ASB15001 Seminar on Urban Culture

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2025Year School/Graduate School School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences

Lecture Code ASB15001 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name 都市文化論演習

Subject Name
（Katakana）トシブンカロンエンシュウ

Subject Name in
English Seminar on Urban Culture

Instructor YOSHIMOTO KAZUHIRO

Instructor
(Katakana) ヨシモト　カズヒロ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 3rd-Year,  First Semester,  First Semester

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (1st) Thur7-8：IAS K104

Lesson Style Seminar Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

Face-to-face, Seminar, discussion and presentation.
Reading of related texts.

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 2 Language of Instruction J : Japanese

Course Level 3 : Undergraduate High-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 14 : Cultural Studies

Eligible Students

Keywords Urban Culture, Cultural Studies, 19th Century London, paintings, photos, museums

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) High-intermediate
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) Integrated Arts and Sciences
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework.
・The knowledge and understanding  to fully recognize the mutual relations and their importance among individual academic diciplines.
（Comprehensive Abilities）
・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge,  understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline Theme
This course explores an aspect of urban culture in 19th-century London, focusing on cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries, and libraries. Students will introduce the historical background and overview of these institutions, discuss their highlights and challenges, and engage in student-led exploration of their relevance in contemporary society.
Goals
[Knowledge & Skills] Understanding London's culture as the largest city in the UK and a global information hub requires knowledge of its museums and art galleries. In today's world, where much exhibition content is publicly available, being able to access and understand this information is a valuable skill.
[Critical Thinking & Expression] By learning how global information, as well as art and natural history collections centered around Britain, are managed and exhibited, students will acquire methods for utilizing these resources effectively.
[Initiative & Collaboration] Students will learn to independently collect materials, research, apply them, and structure their findings to present according to their own chosen themes.
Course Overview and Objectives
This course supports the development of foundational knowledge and logical thinking skills necessary for studying British literature, British social and cultural studies, and British history. It also serves as an important foundation for those pursuing English literature research or aiming to become English educators.
1. Understanding British History and Society: The course provides an overview of the formation of the UK as a multicultural nation and the history of the British Empire. It offers opportunities to explore concepts such as center and periphery, urban and rural, self and other, while examining the significant influence of British history on the modern world.
2. Cultural Materials and Analysis: Students will study cultural materials depicting Britain and London as the center and the colonies as the periphery. The course emphasizes the importance of artworks and historical documents, exploring key concepts in cultural studies, including postcolonialism, cultural hybridity, gender issues, and intercultural communication.
3. Academic Research Skills: The course introduces the basics of cultural studies and prepares students for academic research for their graduation theses, including material collection and academic discussion techniques.
Course Content
Many of London’s museums, art galleries, and libraries were founded in the 19th century. The course involves discussions on representations of metropolitan London in British literary works and visual cultural phenomena, exploring the meaning of large urban spaces, the interaction between the center and periphery during the British Empire's imperial expansion, and the interrelationships between art, literature, and photography in urban culture. Through this process, students will gain knowledge of key concepts in cultural studies and apply this understanding to analyze how they perceive modern cities in relation to their own lives. For the final report, students will select a theme, conduct research, and deepen their understanding using information from institutional websites and other sources.

Class Schedule lesson1 Course overview and introduction to major museums, galleries, and libraries in 19th-century London
lesson2 The British Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights (On-demand class due to conference)
lesson3 The British Museum: Information search and collection (On-demand class due to conference)
lesson4 The British Library: History, challenges, and collection highlights
lesson5 The British Library: Information search and collection
lesson6 Victoria and Albert Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights
lesson7 Victoria and Albert Museum: Information search and collection
lesson8 Natural History Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights
lesson9 The National Gallery: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights
lesson10 The National Gallery: Information search and collection
lesson11 Tate Britain: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights
lesson12 Tate Modern: History and challenges
lesson13 The National Portrait Gallery: History and challenges
lesson14 Presentations by the Students (1)
lesson15 Presentations by the Students (2)

Text/Reference
Books,etc. The instructor will provide handouts, including essential literature, research papers, and other resources. Students are also expected to independently research institutional websites and collect necessary materials related to the course content.

