Students are welcome to this class where we will learn about and discuss issues surrounding global society and language. Sociolinguistics explores how language and society are connected. It looks at how language shapes, and is shaped by, factors like identity, gender, ethnicity, education, class, sexuality, power, and culture. These are topics that both students and teachers have real-life experience with. In this course, we will share our experiences, thoughts, and opinions on them. Different languages and the social and historical backgrounds of the people who speak them affect how policies are made, especially as we work toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Because of this, it is very important to understand the role language plays in society—and how this understanding can help us reach our global development targets. For example, recognizing language diversity is crucial at a time when many populations around the world are vulnerable. Understanding their varied linguistic needs allows us to create inclusive policies that respect multiple languages and benefit everyone. By the conclusion of this course, it is hoped that you will have obtained knowledge of sociolinguistics and the role language plays in sectors relevant to global society through readings and class discussions. You will have ample opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on these issues as we gain a collective understanding of how language will enable us to work towards the SDGs and navigate obstacles along the way.

Students are welcome to this class where we will learn about and discuss issues surrounding global society and language. Sociolinguistics explores how language and society are connected. It looks at how language shapes, and is shaped by, factors like identity, gender, ethnicity, education, class, sexuality, power, and culture. These are topics that both students and teachers have real-life experience with. In this course, we will share our experiences, thoughts, and opinions on them. Different languages and the social and historical backgrounds of the people who speak them affect how policies are made, especially as we work toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Because of this, it is very important to understand the role language plays in society—and how this understanding can help us reach our global development targets. For example, recognizing language diversity is crucial at a time when many populations around the world are vulnerable. Understanding their varied linguistic needs allows us to create inclusive policies that respect multiple languages and benefit everyone. By the conclusion of this course, it is hoped that you will have obtained knowledge of sociolinguistics and the role language plays in sectors relevant to global society through readings and class discussions. You will have ample opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on these issues as we gain a collective understanding of how language will enable us to work towards the SDGs and navigate obstacles along the way.

This course will examine theories and practices of translation with a focus on East-West cross-cultural, inter-societal dialogue and appropriation. Our inquiry is divided into three categories or distinct bodies of experiences, around which class readings and discussions will be organized: 1) The classical paradigm, which not only addresses the translational approaches to Chinese and Western classics but also the early Chinese translation and assimilation of Buddhist scripts; 2) The massive translation of modern Western literature and thought by Chinese and Japanese reformers since the late 19 th century; and 3) Contemporary Western translation of East Asian, particularly Chinese, literature, cinema, fine art as well intellectual discourses. Our interest is historical, cultural political as well as theoretical. By “theoretical”, we mean not only the technical or philosophical discussions on translation as a translingual endeavor, but also the sociopolitical and cultural-political effort at de-stabilizing and transforming pre-existing moral, legal, social and symbolic orders by “stealing fire from an alien language”.

This course will examine theories and practices of translation with a focus on East-West cross-cultural, inter-societal dialogue and appropriation. Our inquiry is divided into three categories or distinct bodies of experiences, around which class readings and discussions will be organized: 1) The classical paradigm, which not only addresses the translational approaches to Chinese and Western classics but also the early Chinese translation and assimilation of Buddhist scripts; 2) The massive translation of modern Western literature and thought by Chinese and Japanese reformers since the late 19 th century; and 3) Contemporary Western translation of East Asian, particularly Chinese, literature, cinema, fine art as well intellectual discourses. Our interest is historical, cultural political as well as theoretical. By “theoretical”, we mean not only the technical or philosophical discussions on translation as a translingual endeavor, but also the sociopolitical and cultural-political effort at de-stabilizing and transforming pre-existing moral, legal, social and symbolic orders by “stealing fire from an alien language”.

This lecture series provides an overview of what the academic genre of ethnography has achieved over the past century or so. Although ethnographic monographs have also been written by scholars of various disciplines, this lecture series focuses on sociocultural anthropologists’ endeavors. Rather than discussing the possibilities and limitations of ethnography abstractly, the aim of this course is to provide a perspective on what an ethnography have (and have not) accomplished, by discussing critically two or three ethnographic monographs, many but not all of which are in the context of Asia, each time, both locating them in academic and social contexts of the time and and relating them to various ongoing debates.

