Socio-Cultural Studies

Education and Research Fields and Faculty

SATO Yutaka, Ph.D., Professor

I am endeavoring to conduct sociological analyses of discriminatory problems, including discrimination against people with physical handicaps, gender discrimination, and discrimination against outcast people. The methodology used for social surveys is also a subject of my research activities.

Keywords: Social theory, Discrimination, Rule literacy

ITO Tomoki, Ph.D., Professor

I am engaged in research on the processes by which people who have experienced, among others, alcoholism, the loss of someone to whom they are close, and stuttering are able to change by talking about themselves in self-help group settings.

Keywords: self-help group, narrative, qualitative research

OHNISHI Koji, Professor

I am engaged in research on children's living space and child care services from a geographical viewpoint. These days, I am also interested in urban planning.

SUZUKI Koshiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Like disagreement in whaling or south-north problems, many socio-cultural issues can be understood as geopolitics among their stakeholders. My field of concern is to clarify their motivative mechanisms and to seek their preferable solusions. Dimensions include (1) struggles over Tomonoura public project among local residents, between local government and intellectuals, (2) world heritage inscription and tourism development, (3) cultural diversity in cognitive mapping.

Keywords: Social geography, Tourism studies, Cognitive mapping at socio-cultural level, Critical cartography, Musical history in modern french era

FUJIMOTO Takeshi, Ph.D., Professor

Based on anthropological fieldwork mainly in Ethiopia, he studies the dynamics between society and ecology in African mountain communities. To consider the sustainability of a society, he has discussed such topics as: crop diversity, resource use, settlement shift, herder-farmer conflict, cooperative labor, and food culture. He also conducts research on Japanese festivals (matsuri) in Toyama Prefecture.

Keywords: sharing and cooperative cultures, crop diversity and food practices, social dynamics of beliefs and festivals, conflict development and ethnic marginalization

NOZAWA Toyoichi, Ph.D., Associate Professor

My research has mainly been focused on music (or performing arts) in social lives of people. I have conducted fieldwork on Black Pentecostal churches in the US, traditional music-dance practices in Uganda, and traditional performing arts in Hokuriku.

Keywords: Anthropology, fieldwork, music-dance

HAYASHI Natsuo, Associate Professor

I am engaged in research on the effects of the cross-border movements of people and cultures as a phenomenon of cultural exchanges on modern international relations, with a particular focus on cultural exchange policies in Japan-South Korea relations.

Keywords: international relations, Japan-ROK (South Korea) relations, international cultural exchange

SUNAGA Nobue, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor

I am conducting research on the identification of Somali people residing in London and their cross-border relationship with their birthplaces (Somalia and Somaliland).

Keywords: diaspora, transnationalism, identification