杏 林 大 学
KYORIN
UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN STUDIES
Hachioji Campus
476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo
192-8508, Japan
TEL (0426)91-0011 FAX (0426)91-8617
SEMINAR: SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE INFORMATION
AGE SOCIETY
2007/08
Prof. Fumie
Kumagai
Tuesdays: (5) 16:20-17:50 @Rm. E-311 Office: Rm. D-510
1. OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR
In
the era of the information age society, the world is getting more and more global,
becoming objective and analytical as well. As an attempt for the training to prepare for the real world
we will exercise debates through a pro-con format on controversial social
issues in the United States. To
enhance the ability in thinking in English seminar sessions will be conducted
in English.
However,
English in this seminar is regarded as lingua franca, and the importance of the
Japanese language skill should be well understood. For this reason, the students will also learn to develop
critical writing skill in the Japanese language.
We
will analyze similarities and differences of some controversial social issues
commonly present both in the information age society with special emphases in
the United States and Japan.
Rather than simply describing the phenomenon the course will try to
assist the students to acquire skills to seek for causal relationships by
asking why it is so. This
kind of approach will enhance the students to develop the future oriented
perspective.
In
addition, the seminar makes the best use of online materials on the topic so
that the students are abreast with the network society. We will also learn to browse through
the Internet web sites as a means of the effective information gathering. Relevant web sites should
be referred to in your papers and thesis.
Seminar is the place in which
you learn to express yourself logically, and to develop both your objectivity
and subjectivity. At the same
time, you should consider team activities with in the seminar very important. I am convinced that these valuable experiences throughout the
seminar activities would form good memories of your college life.
Seminar
sessions often extend beyond the one regular class period. Therefore, it is strongly advised that
you should not schedule any of your personal activities in the evenings on
Tuesdays. If you do not think that
you can commit yourself to the seminar you should not enroll this seminar.
2.
TEXTBOOKS
Required:
●
Kurt
Finsterbuch and George McKenna (eds.), Taking
Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Social Issues, the 14th
ed., McGraw-Hill/ Dushkin, 2007, ($30.00) http://www.dushkin.com/catalog/0073514969.mhtml 
●Webster’s
New World Pocket Dictionary: Third Edition, New and Revised, MCSMILLSN, 2007 ($8.00).
3. REFERENCES
●Fumie Kumagai, Unmasking Japan Today: The Impact of Traditional Values on
Modern Japanese Society, 1996, Praeger ($39.95) (ISBN: 0-275-95144-8).
●熊谷文枝著『アメリカの家庭内暴力』1983 サイエンス社
●熊谷文枝著『マージナライゼーションの青春』1993. 東京：青山社 ￥1,500.
●熊谷文枝著『日本的生産システムｲﾝUSA-摩擦から相互理解へ』1996,
JETRO ￥2,000.
●熊谷文枝（編）『日本の家族と地域性』上･下二巻、1997ミネルヴァ書房.
●熊谷文枝著『デジタルネットワーク社会の未来』1999ミネルヴァ書房.
●熊谷文枝著『２１世紀アメリカの社会問題』2004勁草書房.
http://www.populus.est.co.jp/asp/booksearch/detail.asp?isbn=ISBN4-326-60171-X
● 熊谷文枝著『アメリカの家庭内暴力と虐待』2005ミネルヴァ書房
http://www.minervashobo.co.jp/find/details.php?isbn=04446-7
Recommended
●Annual Editions: Social
Problems 07/08,
35th ed. McGraw-Hill/ Dushkin, 2007 ($30.00). http://www.dushkin.com/catalog/0073397342.mhtml?SECTION=OVERVIEW#over
●熊谷文枝著『２１世紀アメリカの社会問題』2004勁草書房.
http://www.populus.est.co.jp/asp/booksearch/detail.asp?isbn=ISBN4-326-60171-X
KSBs:
What
is KSB? It is very similar to KGB,
isn’t it? KSB is not an
intelligent agency, but rather it stands for the Kumagai-Seminar-BLOG. The Kumagai Seminar students are the
ones who take the initiative to construct KSB services for the purpose of
generating active dialogue among seminar members, and with those interested in
the seminar activities. We have
two kinds of KSBs, the one is to facilitate our communication, and the other is
to remember various kinds of our seminar activities. Why don’t you visit the following KSB websites?
