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Japanese Studies and Antiracist Pedagogy | Decolonizing Race and Ethnicity: Understanding Racial formation in Japanese society

Hwaji Shin, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of San Francisco; and the 2020-21 CJS Toyota Visiting Professor
Thursday, April 22, 2021
12:00-1:30 PM
Off Campus Location
Advance registration for this Zoom webinar is required:
https://myumi.ch/nbEy3

What are race and ethnicity? Students are often taught in social science courses that they are socially constructed categories. But what does that exactly mean? In the United States, race is commonly defined and practiced as a category based on visible phenotypes, whereas ethnicity is based on distinguishable cultural traits. Are these definitions of race and ethnicity globally universal or should they be? In this webinar, I challenge the U.S. and Euro-centric understanding and applications of race and ethnicity. By introducing different theoretical approaches to define race and ethnicity in sociology, I discuss how these concepts should be understood, treated and applied in our analysis. In nutshell, race and ethnicity are malleable categories across time and space; they are subject to change depending on local and global conditions. I explore whether or not a distinction between race and ethnicity is analytically warranted and why discussing racism between groups who share similar phenotypical and cultural traits is not only possible, but important, especially in the context of Japanese society.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
Building: Off Campus Location
Location: Virtual
Event Type: Livestream / Virtual
Tags: Asia, Japan
Source: Happening @ Michigan from Center for Japanese Studies, International Institute, Asian Languages and Cultures