State and society in modern Japan
Not offered in 1995
D Wright-Neville
8 points * 3 hours per week * First semester * Clayton
The aim of this subject is to introduce students to the study of contemporary politics in Japan. Issues to be examined include the nature and role of the Japanese state, forms of political participation, pressure groups (including trade unions, women and environmental groups), the politics of economic growth, and finally, an introduction to Japan's place in the international system and Japanese foreign policy. A theme throughout the subject will be the debate within the broader field of Asian studies over the extent to which it is possible to categorise these characteristics as inherently Japanese. Accordingly, it is envisaged that on completion of the subject students will have gained not only an introduction to the workings of the Japanese political system but also to some of the wider theoretical problems of crosscultural analysis.
Assessment
Written (3000 words): 50% * Examinations (3 hours): 50%
Recommended texts
Dale P The myth of Japanese uniqueness Routledge, 1988
Eccleston B State and society in Japan Polity Press, 1989
Van Wolferen K The enigma of Japanese power Macmillan, 1989