Course Description
As the drive to rebuild modern Japan after WWII slowed, latent and new social problems have become visible. This course offers interdisciplinary perspectives on issues such as care of the elderly and homeless, equal treatment of minorities, gender and labor issues, domestic and world ecological concerns, and relevant institutions that promote or attack prejudice towards heterogeneous social groups. Taught in English.
Reflective Narrative
In JAPN 311, I learned about the social issues in Japan after the physical, mental and moral destruction it suffered at WWII and the effects they caused until today. Since this was my first Japanese class, I was impressed with their lifestyle, behavior and cultural practices as they are very different from those in Latin America. Through the readings, I realized the enormous impact of WWII, as the country suffered restructuring in the economic, political, social and cultural spheres, which to a certain degree turned it into a world power where its citizens enjoy a stable life. Something that struck me was the attachment to the social heterogeneity of the Japanese even in the 21st century where diversity is encouraged and respected. Another aspect that caught my attention was "comfort women" who were sex slaves from various Asian countries in order to sexually satisfy the Japanese military during WWII. My research paper, "The Pursuit of Justice for Comfort Women" talks about efforts to bring justice to the victims of this incident from the late 20th century to the present. In addition, I draw a comparison between the violence suffered by Japanese women during WWII and Mexican women during the Mexican Revolution of 1920. It is important to mention that the information and my arguments were based on peer-reviewed articles with the purpose of producing a professional and unbiased work. In general, I learned a great amount about the issues that originated in Japan after WWII. This class is related to SPAN 330, where social issues are also discussed.