Japan: Culture, History and Power

Module code: SY2061

Japan offers an entirely different context and culture for the study of sociology, compared to our western studies of social issues. You’ll be looking at Japanese society, its development and processes of social change. The module will begin with looking at the historical and cultural foundations of the rise of Japan as a military and economic power, and its transformation after 1945.

Some of the issues you'll be investigating will be education, the caste system, youth crime and social mobility. Issues such as an ageing population, suicide and birth rate are all sociological issues Japan faces, and you'll investigate the factors affecting them. National events and disasters will also be considered, such as the 3.11 disaster, and the part they played in shaping the sociological landscape of contemporary Japan.

Would you like to learn to speak and read Japanese? Courses for beginners and post-beginners are available to students through our Languages at Leicester scheme.