HSI Report: Social Change –Gender Studies
University News | September 19, 2023
Students from across the globe participated in a three-day series ofintensive classes on gender roles and identities, and how they affectevery aspect of the world — politics, education, caregiving, media,violence, and sexuality, to name just a few. Conducted from August 1
to August 3, 2023, the seminar titled Social Change: GenderStudies was offered for the first time as part of the Hokkaido Summer
Institute (HSI), under its Global Liberal Arts Course series ofcourses.

Professor Lynne Nakano delivering the lecture with empathy. (Photo: Aprilia AgathaGunawan)

Professor Lynne Yukie Nakano, Department of Japanese Studies, TheChinese University of Hong Kong, was the main lecturer of thiscourse, while Associate Professor Ka Shing Ng, Faculty of Humanities
and Human Sciences from Hokkaido University, acted as thecoordinator. Together, they were able to relay the importance ofstudying gender and how it relates to everybody — not just women —and why even people who benefit from the patriarchal system shouldtake a look at it. “Gender studies is not only about women. It’s aboutwomen, men, and all genders. It is about how everybody is affectedby gender categories on almost every level, even if we don’t recognize
it. Understanding that helps us to move forward in the world in amore effective way,” explains Nakano. “Gender is often unspoken andassumed. It’s something that is a part of the way that we’re raised andsocialized in families and schools. Being aware of how people ofdifferent genders experience the same world differently allows us tobe kinder as human beings.”
The course introduced its students to theoretical and methodologicalapproaches, highlighting how they can use gender studies tounderstand the world around them. The students also conducted
their own short independent research and presented it in class. “Itwas a happy surprise to see that some groups managed to prepare
sample surveys, gather multiple responses, and analyze the data in anuanced manner in a very small amount of time. It felt good to see
students actively participating in class and employing the tools theylearnt for their projects,” remarked Nakano.

Over the course of three days, student groups of 3-5 members conducted research on
topics related to the syllabus and presented their results in front of the class. (Photo:Aprilia Agatha Gunawan)

Classroom discussions were an integral part of this course. Afterevery topic, the class was divided into groups of 4–5 students andgiven thought-provoking questions. Having students from diverse
backgrounds led to interesting conversations and exchange of ideas.
For Gris Luo, a Journalism bachelor student from Sichuan
University, China, it was one of the highlights of the course — “WhatI liked the most about these classes was having both teachers andstudents respect your ideas, even if you are not fluent in English.”Vibrant discussions took place after every major topic. The students were encouraged
to talk to new people each time, thus exposing themselves to ideas from all over theworld. (Photo: Aprilia Agatha Gunawan)

Xu Yiyan, a Literature student also from Sichuan University,commented, “There have been many heated discussions about
feminism on the Internet in China, which aroused my interest in
gender studies. However, I have never studied it systematically. I
hope this course can set up a framework for my understanding ofgender and feminism.” Her sentiments were shared by manystudents. In some countries, discussions on gender and sexuality are
not encouraged, so courses like Gender Studies offered by HSI gave
many students a safe platform to talk about their experiences. Xu
also shared that she was almost moved to tears several times during
the class — a testament to the impact of this course on students.

Many questions were put to the class, giving students the chance to share theirthoughts and beliefs. The classroom was filled with healthy debates and a safe, openminded atmosphere was created for discussions. (Photo: Aprilia Agatha Gunawan)

Gender studies is a toolkit and a perspective for understanding theworld. Participants in this course were encouraged to evaluate howtheories and approaches used in gender studies can be used to study
other subjects. Using contemporary social issues from inside andoutside of Japan, the course showed how assumptions are madeabout each gender in different situations and how that can massively
change life experiences. The class raised questions about how theseassumptions were created, who was making these assertions, how
they shaped the past and the present, and how we can use thatknowledge to change the future for the better.
A Taiwanese medical student from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung
University, Wu Chia Yen commented, “As a man, I don’t get a lot ofopportunities to talk about gender issues, so I am happy I took thisclass. I liked how Professor Nakano delivered the course with a verybroad understanding of gender studies.”
With the Hokkaido Summer Institute courses running until October,
students are enjoying this summer season by opting for multiple
subjects. The complete course catalog for 2023 can be found here .

Social Change: Gender Studies saw healthy participation from both Hokkaido
University and its partner universities. (Photo: Aprilia Agatha Gunawan)

Written by Gauri Kaushik (Student Writing Intern)