Course Description
Today, we enjoy the benefits of globalization in our daily lives. When we go to the supermarket, we can buy food from faraway countries or order
various things from overseas online. Japanese people, in particular, rely heavily on international relationships for the material conditions that support
us. Although we live in a globalized world, are our minds, such as our interests and knowledge, equally globalized?
In response to this question, attempts have been made to understand where various goods come from and where they go. This "follow-the-thing
approach" traces the history of the production and distribution of a specific product and reveals the relationships between the people connected to this
product. Through the buying and selling of goods, we are connected to people far away whom we have never met. In this seminar, students will explore
knowledge and methodologies for improving the environment in the products' countries of origin and the lives of producers and laborers and expanding
the interest and imagination of consumers.
Each student will select a product of interest. They will begin by referring to the literature on this product and preparing an overview report of the
collection of the product's raw materials and its production, distribution, and consumption. The research methods include referencing various types of
literature and the Internet, observing settings where the products are bought and sold, and interviewing the people involved (Depending on the
occasion, it is also OK to interview by email or phone). Q&A sessions will be held for each report, and all students are encouraged to contribute.