English

This course considers the re-emergence of social class as a primary category of a sociological understanding and analysis and assess its significance for interpreting contemporary inequalities and recent political developments. Set against the backdrop of post-war social and cultural change in Britain, it begins by tracing the declining salience of class in sociological theory and political discourse before considering the recent development and impact of a more culturally sensitive model of class analysis associated, in particular, with the work Pierre Bourdieu. It then moves on to examine how the key mechanisms of class formation are conceptualized and operationalized by researchers, paying particular attention to debates about social mobility, education, and meritocracy. A third section considers the relationship between lifestyle and classed cultures, the politics of classification, and issues of intersectionality between class, gender, and ethnicity. Finally, the course looks at the particular role of elites in defining class-based spatial inequalities and political alignments in "Brexit Britain."

Students review and apply research on social behavior and collaborative practices from the broad range of social sciences to the context of online social interaction and computer-mediated collaboration. They explore how social identity theory, network theory, actor-network theory, and research on communities of practice, public formation and computer-supported cooperative work explain online and digitally-mediated social interaction. Research frameworks and methods such as text-based qualitative analyses are introduced and applied. The challenges in working collaboratively in online distributed teams is examined critically.

This class presents the main principles of international political economy, also known as global political economy, which studies globalization and the reciprocal interaction between international relations, economics, and politics. Gathering knowledge from history, international relations, politics, economics, and sociology in an innovative way, the course provides a broad overview of the frameworks of analysis, actors, institutions, issues, and processes responsible for international relations, the causes of war, inter-state economic competition, and the structural configuration of power in the global context. It analyzes global affairs from a three-dimensional perspective: statist logic, market logic, and institutional logic. The course relies on readings, class debates, and the study of factual cases to develop academic skills and apply these skills for professional outcomes. 

The UN is a paradox of international relations. It is made up of independent states, but it is supposed to limit their excesses. It is based on the principle of equality, but it is controlled by the most powerful capitals. It is engaged in military operations, but it does not have an army. It was born from the ashes of the Holocaust, but it treats dictators with deference. It preaches human rights, but it cannot meddle in the affairs of its members. It preaches democracy, but it does not practice it.

This course is meant to serve as a critical introduction to the world's only universal Organization. After outlining the basic structures and functions of the UN, it focuses on the debates and controversies that have accompanied since its birth. The course considers - with frankness, without fear and in an intentionally 'undiplomatic way' - the Organization's successes as well as its failures. As current events show - from COVID to Ukraine - the United Nations is profoundly inadequate. The question is: Why? And who benefits from a weak UN?

The course gives students a comprehensive introduction to the Irish language and culture, and enables them to carry out a basic conversation in Irish. The course focuses on listening and speaking skills, and also on reading and writing skills. 

The purpose of this course is to provide adequate perspectives and concepts for the exploration of the dynamic implications of the interactions between the economy and the environment. The aim is to enable students to understand clearly how the many actions and forces embedded in the economy-environment system interact with each other to give rise to actual and potential conflicts between economic growth and environmental sustainability, the resulting environmental external costs arising from environment-economy interactions, and their implications for planning and administering a delicate balancing act between economic and environmental sustainability. The course also seeks to enhance students’ mastery of coordinate and practical knowledge of sustainability management by tying learning and knowledge from different domains to environmental economic issues in real-life situations. This is intended to develop students’ critical thinking and cross-disciplinary analytical skills in problem-solving which is key to academic and career advancement.
 

The course then discusses the structure of environmental value; the relationship between value orientation or value-belief norm theory in environmental choices and economic preferences; the economic and environmental assumptions governing the costs and benefits of growth and environmental sustainability; the properties of natural capital, and their implications for environmental and resource conservation, among other subjects of interest.

Due to advances in imaging, genetics, and sequencing over the past 30 years, there has been an explosion in the amount of quantitative biological data. This course introduces mathematical and physical concepts and methods necessary for understanding and analyzing quantitative biological data. It uses systems from across biology, from photosynthesis to human sleep cycles, to demonstrate the power and applicability of these approaches.

This course provides an overview of the various theories of voting behavior in the context of the United States, as well a critical assessment of the role of U.S. public opinion in modern democratic politics. This course addresses three major questions in the context of United States politics: what is public opinion and how do people form their political beliefs, what is the impact of public opinion on the broader U.S. political system, and is the public to blame for the rise of inequalities and right-wing populism?

This course introduces and explores gender and sexuality studies, mainly from a sociological perspective, by examining various issues in recent Japanese society.

In Japan today, we frequently hear terms such as the “gender gap” and “LGBTQ”, some of which may be regarded as “current must-know terms” for university examinations or employment examinations. However, not many people recognize that gender is essentially a matter of power-knowledge. Gender, as power-knowledge, acts as a structural background that goes beyond the good or bad intentions of individuals. This course aims to examine how gender as power-knowledge makes various things unremarkable and socially “natural” (e.g., stay-at-home moms, heterosexual couples) but other things more distinctive (e.g., stay-at-home dads, gay couples).

Based on traditional discussions of power relations between men and women, this course outlines recent discussions focusing on complex relations among women and among men that do not always fit into the monolithic scheme of “male domination of women.” During the first half of the semester (lectures 1–6), the course covers basic ideas and concepts in gender and sexuality studies; in the second half (lectures 7–14), the course examines social issues, mainly in recent Japanese society.

*Topics regarding violence (including rape and hate crimes) will be discussed in multiple sessions of this course. Carefully consider your enrollment in this course if these topics make you uncomfortable; alternative assignments can be provided for these sessions.

This course has two main objectives. The first objective is to understand CSR, CSV and Sustainability based on the theory and the history, and the second objective is to think about what we should do from a corporate perspective to make society and the environment better for our time and the next generation.

The concept of Sustainability is constantly innovating. However, the fundamentals of what a company should do to ensure the sustainable development of the company, society, and the environment remain unchanged. The course aims to unravel the concepts that link corporations with society and the environment, such as CSR, CSV and Sustainability, along with their history. The course also considers what companies should do to improve society for the next generation, citing examples from Japanese and overseas corporations.