Course Name Year Term Period Faculty / Graduate School All Instructors Credits
16877:IR18‐GE208 Advanced Topics in Area Studies (R) § 16878:RUIR-2632 Advanced Topics in Area Studies(R) 2024 Fall Tue4 College　Of　International　Relations TAGAWA SHOHEI 2

Campus

KIC

Class Venue

MEIGAKUKAN　MG003

Language

英語

Course Outline and Method

This course investigates the ways in which urban communities have been treated in different academic disciplines. Drawing insights from sociology, human geography, socio-cultural anthropology, and other related disciplines, it examines the structure of knowledge production in urban studies and how those studies have treated case studies from different parts of the globe. In so doing, this course aims to explore a perspective with which to construct a place-specific knowledge about urban communities. By introducing the kind of case studies that demand researchers to look carefully at the scales smaller than sub-national geographical units (local municipalities), it focuses especially on the mundane social phenomena that help construe the everyday realities of residential communities.

* Area Studies aims to comprehensively understand particular geographical areas by analysing local perspectives and distinct features of society, culture, politics, economy, and/or nature of the area. The term “area” in Area Studies refers to a particular geographical or cultural area of the world. It ranges from sub-national locales (e.g. Kyoto) to countries (e.g. Japan) and regions (e.g. East Asia). It is an interdisciplinary field of research, which crosses several major academic disciplines in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences (e.g., ecology).

Student Attainment Objectives

1. The students will be able to explain the causes and features that constitute urban communities.
2. The students will be able to identify the local context and local perspectives that defines particular urban communities.
3. The students will be able to discuss issues and challenges faced by specific urban communities from a microscopic and comparative perspective.

Recommended Preparatory Course

Course Schedule

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

Introduction

2

Production of knowledge about cities and urban communities: Macro-perspective

Right to the city, global south

3

Production of knowledge about cities and urban communities: Micro-perspective

Postcolonial urbanism, rural-urban relation, multi-layered community

4

Rethinking the city and the urban communities

Postcolonial urbanism, rural-urban relation, multi-layered community

5

Comparing cities from different regions

Place-specific knowledge, auto-ethnographic and reflexive understanding of different cultures

6

Urban communities of Jakarta, Indonesia

7

Discussion: Bodily technique, corporeality, and the communal identity of place

8

Urban communities of Kyoto, Japan

9

Discussion: Architectural environment, materiality, and the communal identity of place

10

Group work: Research question

11

Group work: Literature search

12

Presentation: Research topic and literature reveiw

13

Group work: Research design

14

Group work: Research plan

15

Writing a research proposal

Class Format

Face-to-face

Recommendations for Private Study

The coursework includes reading, writing, conducting research, and other activities as necessary. Students are expected to actively perform those tasks both inside and outside of the class. And, as many of those activities are group-based, students are expected to responsibly engage in the said activities.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind Percentage Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written) 0

Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)		 0

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

(1) Class participation 40%
- Five (5) unjustified absences will result in failure of the course.
- Active participation in group discussions
-Occasional reading assignments and short writing assignments

(2) Group presentations and final essay 60%
- By the end of the term, students are expected to submit an essay of about 1,000 to 1,500 words.
- Final essay must include 1. Research question, 2. Literature review, and 3. Your original argument.
- Students who commit plagiarism (*) will receive F grade.

(*) Plagiarism in this course includes: (a) Direct quotation without a citation and quotation marks [“ ”]; (b) Indirect quotation without a citation using a source other than the assigned article

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Textbooks

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Reference Books

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Readings and handouts will be announced and/or distributed as necessary.

Web Pages for Reference

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

Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students

Other Comments

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