Sociology

Although this course focuses on Islamic and Muslim feminisms (in the plural) it also cover women’s experiences with radical Islam, masculinities, LGBTQ+ Islam, and similar phenomena. The course consists of five modules. The first module studies Muslim migration to Denmark and explores Islam in Copenhagen through a field study in which students do photo-journalism. The second module focuses on female and LGBTQ+ imams in Europe. In the third module, students read and listen to artistic productions by Muslim minority women and men in the form of novels, poetry, and music. As part of this module students do a semi-structured interview with either a Muslim or a non-Muslim on private and public perceptions of Islam. The fourth module investigates current Muslim civil rights organizations, and the final module focus on Muslim female piousness.

This course examines academic, public and popular ideas about youth and practices of youth culture. It pays particular attention to the ways young lives are gendered and the role gender plays in the institutions and other contexts in which young people live. Other points of focus include changing conceptions of youth, relationships between policy and youth, images of youth and youth culture, and discourses on (im)maturity, training, and identity.

This course explores the challenges and dilemmas of globalization, especially with regard to global human mobility; cultural flows and transformation; multiculturalism; ethnic communities; identities; citizenship, social divisions and inequality. While taking a global, comparative approach, this course places special emphasis on Japan and other industrial countries. Through lectures, discussions, and other class activities, the class collectively examines and evaluate key concepts and theories to deepen one's understanding of issues related to transnational sociology. 

This course examines the relationship between the Enlightenment and the crisis of the Old Regime in 18th century France. During the decades from the mid-eighteenth century to the French Revolution, the Enlightenment reached its peak, and social, political and cultural changes became evident.  The course deals with not only the writings of several major philosophers but also their life and activities in order to understand the social and political problems with which they were faced at the time.  

This course equips students with essential skills for effective communication and collaboration in diverse, global environments. The course explores various aspects of intercultural competence, from understanding cultural differences to fostering diversity in the workplace. Through readings, discussions, presentations, and projects, participants develop a nuanced understanding of cultural nuances and societal themes.

This course explores the history of political and social movements in Spain and Catalonia from medieval times to present day. Topics include: the Reconquista; formation of the Spanish state; the Spanish Civil War; the Franco era; transition to democracy; dynamics of Catalonia and the quest for autonomy.

This course employs two perspectives to understand the histories of modern Japan in the context of East Asia and globalization from the early 20th century to the present. It examines how modern boundaries, identities, and cultures are shaped in a rapidly emerging modern world order. The course also looks at how individuals respond to and are shaped by the variety of modernity(ies).

This course teaches the basics of major literary theories. Each lecture focuses on a specific theoretical approach to texts and cultural phenomena, such as psychoanalytic criticism, feminist criticism, gender and queer criticism, new historicism, and postcolonial criticism. By engaging with diverse critical frameworks, the course aims to deepen our appreciation for the richness and complexity of literature and other cultural forms.

This course explores social issues related to diversity in Japan, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic minority groups. The course examines how these groups’ identities have been socially constructed within Japan’s broader identity formation process and how their social circumstances and public discourse have evolved over time. The course emphasizes critical self-reflection of one's own identities and perspectives -how the social contexts and discourses are embedded in one's life and how these factors have shaped their identities and perspectives. 

This course offers a study of basic demographic concepts, collection and use of demographic data, and tools for demographic analysis. It discusses population dynamics from a historical and global comparative perspective including current trends and future forecasts. This course examines determinants of demographic change, socioeconomic and environmental consequences of demographic change, and population policies.