Language and Cultures (LANC)
This is a list of the Language and Cultures (LANC) courses available at KPU.
For information about transfer of credit amongst institutions in B.C. and to see how individual courses transfer, go to the BC Transfer Guide bctransferguide.ca
LANC 11503 Credits
Introduction to Intercultural Competencies: Thinking, Speaking, Acting Globally
How can citizens of an increasingly globalizing world communicate effectively and work together successfully? This course is designed to help students explore what it means to interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. They will reflect on their own cultural mores, analyze what comprises intercultural competencies, and develop the knowledge and skills to communicate competently in a global context. They will also examine current theories and communication practices to gain an understanding of how language learning involves not only linguistic dimensions but also cultural dimensions.
LANC 12003 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 1200)
Introduction to Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture
Students who have an interest in Japan, but little or no background in Japanese studies, will gain a broad overview of contemporary Japanese society and culture. They will read, watch, listen to, discuss, and write about a variety of materials introducing topics such as Japan's geography, history, customs and events, social structure, religion, family, demographics, regional cultures, minority groups and subcultures, politics, economy, sports, literature and arts. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 1200 or JAPN 1200, as they are identical courses.
LANC 18703 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 1870)
Intro to Bhangra Dance: Modern and Traditional
This course provides an introduction to the popular Indian dance form, Bhangra. Students will learn and perform modern and traditional choreography to Punjabi music. The class will learn a corpus of movements on which Bhangra improvisation and choreography are based. Emphasis will be on North American style modern Bhangra, trends, variations, charisma, facial expression, and lyrical dance. Students will present projects that demonstrate the use of traditional and modern Bhangra movements in their own sequences and participate in a large group performance with the class.
LANC 31103 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3110)
Francophone Culture Through Film
Students will deepen their understanding of contemporary Francophone culture and art by viewing and critiquing important Francophone movies, connecting them to the broader Francophone culture, and discussing important themes and cultural references in current popular culture. Seeing movies and reflecting, critiquing, and producing "culture", learners will also analyze works by critics who examine various characteristics of contemporary popular culture as seen in other cultural productions, such as magazines, commercials, music, social media, and fashion. The course will be conducted in English. This course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of FREN 3110 or LANC 3110, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
LANC 31503 Credits
Advanced Intercultural Competencies
Students will examine models of intercultural competence development that are fundamental for developing awareness of intercultural competencies. They will discuss and analyze personal, professional and global settings where cultural boundaries are crossed and identify best practices for effective intercultural relations. Students will also reflect and create a personal plan to develop their knowledge of intercultural competencies.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including one of the following: ANTH 1100, LANC 1150, or SOCI 1125.
LANC 31543 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3154)
Chinese Cinema and Society
Students will critically analyze films produced by some of the most recognized directors from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. They will examine issues of nationhood, national identity, national trauma, and the national past through these films. Students will also anlayze the way in which some directors have begun to focus on the effects of globalization on contemporary Chinese society and culture. They will critically analyze Chinese cinema as a transnational phenomenon with extensive links to Asia and the rest of the world. Students will also critically examine how Chinese cinema has shaped both Chinese and foreign understandings of Chinese history and culture. Note: ASIA 2120 is strongly recommended. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3154 or LANC 3154, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from courses in ANTH, ASIA, HIST or MAND.
