(Faculty) Intercultural Communication Division

Intercultural Communication Division

Ethnic conflicts continue to flare up around the world. At the heart of these clashes is the tendency of every group to have absolute faith in its own cultural values while rejecting others. On the other hand, ongoing efforts also exist to overcome national and cultural boundaries and achieve reconciliation and integration. The contemporary world seems to be undergoing a complex process of division and integration as diverse cultures interact with each other.

The Intercultural Communication Division explores ways for facilitating dialogue across cultural boundaries by examining the nature of cross-cultural interaction and following the latest relevant global developments.

Courses are offered in three categories:

• The Intercultural Relations Program focuses on the challenge of understanding foreign cultures.
• The Multicultural Studies Program builds on the insights gained through the Intercultural Relations Program and discusses the institutional frameworks and principles that might enable the peaceful coexistence of different cultures.
• The Transcultural Studies Program looks at cross-cultural activities and the cultural transformation process they trigger, and discusses the factors that make two-directional cross-cultural communication possible.

Intercultural Relations Program

Our world is composed of diverse ethnic and social groups, each of which has its own culture. The Intercultural Relations Program addresses the issue of how to enable these groups to communicate with each other across cultural boundaries, based on an examination of the characteristics of intercultural relationships and with attention to the issues involved in understanding a foreign culture.

Cultural Anthropology (YOSHIOKA Masanori)

This course examines how to interpret the other culture by comparative method.

Contemporary Social Anthropology (GODA Toh)

Comparative study of different ethnic groups, with emphasis on the social structure and cosmology, and their dynamics.

Cultural Hybridity (HOSOYA Hiromi)

This course examines the process and phenomenon of emergence of hybrid cultures in globalization by anthropological and interdisciplinary method.

Ethnography (SHIBATA Yoshiko)

This course discusses the ways to understand and describe other cultures.

Comparative Politics (NAKAMURA Satoru)

This course provides opportunities to discuss models and methodologies to analyze political institutions and behavior. Emphasis is put on the Middle Eastern countries, particularly in the Gulf.

 

Multicultural Studies Program

Not every cross-cultural encounter triggers violent conflicts or frictions observed in ethnic disputes. Successful examples do exist of avoiding violence and achieving peaceful coexistence among different cultures. The Multicultural Studies Program is dedicated to exploring institutional and conceptual frameworks for fostering intercultural harmony and models of cross-cultural communication that facilitate conflict-resolution.

Religion in Cultural Formation (NOTANI Keiji)

This course introduces issues in the social and cultural aspects of modern society by emphasizing sociological and literary-critical perspectives on religion and by raising comparative questions about differing religious and cultural traditions.

Transnational Society (UCHIDA Masahiro)

The importance of cultural tolerance are examined together with the difficulties involved in its practice, focusing on the situation in late 19th-century Europe.

International Relations (SAKAI Kazunari)

This course explores strategies for achieving and maintaining peaceful coexistence between countries, regions, and cultures in the global community.

Governance and Public Policy (SAKANO Tomokazu)

A comparative study of new political phenomena and dynamics that transcend the boundaries of nation-states, with emphasis on governance.

 

Transcultural Studies Program

The current wave of globalization has allowed many cultures to expand beyond the countries and regions in which they originated. The Transcultural Studies Program examines the way that these expanded cultures interact with their native counterparts, from both contemporary and historical perspectives, and explores the potential for these phenomena to foster positive bi-directional cross-cultural communication.

Comparative Civilization (MIURA Nobuo)

This course examines differences and similarities in the structure and history of thoughts and sciences in various civilizations.

Techno-Culture Studies (TSUKAHARA Togo)

A discussion of the implications of the use of technology such as mobile phones, convenience stores and many other facets of our daily lives.

Translation and Culture (KITAMURA Yuika)

This course explores the characteristics and potential of translation culture.

Contemporary Transborder Culture (TODA Masaru)

This course discusses the characteristics of cultures that transcend national boundaries with emphasis on the relationship between Japan and the United States.

Development of Cultural Styles (KOMURASAKI Shigenori)

This course discusses the process through which European styles of literature and fine art have spread and evolved.

Formation of Cultural Styles (YAMASAWA Takayuki)

Examples from the ancient Mediterranean world form the basis of discussions of the process through which academic disciplines, literature, and lifestyles develop.