Shigeto Sonoda
University of Tokyo

Behind the Session Proposal “Globalization” as a Crucial Concept ofSocial Theory : Group on Social Theory,
Sociology Committee, Science Council ofJapan(SCJ) Social Inequality under Globalization:
New Challenges1 Increasing Intellectual Exchange among
East Asian Sociologists: Time forCollaboration?
 Attempts of JSPS’s Asia-Africa Academic
Platform Program, “Frontier ofComparative Studies of Asian Societies”（FCSAS Project)

Challenges of FCSAS ProjectChallenging Three Year Project: Toward
Establishing East Asian Sociology?
1) Asian Sociology Workshop
2) AsiaBarometer Workshop
http://ricas.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/aasplatform/

2Mission of this Session

 Two Questions to be Tackled(1) Can we find some common “East Asiancharacteristics” of social inequality
researches, or are they just an applicationof Western theories?
(2) Is it possible for sociologists in East Asia
to write a common textbook for sociology
students? If not, why, and if yes, how?

More Specific Topics to be Dealt with
(1) How local sociological textbooks in East
Asia are using Western/localized concepts
on social inequality?
(2) How sociological explanations of socialinequality respect global/East Asian
contexts in their textbooks?

3Panelists

Prof. Han Joon (Department ofSociology, Yonsei University)
Prof. Li Chunling (IOS, CASS)
Prof. Michael H.H. Hsiao (IOS,Academia Sinica)
Prof. Lui Tailok (Department ofSociology, University of Hong Kong)

CommentatorProf. Sato Yoshimichi (Department ofSociology, Tohoku University)

4Session Schedule Introduction: 25 Min.
 Four Presentation: 25 Mins. Each Comment: 15 Mins.
 Discussion: 40 Mins.

Japanese Textbooks: Three Cases(1) Do! Sociology

(2) UnderstandingSociology(3) Sociology:
Modernity, Self andReflexivity

5Case (1) Do! Sociology

 Among 11 chapters, one chapter (Chap 5) is used for
explaining inequality「豊かな社会の格差と不平等（Gap and SocialInequality in Affluent Society）」(1) Author: KIKKAWA, Toru (Prof. of Osaka Univ.)(2) Contents:
1.総中流社会から格差・不平等社会へ (From ‘All
Middle Class Society’ to ‘Gap and UnequalSociety’)2. 現代の社会階層( Contemporary Social Stratification)

(3) Key Words: 社会階級social class, 社会階層socialstratification, 社会移動social mobility, 機会と結果の不平 等 inequality of opportunity and inequality ofconsequence, 階層固定化・閉鎖化decrease of interclass mobility(4) Summary: The chapter explains historical changeof social stratification since 1960s and maintains
that economic development in Japan took place
without changing
inequality structure, which
produces
contemporary
inequality
betweengenerations andclasses.

6Case (2) Understanding Sociology

 Among 7 chapters and 34 unites, one chapter (oneunit) is used for explaining inequality「格差社会（Gap Society）」(1) Author: NISHIZAWA, Akihiko (Prof. of Toyo Univ.)(2) Contents:
1. 格差社会論争 Debate on Gap Society
2. 階層 Social Stratification
3. 階級 Social Class
4. 構 造 的 不 均 衡 と イ デ オ ロ ギ ー StructuralImbalance and Ideology
5. 貧者の地獄 Hell of the Poor

(3) Key Words: 権力power 威信 prestige 有名性
fame 階層 social stratification 階級 social class
社会移動 social mobility メリトクラシーmeritocracy
資本家階級 capitalist class 労働者階級 working class
搾 取 exploitation 剰 余 価 値 surplus value 排 除exclusion 包摂 inclusion
福祉国家 welfare state（非）正規雇用 (ir)regular employment 新しい社会運動
new social movement 新 自 由 主 義 neoliberalism(4) Summary: This unit explains basic concept ofsocial inequality and asks the readers to think of thenecessity to “overcome” the “trap of debate on gapsociety”

7Case (3) Sociology: Modernity, Selfand Reflexivity

 Among 16 chapters, one chapter (Chap14) is used forexplaining inequality 「 格 差 と 階 層 （ Gap and SocialStratification）」(1) Author: MACHIMURA, Takashi (Prof. of Hitotsubashi
Univ.)(2) Contents:
1.格差・階層化現象をどう捉えるか How to Grasp Social
Gap/Inequality
2.近代化と階級・階層 Modernization and Social
Class/Stratification
3.格差・階層化の新段階 New Stage of Social Gap/Inequality
4.格差・階層化分析を社会学に取り戻す Bringing Analysis ofSocial Gap/Inequality Back to Sociology

(3) Key Words:
格差・階層化social gap/stratification階級論 social class theory成層論 social stratification theory 属性原理 ascription principle
業績原理 achievement principle 構造効果 structural effect 労働labor フォーディズム Fordism 新国際分業 new international
division of labor 構造調整 structural adjustment
非正規雇
用 irregular employment 文化資本 cultural capital 新自由主
義 neo-liberalism
ハ イ パ ー ・ メ リ ト ク ラ シ ー hypermeritocracy ジニ係数 Gini coefficient 構造化 structuration 階級
状況 class situation アンペイド・ワーク unpaid work 分割し、統 治 せ よ Divide and rule
構造主義的マルクス主義
structuralist Marxism 再生産 reproduction トランスナショナル
な資本家階級 transnational capitalist class
アンダークラス
underclass 社会的排除 social exclusion 都市下層 urban lower
class 「失敗」という現実 reality of “failure” 階級の公共性
public-ness of class 鉄の檻 iron cage8(4) Summary: The chapter regards class/stratification
as a key concept of sociology, explaining importanceoflookingatcontemporarysocietyfromclass/stratification aspects by citing such emerging
phenomena as “collapse of middle class”, unemployedyouth, working poor, b-polarization of class, increase f
foreign workers and so on.

Summary and Points to beDiscussed

(1) Localization of the Concept/Textbook*格差(Gap): Newly Emerging Sociological Concept?
* 非 正 規 雇 用 (Irregular Employment): UniquelyJapanese?
(2) Social Inequality in Global/ East Asian Context*No Foreign Literature Mentioned in Reference inJapanese Textbooks*Similarity/Difference among East Asian Societies:
Exceptional Case of 社会学 Sociology

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