LANC 33103 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3310)
Japanese Culture and Business
Students will explore the role and characteristics of business in Japan and the powerful influence of business on contemporary Japanese culture. First, they will follow the development of industry and business in Japan from the beginning of the Edo Period until the end of the Second World War. Then students will examine the remarkable recovery and development of Japan's postwar economy that culminated, in 1980s and 90s, in theories and stereotypes relating to the concept of a unique Japanese business style. Finally, students will examine changes in the Japanese economy since the bursting of Japan's "economic bubble" in the mid 1990s, and the effects of these changes on business, society and culture today. Students will read texts as well as current articles in newspapers (such as the Wall Street Journal or The Daily Yomiuri (English edition)), journals and magazines (such as The Economist), and watch movies and documentaries in order to explore a broad range of topics, from the role of business in Japan's international relations to its effects on the lives of individual Japanese and their environment. Note: The course will be conducted in English. This course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework. Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 3310 or JAPN 3310, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
LANC 33203 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3320)
Japanese Culture Through Film
Students will deepen their understanding of contemporary Japanese art and culture by viewing important post-war Japanese movies. They will focus on influential directors and characteristic genres, including but not limited to comedies, samurai epics and anime [animation]. Students will view a variety of works (in English or Japanese with English subtitles), discuss important themes and cultural references, and connect these movies to the broader Japanese culture, especially youth culture. They will observe how movies both make and question "culture" and, in turn, how culture determines the content of movies and their popular success. Students will read works by critics who examine various characteristics of Japanese culture, especially its "visual bias", evident in arts ranging from Japanese writing (Kanji) and wood-block prints (ukiyo-e) to contemporary movies, magazines, commercials, and fashion. Students will also identify the contributions of Japanese film to international "movie culture" and discuss, more generally, the importance of visual media in the post-modern, post-literate, non-rhetorical age of film, television and the Internet. Finally, they will consider how the increasing success of Japanese animation in foreign markets might contribute to Japan's cultural integration into the global community and discuss the future of post-modern technological societies. Note: The course will be conducted in English. The course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework. Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 3320 or JAPN 3320, as they are identical courses.
LANC 33506 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3350)
Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture: Field School
Students will consolidate their knowledge of Japanese society and culture through living and studying in Japan. Students will interact with Japanese students and people in the communities they visit, attend lectures and visit historically and culturally significant sites.They will identify aspects of Japanese culture and society of special interest to them and undertake individually-structured research projects designed to deepen their knowledge in their areas of interest. Note: Students must be nineteen years or older. They will spend two weeks at KPU and three weeks in Japan. This course and its activities will be conducted in English. Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 3350 or JAPN 3350, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including JAPN/LANC 1200
LANC 33903 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3390)
Indigenous Languages in Canada
tudents will acquire an understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and knowledge through the lens of the Indigenous languages in Canada. Students will gain an awareness of the diversity of Indigenous languages across Canada. They will identify the impact of past, current and ongoing colonialism and its consequences for Indigenous languages in Canada. Students will critically examine the major contemporary issues facing Indigenous languages and will investigate examples of community-based language activism across Canada. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 3390 or LING 3390, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
LANC 38603 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3860)
South Asian Folklore
Students will critically analyze the diversity and changing forms of folklore and folk customs in South Asia. They will look at how and why folklore impacts the culture and the everyday lives of people in South Asia. Students will critically examine the various genres of folklore, including narrative, oral, and customary genres. They will also look at performance traditions, including music and dance, as well as folk life, including folk art and crafts. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3860 or LANC 3860, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from ANTH, ASIA, HIST, LANC or PUNJ
LANC 38703 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 3870)
Bhangra Movements and Identity
Students will critically examine the origins and development of Bhangra within Punjab and the Indian subcontinent as well as its adaptations and hybrid forms within the Punjabi diaspora, in North America and Europe. Students will critically analyze the development of Bhangra from a popular folk dance and music style within Punjab to its modern day status within the diaspora as a largely hybrid music incorporating Punjabi folk music with modern Western music traditions. Students will also analyze the role of Bhangra in the formation of identity for members of the South Asian diaspora. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3870 or LANC 3870, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from ANTH, ASIA, HIST, LANC or PUNJ
LANC 43203 Credits
(Formerly
CUST 4320)
Understanding Japanese Culture through Literature
Students will deepen their understanding of the history, complexity and beauty of Japanese culture by exploring its writing systems and literature. They will closely examine, in English translation, examples from various genres, in order to better understand how the written language interrelates with other aspects of Japanese culture. They will critique theories that attempt to explain Japanese culture in relation to writing. Students will observe how Japanese literature represents the living culture of Japan at various timeperiods (but especially since the Meiji Restoration of 1868), and they will question how these representations contribute to nation-making and to forming Japanese identity. Note: The course will be conducted in English. It isn’t necessary for students to be able to speak or read Japanese, as all texts will be in English translation. Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 4320 or JAPN 4320, as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 60 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including one of the following: ANTH 1100, ENGL 2319, HIST 1150, JAPN 1101 (or assessment by instructor), JAPN/LANC 1200, JAPN/LANC 3310, JAPN/LANC 3320, or LING 1300.