Japanese Society and History

Our goal is to appreciate and understand the fact that what we talk about as Japanese culture and society are not unchanging ideas, doctrines, or institutions but have always been embedded in concrete human struggles both for political and social power and for making sense of human life. As such when you complete this course, you will have gained a deeper understanding of the process that gave rise to what is usually presented as the unique and essential Japanese culture and society from antholopological perspective.
The course consists of a series of topics in Japanese society, particularly minority issues. For each class, we will read one or a few essays prior to class and I will then lecture on a topic, to be followed by class discussion on it. No prior knowledge of Japanese language or religions is necessary but you are required to be involved in the course, that is, you will do the reading, participate in class discussion, and conduct research for your final paper.