Case Study (Diversity and Inclusion)

Instructors

MAEDA Kentaro

Term / Language / Credits

A1A2 / English / 2

Objectives

We live in interesting times.

In the past, it was widely assumed that the members of the nation-state shared a common culture and history. Furthermore, in many countries, there was a sharp division of labor between male breadwinners and female housewives. Under these assumptions, the public sphere was populated by a relatively homogeneous body of citizens. Differences based on gender and ethnic identity were rarely at the center of policy debates.

Today, these assumptions can no longer be taken for granted. More and more women are entering the labor force each year, minority ethnic groups are demanding recognition, while immigrants are crossing national borders at an increasing rate. Whatever the long-term trends, this tendency towards diversity and heterogeneity is not likely to be reversed in the near future. As a result, policymakers everywhere are facing new challenges in coping with demands from groups that were hitherto excluded from the political arena.

In this course, we will examine various policy issues that involve the problem of identity and difference. In particular, we will pay close attention to how public policies have structured racial, ethnic, and gender relations in contemporary society.

Keywords

Ethnicity, gender, inclusion, minority rights, LGBT, multiculturalism, discrimination, diversity, citizenship, border control, welfare state, gender quotas

Schedule

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Methods

Weeks 3-8: We will cover the following topics (or others based on participant interest):
- Immigration and border control
- The national census and the construction of race and ethnicity
- Political representation of minorities
- The politics of presence
- Discrimination and affirmative action
- The rise of women and the transformation of the welfare state

Week 9: Planning session
Weeks 10-12: Student presentation

Teaching Methods

In each class, the students will be divided into several groups, and work on a series of discussion questions based on the reading materials.

After week 9, students will will then present their original research based on topics related to the course, and submit a final paper.

Grading

The grades for this course will be based on class participation (20%), presentation (30%), and the final paper (50%).

Required Textbook

There are no textbooks for the course. The required reading materials (approx. 50 pages per week) will be distributed by the instructor. Below are some of the materials that we will cover in this course:
- Tilly, Charles. 1998. Durable Inequality. University of California Press.
- Htun, Mala. 2004. “Is Gender Like Ethnicity? The Political Representation of Identity Groups.” Perspectives on Politics 2(3): 439-458.
Karpowitz, Christopher F., Tali Mendelberg, and Lee Shaker. 2012. “Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation.” American Political Science Review 106(3): 533-547.
- Diane Sainsbury (ed.), Gender and Welfare State Regimes (Oxford, 1999)
- Nobles, Melissa. 2000. “History Counts: A Comparative Analysis of Racial/Color Categorization in US and Brazilian Censuses.” American Journal of Public Health 90(11): 1738-45.
- Torpey, John. 1998. “Coming and Going: On the State Monopolization of the Legitimate ‘Means of Movement’.” Sociological Theory 16(3): 239-259.
- Soysal, Yasemin Nuhoglu. 1994. Limits of Citizenship: Migrants and Postnational Membership in Europe. University of Chicago Press.

Notes on Taking the Course

There are no formal requirements for taking this course, but fluency in both spoken and written English is preferred.

Miscellaneous Information

ディスカッションを中心とした授業であり、グループワークも取り入れる。英語で話す経験を積むのに向いた授業だと思われる。

Related Resources

Back to Top