| Course Name | Year | Term | Period | Faculty / Graduate School | All Instructors | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12761:[2025 Fall]IR18‐CA207 Bridge to International Studies III (RH) | 2025 | Fall | Wed2 | College Of International Relations | WARD DALE JOHN | 2 |
Campus
Class Venue
Language
Course Outline and Method
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course News” on manaba+R by September 20. Be sure to check the “Course News” on manaba+R.
A History of Contemporary Music
All cultures have developed their own musical forms, from the tribal drums of native peoples to the computer-created music of today.
This course will help students to think about the relationship between music and culture. Students will listen to, watch, read and talk about different kinds of music. We will concentrate on popular music from the twentieth-century such as blues, pop and hip-hop music. However, during the course students will also have the opportunity to talk about their own favorite music genres.
If there is an over-riding theme in this course, it is that music does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, there is a symbiotic relationship between music and its surrounding culture. Music is inspired by certain cultural conditions, and in turn music exerts a tremendous influence on culture.
This relationship is rich, complex and fascinating. Music functions partly as entertainment, but it's much more than that. By studying music we can learn a lot about cultural issues: politics, nationalism, race, love, fashion, technology and more. For instance, 'J-Pop' reflects the traditionalism, consumerism and hyper-unreality of modern Japan, and also Japan's obsession with American culture. In turn, J-Pop has had an impact upon anime, commercials and TV and, due to its popularity in other Asian countries, has created a positive 'cool' image of Japan among young Asians.
Student Attainment Objectives
- achieved some understanding of the most important genres of twentieth-century contemporary music, together with their associated historical/social contexts and subtexts
- given presentations on various aspects of popular music
- written a term paper on an aspect of contemporary music
Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) | Theme |
|---|---|
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information | |
| 1 | +R assignment. |
Students will complete a task related to the course introduction video which they will watch on YouTube. |
|
| 2 | The Blues & Black Identity in American Society |
Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters |
|
| 3 | Music and rebellion: the invention of the teenager |
Elvis Presley and Rock 'n' Roll |
|
| 4 | From Memphis to Merseyside |
Beginnings of The Beatles |
|
| 5 | Music Meets Poetry |
Bob Dylan: Poet Laureate of Rock 'n' Roll |
|
| 6 | From Gospel to Soul |
Ray Charles & Aretha Franklin: Sweet Soul Music |
|
| 7 | Summer of Love |
The Beatles and the 1960s |
|
| 8 | Music & technology 1: Rock Guitar and Technological Innovation |
Jimi Hendrix: Rock's Greatest Instrumentalist
|
|
| 9 | I Am Woman: The Rise of the Female Singer-Songwriter |
Feminist Icons: Carole King & Joni Mitchell |
|
| 10 | Music and Gender: Androgyny and Glam-Rock |
David Bowie: Britain's Greatest Pop Star |
|
| 11 | Punk Rock: Music and Politics |
The Sex Pistols: Anarchy in the U.K. |
|
| 12 | Music & technology 2: Roots of Electronic Music |
New York, Chicago, Detroit: Disco, House and Techno, Kraftwerk and German Identity |
|
| 13 | Global Music |
Bob Marley: World Music's First superstar |
|
| 14 | Final Test |
Poster Presentation |
Class Format
Classes will usually consist of:
- A test on the previous week's theme
- Music and video samples of the genre/artist
- A short lecture
- A communicative speaking activity
- Homework
Recommendations for Private Study
Students should also take an active interest in currents in contemporary popular music.
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind | Percentage | Grading Criteria etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Final Examination (Written) | ||
| Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
||
| Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 | Students will be continuously assessed.
|
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
Students should be ready to do the following:
- Lecture/Note-taking
- Readings, including 'Jigsaw' Readings
- Information search
- Video/Note-taking
- Interviews with famous artists
- Private Research
- Free Writing
- Presentations
- Quizzes
- Discussion
- Write a term essay of approximately 400 - 500 words.
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Other Comments
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/