Research Colloquium:
Family communication in Japanese films

Ms Chan Yan Chuen, Kobe

Date: 3 May 2011 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Venue: 724 KK Leung Building

Abstract:
Communication is a large and multidisciplinary area of study. It is one of those commonly found human activities that happens everyday and nearly every minute. People get to know each other better through communication, similarly, through family communication, the level of understanding among family members will be deepened. People within the same family influence and are influenced by each other from time to time.

Japanese people are regarded as having high level of conformity and father in Japanese family, is viewed as an authoritative figure who always possesses absolute power. In this study, I would like to analyze the type of family communication found in two films: "The Family Game", which features family in early 1980s and "Tokyo Sonata", which features family around 2005. Despite the time gap of more than two decades and the two extreme economic backgrounds the two families are situated in, the 'breakdown of communication' which leads to dysfunction families does not differ in these two films. With the help of visual image of film which captures all clues including facial expression, gesture, verbal and non-verbal messages, seen and unseen subjects, the pattern of family communication and the cause for communication failure can thus be investigated extensively in this research study.

The talk will be conducted in English.

* All students taking the Research Colloquium course must attend. Other staff and students are also welcome.