Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Schedule - Spring Semester 2027
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
Meeting location information can now be found on student schedules in ESTHER (for students) or on the Course Roster in ESTHER (for faculty and instructors).Additional information available here.
COLL 176 001 (CRN: 26929)
HELLO KITTY AND POLITICS
Long Title: HELLO KITTY AND THE POLITICS OF SOFT POWER DIPLOMACY AND CONSUMERISM (WILL RICE)
Department: College Courses
Instructors:
Meeting: 6:00PM - 6:50PM M (11-JAN-2027 - 23-APR-2027)
Part of Term: Full Term - No WL Purge
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Course Type: Seminar
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Method of Instruction: Face to Face
Credit Hours: 1
Course Syllabus:
Course Materials: Rice Campus Store
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Section Max Enrollment: 19
Section Enrolled: 0
Waitlisted: 0 (Max 99)
Current members of the waitlist have priority for available seats.
Enrollment data as of: 2-NOV-2026 4:06PM
Final Exam: No Final Exam
Description: In 1974, at just a mere 5 apples tall and 3 apples heavy, Hello Kitty took the world by storm with her cuteness. Through countless plushies and stickers, she has become an world-wide symbol for friendship and happiness, and this shows through the way she functions in international diplomacy. In 2008, she was appointed as a goodwill tourism ambassador to China and Hong Kong, and in 2016 she had an official campaign for presidency under the “Friendship Party”, among other things. Hello Kitty has been a symbol of cuteness to many, but she is also a tool for Japan’s international relationships. In this course, students will be inspired to critically think about topics such as "soft power", consumerism, and propaganda. They will examine how cute figures such as Hello Kitty have partly been promoted to change the image of Japan post-World War II, as well as gain a profit through merchandise. This course will be discussion-based for the most part, with students being expected to read the assigned articles and media for the course before class and actively contribute to in-class discussion.