule can be found in iLearn.
Please note that some weeks, there may be no scheduled learning activities. Please refer to the unit schedule for specific details.
Technology
Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient. This is particularly true for online tests/quizzes (to be conducted at home).
Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required.
Unit Week (Monday Date) |
Topic |
1 (Feb 24) |
Orientation: Cultural Myths of Japan [No Seminar/Forum] [No Quiz] |
2 (Mar 3) |
Consumer Culture: Media Tribalism, Fashion, Neoliberalism |
3 (Mar 10) |
Manga and Anime: Gendered Production and Consumption |
4 (Mar 17) |
Boys Love (BL) Media: Queer Sexuality in Japan |
5 (Mar 24) |
Japan's Media Mix: Database Consumption, Moe, and Otaku |
6 (Mar 31) |
Contents Tourism: Fan Pilgrimage. History, and Consumer Space |
7 (Apr 7) |
Reading Week [No Lecture] [No Seminar/Forum] [No Quiz]
|
Recess |
*Video Presentations Due (end of Recess W1) |
8 (Apr 28) |
Japanese Popular Music: A Cold-War History of “J-Pop” |
9 (May 5) |
Idol Talents: Postmodern Celebrity Culture in Japan |
10 (May 12) |
Enka: Performing the Invented Traditions of Japan |
11 (May 19) |
The Korean Wave in Japan: East Asian Entanglements |
12 (May 26) |
Cool Japan: Transnational Consumption and Soft Power Debates |
13 (Jun 2) |
Japanese Media in Australia: Cross-cultural Communication [No Seminar/Forum] [No Quiz] *Major Essay Due (end of W13) |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
As of 2025, JPNS3015 will no longer contain a dedicated Participation assessment. However, engagement with face-to-face learning activities (seminars) or online forums will provide students with opportunities to actively practice the kinds of tasks and analysis that will be assessed in the units major creative and written assessments. The seminars/forums will also provide students with the opportunity to receive direct feedback from teaching staff, as well as provide a forum to unpack ideas briefly introduced in the pre-recorded lectures and operationalise them to develop concrete skills tied to the ULOs
Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook