Transnational Japanese History Seminar: Migration, Labor, and Environment

Course Type: Lecture
Study Focus: SEG
Term: Spring

Teacher: Kjell ERICSON

Course Code: JK35001

This seminar-style course introduces students to recent approaches to the transnational study of Japanese history.


Our focus will be on issues of migration, labor, and the environment. We will read about the history of diaspora and settler colonialism while delving into more intensive study of places beyond what might form the typical geographic focus of a course on Japanese history. In addition, the seminar is set up to be an interactive, hands-on introduction to ways of doing historical research in multi-lingual archives.


Course Information

Module: Introduction to Transcultural Studies
CATS Requirements: BA 3rd. year or above

Day/Period: Thu 3
Location: Sem. 4
Credits: 2


Course Goals

By the end of the course, students will:
Better understand recent trends in the study of transnational Japanese history, particularly with regard to the history of migration, labor, and the environment.
Have greater familiarity with the process of multi-lingual historical research. This includes ways of finding sources, reading them, forming arguments, and addressing ongoing academic debates.
Improve their ability to express themselves in speech and in writing.

Course Schedule and Evaluation

For a detailed course schedule, please visit KULASIS.

Evaluations will be based on attendance (20%), discussion participation (20%), reading responses (20%), and a final research paper (40%).

To JDTS/MATS students: This is course can be taken as either reduced (4 ECTS) or full seminar (8 ECTS). Please indicate your ECTS requirement to the teacher.