Japanese Society and Culture

In the late 19th-early 20th centuries, Japan became the first non-Western nation to industrialize and modernize. But it did not wholly embrace the American example. More recently, Japan has challenged observers to imagine alternative modernities through its high standard of living, soft power, and gentler forms of capitalism. The course considers the merits of this system, including social equality, mom and pop stores, close communities, investments in youth socialization, universal health care, and public safety. It also considers their trade-offs, including social pressures, gendered labor, low fertility, and restricted immigration.