This seminar aims to discuss the social / historical bases on which a modern legal system might operate in various East Asian societies, and to provide an introduction to some of those problems involving the integration of different legal traditions into a pluralistic yet coherent legal regime. We will focus on the tensions experienced by these societies, involving the importation of what were presented as "universal" values and norms, and the near-universal resistance to these values and norms, such resistance being based on the notions of custom and tradition. While the initial focus will be mainly on the experiences concerning the formation of legal institutions in China and Japan, students will be encouraged to bring in perspectives from other societies as well. The problems discussed will include: the difficulties regarding what exactly can be identified as East Asian legal traditions; how legal regimes were structured through the actions of actors exploiting the plurality of legal traditions; and how the relationship between legal arrangements and the political power-structure played out. Particular attention will also be paid to the issues of colonialism, and the uneasy relationship between Modernisation, Westernisation and Colonisation in these societies. The ability to read source materials written in Chinese and/or Japanese would be of much help, but will not be essential.

This seminar aims to discuss the social / historical bases on which a modern legal system might operate in various East Asian societies, and to provide an introduction to some of those problems involving the integration of different legal traditions into a pluralistic yet coherent legal regime. We will focus on the tensions experienced by these societies, involving the importation of what were presented as "universal" values and norms, and the near-universal resistance to these values and norms, such resistance being based on the notions of custom and tradition. While the initial focus will be mainly on the experiences concerning the formation of legal institutions in China and Japan, students will be encouraged to bring in perspectives from other societies as well. The problems discussed will include: the difficulties regarding what exactly can be identified as East Asian legal traditions; how legal regimes were structured through the actions of actors exploiting the plurality of legal traditions; and how the relationship between legal arrangements and the political power-structure played out. Particular attention will also be paid to the issues of colonialism, and the uneasy relationship between Modernisation, Westernisation and Colonisation in these societies. The ability to read source materials written in Chinese and/or Japanese would be of much help, but will not be essential.

This course explores the role of law and governance in mediating the human-environment interface. It focuses on the Anthropocene as it confronts law and governance scholars with a unique challenge concerning the need to question, and ultimately re-imagine, international environmental law and governance interventions in the light of a new socio-ecological situation. Through interactive lectures, classroom discussions based upon pre-assigned readings, oral presentations, and the elaboration of a joint mini-project, students not only assess the (mostly unsuccessful and ineffective) regulatory interventions used thus far to mediate the human-environment interface; they also examine the possibility to develop counter-narratives and alternative institutional practices, by drawing on most recent critical legal approaches as well as sociocultural traditions that have been marginalised within international environmental law.

This course explores the role of law and governance in mediating the human-environment interface. It focuses on the Anthropocene as it confronts law and governance scholars with a unique challenge concerning the need to question, and ultimately re-imagine, international environmental law and governance interventions in the light of a new socio-ecological situation. Through interactive lectures, classroom discussions based upon pre-assigned readings, oral presentations, and the elaboration of a joint mini-project, students not only assess the (mostly unsuccessful and ineffective) regulatory interventions used thus far to mediate the human-environment interface; they also examine the possibility to develop counter-narratives and alternative institutional practices, by drawing on most recent critical legal approaches as well as sociocultural traditions that have been marginalised within international environmental law.

This is a course on visual culture in the 20th and 21st century, with a particular focus on the interplay between media technology, culture and society. This course will also be multidisciplinary in nature, as we reflect on our discursive assumptions in the historical, sociological, anthropological, philosophical disciplines among others. While the readings may primarily cover phenomenon in the United States, participants will be strongly encouraged to think of the specificity of the impact of globalization on media and society in various regions of the world including Japan. The course objectives are the following: -Gain a better understanding of the relationships between society, media, people, institutions and how they function as agents of maintaining the status quo or for fostering change -Learn about the transformative faculties and social implications of quotidian applications of technology -Gain deeper understanding of the academic disciplines Topics will include (but are not limited to): -representation of race, ethnicity and gender and other minorities -regional, transnational and international ecosystems of information technology -artificial intelligence and algorithmic bias -technological advancement and implementation in everyday life and the powers at play