Kumagai-Seminar-BLOG: http://blog.livedoor.jp/fk_seminar/
Kumagai-Seminar-BLOG-Album: http://ksb.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
Web Sites URLs:
In addition, the students
should familiarize themselves with the Internet, and learn to make an effective
use of web sites for the paper and the proposed thesis. At the beginning of each PART of Taking Sides: Social Issues some
examples of useful web sites on the relevant topic are listed. It is strongly recommended that you
visit these sites on your own.
Furthermore, visit the
following websites in F. Kumagai’s HP:
●
Sociology
Links: http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/SocURL.html
They will be useful for your
studies, I believe.
Dushkin
Online:
Dushkin/McGraw-Hill
has developed very good online pedagogical tools. They will enhance your learning significantly. Therefore, it is strongly recommended
that you visit their web sites frequently. Some of the relevant URLs are as follows:
●Dushkin/McGraw-Hill: http://www.dushkin.com/index.mhtml
●A/E Social Problems:
●A/E Social Problems Table of
Contents:
●PowerWeb Social Problems: http://dushkin.com/powerweb/0072426845/links.mhtml
●A/E
Social Problems-Dushkin Online:
●SOURCES: Notable Selections In Sociology:
●Internet At A Glance: http://www.iconocast.com
Some Examples of Web Sites
URLs in Fumie Kumagai's HP:
●Fumie Kumagai’s Home
Page: http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/
●Digital Network Societry
(English):
●Digital Network Society
(Japanese):
http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/DigitalNtwkSoc/coverE.html
●Internet
Glossary for Beginners Links:
http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/InternetGlossary.html
●Online
Dictionary of IT Links:
●Sociology Links: http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/SocURL.html
●Links: http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/bookmarks/fkBookmarks.html
●情報・通信事典
e-Words: http://www.e-words.ne.jp/
●Wikipedia Encyclopedia (English): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
●Wikipedia-ウィキペディアEncyclopedia
(Japanese):
●Google
Search Engine: http://www.google.co.jp/
●Google
Map: http://maps.google.com/
●Kyorin-Gaigo-eLearning:
http://61.195.175.183/gaigo/
●Kyorin-Gaigo-eLearning
Useful Links: http://61.195.175.183/gaigo/links/index.html
●Kyorin-Gaigo-eLearning
Let’s Learn English via the Internet:
●Kyorin-Gaigo-eLearning Useful
sites for Learning Tourism:
http://61.195.175.183/gaigo/links/tourism.htm
4. RETREATS (GASSHUKU)
To enhance group cohesiveness
among seminar members biannually retreats are planned as parts of seminar
activities, and attendance to them is mandatory. They are, namely:
Spring
Retreat: 4/20/07-4/22/07 @Hachioji Seminar House
Summer
Retreat: 8/3/07-8/5/07 (tentative)
@Hotaiji Zen Temple, Shizuoka
5. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Although the University adopts
the semester curriculum, the seminar is completed in the two-year period, i.e.,
during your junior and senior years from the 5th to the 8th semester. During the junior year (during the 5th
and the 6th semester in the academic year 2007/08) we will study mainly on
American social issues. Then, in
the senior year (during the 7th and the 8th semester in the academic year 2008/09)
we will compare and contrast the Japanese counterparts. A rough time-schedule for these two
academic years is as follows:
(1) 2007/08: April: Spring Retreat
(2) 2007/08: April-July: Taking Sides (see the attached schedule)
(3) 2007/08: August: Summer Retreat, Paper (outline)
due at the Retreat
(4) 2007/08: October-December: Oral Presentations on
American Issues
(5) 2007/08: January: Junior-year paper (final) due
(6) 2008/09: April-July: Social Issues in Japan
(7) 2008/09: December: Senior Thesis on comparative
paper due
(8) 2008/09: March: Completion of the Seminar &
Commencement!
6. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU
Active
participation of the students is an integral part of this seminar. Throughout the seminar, it is hoped
that each student will foster logical thinking and analytical abilities, and be
able to present one's own ideas clearly.
In participating seminar the students are expected to develop a sense of
comradeship with the group members.
At the same time they should learn to be independent as well.
There
is no need to be afraid of making mistakes. As a proverb "Take the best from the past and make it
part of the future" goes, the important thing is that learn from what you
have done. The students in the
seminar should develop positive attitudes toward the seminar.
Therefore,
if a seminar participant cannot be present at the session for any reasons the
student must notify to that effect to the seminar instructor directly prior
to the seminar session.
