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Course Information

Year		2019	School	Center for International Education
Course Title		Summer Session (Interdisciplinary I) 01
Instructor		KOYAMA, Shukuko
Term/Day/Period		summer quarter othersothers
Category		Global Studies	Eligible Year	1st year and above	Credits	2
Classroom			Campus	waseda
Course Key		9800005023	Course Class Code	01
Main Language		English
	Course Code	SOCX101L
	First Academic disciplines	Sociology
	Second Academic disciplines	Sociology
	Third Academic disciplines	Introduction
	Level	Beginner, initial or introductory	Types of lesson	Lecture
		Open Courses

Syllabus Information

Latest Update：2019/01/17 17:19:01

Subtitle

Working in Japan: Myths, Realities, and Futures

Humans in Tokyo

Course Outline

Visiting Japan for a short stay is one thing. Living and working in Japan is another thing. This interdisciplinary course offers students an opportunity to bring in knowledge and experience gained from other Summer Session courses, and critically examine Japan as a place to live and work.

Japan has known for its hard-working culture, diligently hardworking people, and strict work ethics. Since the burst of the bubble economy in the early 1990’s followed by the 2008 financial crisis, however, a growing scepticism about the work-centric way of life has emerged. In addition, the drastic demographic change in Japan forces its people to shift their value system that has been centred around work. For maintaining the size of the work force, the government has introduced new policies to increase the number of women, foreigners and other ‘minority’ people at workplace. This policy development has brought various consequences, both positive and challenging ones, to people’s daily life, too.

Students will engage in group activities to interview individuals working in Japan. They will then produce and present a short photo essay on their findings as the “Humans in Tokyo” project, modelled after the “Humans in New York” series. (http://www.humansofnewyork.com/)

Objectives

The course aims to offers students an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of challenges and prospects surrounding the work and life of people in Japan. Through a series of readings, interviews, class discussions and field trips in Tokyo, student will discuss what kind of lifestyle can be envisaged in the post-economic growth era in Japan and elsewhere.

Course Schedule

25 June: Introduction

25 June: Icebreaking, methods of learning and instruction on group activities

Lecture and discussion on the concept and implementation of Decent Work in Japan and beyond.

27 June: Myth (1): "The Japanese love their work more than their family."

Reading for this class (1)
Tapp, S. (2002) “A comparison of job attitudes of Japanese employees working in Japanese firms and gaishikei (foreign-affiliated) firms”, Japanese Journal of Administrative Science, 16(1), pp.45-62. Available at https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaas1986/16/1/16_1_45/_article

Reading for this class (2)
Ono, H. (2018) “Why do the Japanese work long hours?: Sociological perspectives on long working hours in Japan”, Japan Labor Issues, 2(5), pp.35-49. Available at https://www.jil.go.jp/english/jli/documents/2018/005-03.pdf

27 June: Myth (1): "The Japanese love their work more than their family." (cntd.)

Interviews and group discussion

2 July: Myth (2): "Women in Japan cannot have it all, at all."

Reading for this class (1)
Slaughter, A. (2012) Why women still can’t have it all, The Atlantic, July/August Issue. Available at https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/

Reading for this class (2):
Zhou, Y. (2015) “Career interruption of Japanese women: Why is it so hard to balance work and childcare?”, Japan Labour Review 12(2), pp.106-123. Available at https://www.jil.go.jp/english/JLR/documents/2015/JLR46_zhou.pdf

2 July: Myth (2) "Women in Japan cannot have it all, at all." (cntd.)

Interviews and group discussion

4 July: Myth (3) "Japan is a great place for foreigners to live and work in."

Reading for the class (1):
The Japan Times (2018) “Accepting more foreign workers brings challenges.” The Japan Times, 10 December 2018. Available at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2018/12/10/editorials/accepting-foreign-workers-brings-challenges/#.XEAst_ZuKUk

Reading for the class (2)
NIKKEI Asia Review (2018) “Japan’s foreign workers increasingly join labor unions”, NIKKEI Asia Review, 26 November 2018. Available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-Immigration/Japan-s-foreign-workers-increasingly-join-labor-unions

Reading for the class (3)
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (date not available) Category of foreign workers in Japan, MHLW. Available at https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/koyou/gaikokujin16/dl/category_e.pdf

4 July: Myth (3): "Japan is a great place for foreigners to live and work in." (ctnd.)

Interview and group discussion

9 July: Free time for working on group projects and presentations (1)

10:

9 July: Free time for working on group projects and presentations (2)

11:

11 July: Free time for working on group projects and presentations (3)

12:

11 July: Free time for working on group projects and presentations (4)

13:

16 July: "Humans in Tokyo" (1)

14:

16 July: "Humans in Tokyo" (2)

15:

18 July: Wrap up and course evaluation

Evaluation

Rate		Evaluation Criteria
Exam:	25％	Approximately 75% of the class time will be allocated for group discussion based on pre-class reading and participatory observation in students' daily life and interaction with the locals in Tokyo. Class participation and pre-class reading therefore consists of 50% of the evaluation. Some guidance on the development of final group products and presentations will be provided by the instructor. However, participating students are requested to exercise spontaneity and creativity in developing these products. The other 50% of the evaluation examines students’ commitment and initiative in group activities and the development of final products.
Papers:	25％	:
Class Participation:	25％	:
Others:	25％	:

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