Social Stratification in Japanese Society

Saori YASUMOTO (Graduate School of Human Sciences)

Course Objective
   In this class, we will adopt a sociological apporach to critically analize Japanese social stratification system. The course is divided into four parts. First, we will learn concepts and terms to talk about the stratification system. We will also talk about how Japanese stratification system is created. Second, we will study sociological theories in order to understand the influence of stratification system on individuals. Third, we will discuss various forms of inequality in Japan (i.e., class, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and age). Fourth, we will pay attention to how people experience inequality in different institutions such as work, family, and education system.

Requirement / Prerequisite
   NA

Course Content
   Week 1: Introduction to Class (What is Social Stratification?)
   Week 2: Types of Social Stratification
   Week 3: Sociological Theory I
   Week 4: Sociological Theory II
   Week 5: Social Class
   Week 6: Gender and Sexuality
   Week 7: Race/Ethnicity and Age
   Week 8: Exam
   Week 9: Work I
   Week 10: Work II
   Week 11: Family I
   Week 12: Family II
   Week 13: Education I
   Week 14: Education II
   Week 15: Presentation

Textbooks
   **Students are not required to buy textbooks. I will distribute copies of reading assignments.

• Ishida, Hiroshi and David H. Slater. 2010. Social Class in Contemporary Japan: Structures, Sorting, and Strategies. New York: Routledge.
• McLelland, Mark and Romit Dasgupta. 2005. Genders, Transgenders and Sexualities in Japan. New York: Routledge.
• Parrenas, Rhacel Salazar. 2011. Illicit Flirtations: Labor, Migration, and Sex Traffiking in Tokyo. Sanford, California: Stanford University Press.
• Sugimoto, Yoshio. 2010. An Introduction to Japanese Society. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Grading Policy
   S 90~100
   A 80~89
   B 70~79
   C 60~69
   F 0~59 (Fail)