Students not fulfilling seminar obligations and assignments, or not
fully participating in the seminar will be suggested to withdraw the seminar
any time in the academic year. It
is a principle of this seminar to be on time for assignments. Please remember that if you violate
this principle repeatedly, you will be suggested to withdraw the seminar.
7. SEMINAR SCHEDULE FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR
2007/08:
See the attached.
Fumie Kumagai (熊谷文枝),
Ph.D., Professor of Sociology,
Kyorin University, 479 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji
192-8508
Kyorin University Phone: 042-691-0011
FAX: 042-6-91-8617
Office Phone (Direct):
042-691-0012-3510
E-mail: <fkumagai@sfc.ne.jp>
or <n96287fk@sfc.keio.ac.jp>
URL: http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~n96287fk/
SCHEDULE FOR KUMAGAI
SEMINAR: 2007/08
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE
INFORMATION AGE SOCIETY
SPRING SEMESTER
S-1. 4/10/07 Organization
of the Seminar
S-2. 4/17/07 Getting
Familiarize Yourself with the Internet & the PPT
(@Computer Room)
S-3. 4/20-22 Retreat
at the Hachioji Seminar House
Introduction
& Organization of the Seminar
Theoretical
Framework and Perspectives
"Invitation
to Sociology" & "Introduction to Social Problems"
Writing
A Sociological Paper with 5 Points: Title; Hypothesis;
Observations;
Discussion and Analyses; and Generalization
"What
Is Debate, and How to Conduct Debate?"
S-4. 4/24/07 Recovering
from the "Retreat"! (No class meeting)
Comments
on the Retreat due: 5/2/07 by E-mail
A
Short Sociological Paper due: 5/2/07 by E-mail
S-5. 5/1/07
Discussion Session: “Retreat” comments into BLOG
Some
tips for reading the Taking Sides
S-6. 5/8/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 3. Is Third World
Immigration a Threat to
America's
Way of Life?
S-7. 5/15/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 4. Is the Decline of the Traditional Family
a National Crisis?
S-8. 5/22/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 8. Is the Underclass the Major Threat to
American
Ideals?
S-9. 5/29//07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 9. Has Affirmative
Action Outlived Its
Usefulness?
S-10. 6/5/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 10. Are Boys and Men
Disadvantaged
Relative to Girls and Women?
S-11. 6/12/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 14. Is Competition
the Reform That
Will Fix Education?
S-12. 6/19/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 16. Is Street Crime More
Harmful
Than White-Collar Crime?
S-13. 6/26/07 Taking Sides: ISSUE 17. Should Drug Use Be
Decriminalized?
S-14. 7/3/07 Taking
Sides: ISSUE 19. Is Mankind
Dangerously Harming
the Environment?
S-15. 7/10/07 No Session
is Scheduled
(Professor F. Kumagai will be
in Hong Kong for the Conference:
7/10/07-7/14/07)
S-16. 7/17/07 Computer
Session (@Computer Room: @2:00p.m.)
Informal
Get-Together
SV. 8/3-5/07 Retreat: @ Hotaiji-Zen
Temple (tentative, and must be confirmed)
http://sarnath.co.jp/index.html
Paper (Outline) due.
Brief Oral Presentations
Taking
Sides: ISSUE20. Is Globalization Good for Mankind?
Summer
Recess
Have
A Beautiful Summer Vacation!
FALL SEMESTER
F-1. 10/2/07 Japanese
Critique
How to do the Oral
Presentation?
How to write thesis?
F-2- F-5. 10/9-10/30/07
Japanese Critiques and Oral Presentations-the First Round
(8 seminar sessions for Oral Presentations)
2 sessions (60mts each) for 2
seniors (1 senior for each session)
2 sessions (60mts each) for 2juniors (1 junior for each session)
Seniors -
Japan (Thesis due: 12/18/07)
Juniors - U.S.A. (Paper
due: 1/8/08)
F-6-F-9. 11/6-11/27. Japanese
Critiques and Oral Presentations-the Second Round
F-10-F-11. 12/4-12/11/07. Japanese Critique
F-13. 12/18/07 Informal Get-Together
*Senior Thesis due
Merry
Christmas and A Happy New Year!
F-14. 1/8/08 Japanese Critique and Wrap-up Session
*Junior Year Final Paper due.
End January 08 Informal Get-Together
at the Kumagai’s
ENJOY YOUR SPRING
VACATION!