On February 24th, 2022, the 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative (21JPSI*) hosted a virtual manuscript workshop organized around the theme of “Demographic Challenges in Contemporary Japan.” Five U.S.-based social scientists with expertise on Japan convened virtually to present academic works-in-progress. Each working paper was the subject of a dedicated session designed to provide the paper’s author with critical feedback from an assigned discussant and other participants. The multidisciplinary workshop was organized by 21JPSI Director Adam P. Liff and 21JPSI Faculty Affiliate Hilary Holbrow.
At the workshop’s first session, Angelina Chin (Pomona College), presented an article manuscript challenges with incorporating advanced technologies in care work for elderly people in Japan. Kate Goldfarb, assistant professor at University of Colorado Boulder, served as the discussant of Dr. Chin’s paper.
During the workshop’s second session, Gene Park (Loyola Marymount University) presented an article exploring aging and the politics of monetary policy in Japan. Dr. Park is a professor and Chair of Political Science and International Relations at Loyola Marymount University. Michael Strausz served as the discussant.
At the workshop’s third session, Kate Goldfarb (University of Colorado Boulder) presented a working paper examining child welfare and well-being in Japan. Dr. Goldfarb is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Chin served as her discussant.
During the penultimate session, Michael Sharpe (York College/CUNY) presented a manuscript draft analyzing Japan as an emerging migration state. Dr. Sharpe is an associate professor at York College/CUNY. Dr. Park served as his discussant.
The workshop concluded with a presentation and discussion of a paper written by Michael Strausz (Texas Christian University) analyzing immigration and Japan’s 2019 House of Councilors election. Dr. Strausz is an associate professor and Director of Asian Studies at Texas Christian University. Dr. Sharpe of York College/CUNY served as his discussant.
Good luck to all paper presenters as they revise their manuscripts for publication!
*The 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative (21JPSI) was launched at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies in 2018. Under the leadership of Founding Director and HLS faculty member Adam Liff, 21JPSI aims to invigorate and expand research, teaching, and programming on contemporary Japanese politics, society, and international (esp. U.S.-Japan) relations, and to educate, raise awareness, and debate policy responses to the various political, social, and foreign policy challenges that Japan faces in this extremely dynamic era of 21st-century change. Supported by a generous $900,000 grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, in its first five years 21JPSI has enabled a new tenure-track faculty line contemporary Japanese politics and society; launched four new courses on contemporary Japan and a multidisciplinary speaker series on Japanese Politics and Society; hosted national conferences and webinars on U.S.-Japan relations; and funded graduate fellowships and faculty travel grants to support research in Japan. For more information, please see https://jpsi.indiana.edu/ or write to jpsi@iu.edu