Course Name Year Term Period Faculty / Graduate School All Instructors Credits
50965:[2025 Fall]Contemporary Issues in Policy Science 2 （EPS-A） (B) 2025 Fall Wed4 College　Of　Policy　Science SAKATA GONZALES YURI ALITHU 2

Campus

OIC

Class Venue

AS461

Language

English

Course Outline and Method

This is a course of contemporary issues related to policy science with emphasis on academic discussion skills. Topics such as cultural policies, ethnicity, race, culture, art, gender and community will be explored in order to increase students’ basic global knowledge, as well as critical thinking and understanding. Students will also improve their reading and listening by preparing short reports/essays in English. Students will conduct supplementary research on topics studied. This class will be conducted 100% in English which will be very useful for students interested in enrolling in a CRPS course, study abroad, or preparing for a field research abroad project in their second academic year. This course is student-focused, with short introductory lectures followed by group and pair work, discussions, debates, and presentations.

Student Attainment Objectives

The aims of this course are to:
- improve communicative competency and confidence in speaking English
- improve listening, reading and writing skills in English
- increase English vocabulary
- gain an understanding of contemporary local, regional and global issues
- practice critical thinking and analytical skills
<政策科学部学生のためのCEFR Can-Do listを参照のこと> [S(B2.1-B2.2)], [L(B2.1-B2.2], W(B2.1-B2.2)]

Recommended Preparatory Course

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) Theme
Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
Week 1

[Context: A highly diverse world (main focus: Asia)]

Inclusion, boundaries, culture and society.
+R-Jugyo】Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on manaba+R.
~ We will discuss what it means to be a citizen and exchange perspectives on what a citizen needs to live comfortably. We will explore cases of migrant groups in Japan and the United States, and their challenges.

Week 2

[Context: A highly diverse world (main focus: Asia)]

Race, ethnicity and nation.
~ We will address the concepts of race, ethnicity, and nation, and discuss the recurrence of these concepts when a state defines its citizens.

Week 3

[Cultural Policies: What are cultural policies?]

Definition, key concepts.
~ We will discuss how governments promote cultural diversity (through cultural policies) in their society and whether there are enough platforms for the expression and representation of diversities in different contexts.

Week 4

[Cultural Policies: What are cultural policies?]

Key concepts and examples.
~ We will discuss specific examples and focus on how promoting art within disadvantage groups can influence their form of expression and representation.

Week 5

[The impact of art in the policy making.]

~ Art has been used as a tool for denouncing injustices by disadvantage groups. We will discuss how muslim women and Asian Americans share their struggles and denounce mistreatments through art.

Week 6

REPORT 1(submission).
PRESENTATION 1 based on the report/essay.

Presentations and discussion.

Week 7

[Policies and gender]

Japan's situation regarding gender equality (SDGs #5) and its womeconomics.
~ We will discuss the social situation of women in relation to the labor market and how women's economics have impacted the outcome of changes.

Week 8

[Policies and gender]

Japan's situation regarding harassment at work and policies with a bottom-up perspective.
~ We will compare Korean context and Japanese context. Then we will discuss the policies implemented by the Japanese state to reduce harassment of women in workplaces and the causes behind these unfortunate events.

Week 9

 [Policies and gender]

Wage gap.
~ We will discuss the policies implemented by the Japanese state to reduce the wage gap between men and women and the causes behind this unfair situation.

Week 10

[Policies and economy]

Japan: Geopolitical tensions and global trade dependency.
~ We will discuss Japan's current situation in the global power struggle and the policies implemented and to be implemented to revive its economy.

Week 11

[Policies and economy]

Japan: Geopolitical tensions and heavy dependency on exports.
~ We will discuss Japan's current situation in the global power struggle and the policies implemented and to be implemented to revive its economy.

Week 12

[Policies and sustainable development]

Japan: environmental challenges.
~ Japan has many environmental challenges to overcome. This week, we will discuss what they are and what the Japanese government is doing to address them.

Week 13

[Policies and sustainable development]

Japan: smart cities and urban greening.
~ Climate change affects various countries, many of which have implemented policies to promote the strategy of urban greening. This week, we will discuss the Japanese government's perspective on this strategy, its positive results, and the tasks that remain.

Week 14

REPORT 2(submission).
PRESENTATION 2 based on the report/essay.

Presentations and discussion.

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Class Format

14 classes on Face to Face basis.

Recommendations for Private Study

Being curious about
- the social dynamics in diverse societies.
- cultural policies for social cohesion in diverse societies.

Accessing to
- short Ted Talks.
- the BBC learning English website.
- news videos at DW.com.
- news articles at Edition.cnn.com

Practicing
- speaking English with friends outside of class.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind Percentage Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)

Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)

Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　
(Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)		 100

Short reports 40%
Presentations 40%
Participation (in class) and homework 20%

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Students will be required to read short chapters from books or short excerpts, as well as short journalistic articles. Similarly, they will be required to watch short videos, among other things.

Textbooks

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Learning materials will be distributed in class.

Reference Books

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Learning materials will be distributed in class.

Web Pages for Reference

Learning materials will be distributed in class.

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Other (Separate instructions will be provided)

Other Comments

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