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Handouts, Visual Materials, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Stream, Microsoft Forms, Other (see [More Details]), moodle

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Discussions, Quizzes/ Quiz format, PBL (Problem-based Learning)/ TBL (Team-based Learning), Project Learning

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review Material collection, assignments

Requirements

Grading Method • Attendance and Participation: 30%
• Assignments and Quizzes: 20%
• Research Presentation and Final Essay: 50%

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2025Year	School/Graduate School	School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences
Lecture Code	ASB15001	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	都市文化論演習
Subject Name （Katakana）	トシブンカロンエンシュウ
Subject Name in English	Seminar on Urban Culture
Instructor	YOSHIMOTO KAZUHIRO
Instructor (Katakana)	ヨシモト　カズヒロ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	3rd-Year, First Semester, First Semester
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(1st) Thur7-8：IAS K104
Lesson Style	Seminar	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face
Face-to-face, Seminar, discussion and presentation. Reading of related texts.
Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week	2	Language of Instruction	J : Japanese
Course Level	3 : Undergraduate High-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	14 : Cultural Studies
Eligible Students
Keywords	Urban Culture, Cultural Studies, 19th Century London, paintings, photos, museums
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	High-intermediate
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	Integrated Arts and Sciences （Knowledge and Understanding）・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework. ・The knowledge and understanding to fully recognize the mutual relations and their importance among individual academic diciplines. （Comprehensive Abilities）・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge, understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	Theme This course explores an aspect of urban culture in 19th-century London, focusing on cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries, and libraries. Students will introduce the historical background and overview of these institutions, discuss their highlights and challenges, and engage in student-led exploration of their relevance in contemporary society. Goals [Knowledge & Skills] Understanding London's culture as the largest city in the UK and a global information hub requires knowledge of its museums and art galleries. In today's world, where much exhibition content is publicly available, being able to access and understand this information is a valuable skill. [Critical Thinking & Expression] By learning how global information, as well as art and natural history collections centered around Britain, are managed and exhibited, students will acquire methods for utilizing these resources effectively. [Initiative & Collaboration] Students will learn to independently collect materials, research, apply them, and structure their findings to present according to their own chosen themes. Course Overview and Objectives This course supports the development of foundational knowledge and logical thinking skills necessary for studying British literature, British social and cultural studies, and British history. It also serves as an important foundation for those pursuing English literature research or aiming to become English educators. 1. Understanding British History and Society: The course provides an overview of the formation of the UK as a multicultural nation and the history of the British Empire. It offers opportunities to explore concepts such as center and periphery, urban and rural, self and other, while examining the significant influence of British history on the modern world. 2. Cultural Materials and Analysis: Students will study cultural materials depicting Britain and London as the center and the colonies as the periphery. The course emphasizes the importance of artworks and historical documents, exploring key concepts in cultural studies, including postcolonialism, cultural hybridity, gender issues, and intercultural communication. 3. Academic Research Skills: The course introduces the basics of cultural studies and prepares students for academic research for their graduation theses, including material collection and academic discussion techniques. Course Content Many of London’s museums, art galleries, and libraries were founded in the 19th century. The course involves discussions on representations of metropolitan London in British literary works and visual cultural phenomena, exploring the meaning of large urban spaces, the interaction between the center and periphery during the British Empire's imperial expansion, and the interrelationships between art, literature, and photography in urban culture. Through this process, students will gain knowledge of key concepts in cultural studies and apply this understanding to analyze how they perceive modern cities in relation to their own lives. For the final report, students will select a theme, conduct research, and deepen their understanding using information from institutional websites and other sources.
Class Schedule	lesson1 Course overview and introduction to major museums, galleries, and libraries in 19th-century London lesson2 The British Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights (On-demand class due to conference) lesson3 The British Museum: Information search and collection (On-demand class due to conference) lesson4 The British Library: History, challenges, and collection highlights lesson5 The British Library: Information search and collection lesson6 Victoria and Albert Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights lesson7 Victoria and Albert Museum: Information search and collection lesson8 Natural History Museum: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights lesson9 The National Gallery: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights lesson10 The National Gallery: Information search and collection lesson11 Tate Britain: History, challenges, and exhibit highlights lesson12 Tate Modern: History and challenges lesson13 The National Portrait Gallery: History and challenges lesson14 Presentations by the Students (1) lesson15 Presentations by the Students (2)
Text/Reference Books,etc.	The instructor will provide handouts, including essential literature, research papers, and other resources. Students are also expected to independently research institutional websites and collect necessary materials related to the course content.
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Visual Materials, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Stream, Microsoft Forms, Other (see [More Details]), moodle
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Discussions, Quizzes/ Quiz format, PBL (Problem-based Learning)/ TBL (Team-based Learning), Project Learning
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	Material collection, assignments
Requirements
Grading Method	• Attendance and Participation: 30% • Assignments and Quizzes: 20% • Research Presentation and Final Essay: 50%
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

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