Comparative Studies of Social and Cultural Diversity IV

Course plan (these schedules may be subject to change following discussions with students. The assigned reading list will be provided in the first class): Week 1: Introduction – Scope of the course Week 2: Sociology and sociology of Japanese society What is sociology, and what is social research? What is the sociology of Japanese society, and how does it contribute to sociology in general? Week 3: Japan’s schooling: Socialisation in School What role does Japanese education play in forming Japanese society and its people? Week 4: Education policy and reforms in Japan. How have the roles of education changed since the 1980s? What impact have education policies had on changes in Japanese education and society? Week 5: How to Become a Japanese Worker (1): Transitioning from School to Work What features does the Japanese school-to-work transition system have? How has it changed over the last few decades, and what impact has this had on the Japanese economy and education? Week 6: How to Become a Japanese Worker (2): The workplace and employment What characteristics do human relationships in the Japanese workplace have? What changes has the Japanese workplace experienced over the last three decades? Week 7: Student presentations Discuss the mid-term essay questions. Week 8: Family and Gender What characteristics define the Japanese family? How are Japanese families gendered? What impact have these characteristics had on Japanese society and its changes? Week 9: Youth What social problems have been attributed to young people in Japan? How and why have these problems changed? Week 10: Social Welfare and demography What is the Japanese welfare society? How has gender influenced the development of the Japanese welfare system? In what ways have the characteristics of Japanese welfare policies impacted changes in Japanese society? How has demography changed since Japan’s modernisation? Week 11: Social Mobility and Social Stratification in Japan Is Japan a class society? To what extent can Japan be considered a class society? Why did the Japanese have a self-image of an 'all-middle-class society', and how and why has this image changed? Week 12: 'The lost decades', post-3.11 and post-catch-up modernity What does the term 'the lost decades' mean, both sociologically and economically? What impact has the 3.11 disaster had on Japanese society? In what ways is the perception of Japan’s ‘post-catch-up’ modernity related to the understanding of the ‘lost decades’ and the impact of the 3.11 disaster? Week 13: Student presentations. Discuss the final essay questions.

The class content and teaching style will be adjusted to a certain degree based on the interests of individual students and the dynamics of the group as a whole. Both lectures and discussion formats will be utilized. We are keen to foster a lively discussion environment with/among students. In each week, students are assigned to make short presentations (no longer than 20 minutes each) to answer example essay questions using the knowledge you learn from the assigned reading materials.

Attendance 20%, Class participation including presentation 40%, Mid-term and final papers 40% (20% each).

There is no requirement for knowledge of sociology or Japanese studies, but it would be beneficial if attendees had some knowledge of the social sciences and/or the Japanese language.