Job Opening: Japanese literary study, Yale University

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Paula

job opening - 5The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University seeks to hire a scholar in the field of Japanese literary study who concentrates in any period from 1600 to the present. We encourage applications from scholars with any area of specialization, but we particularly encourage those with expertise in gender and sexuality studies, theater studies, media studies, or history of the book. This is an open-rank search, with appointment at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor, commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications. Duties include teaching and advising at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

More information on the department can be found at eall.yale.edu.

For questions about the position, please contact Professor Edward Kamens (edward.kamens@yale.edu), Chair of the Search Committee.

Administrative questions should be directed to Maura Turner (maura.turner@yale.edu).

Submit letter of application, curriculum vitae, a chapter-length writing sample prepared for anonymous reading, and three letters of references through Interfolio athttps://apply.interfolio.com/36703

Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled.

Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, faculty, and staff. Applications from women, members of minority groups, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are particularly welcome.

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Call for Papers: International Federation for Research on Women’s History

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Travis

The 12th Conference of the International Federation for Research on Women’s History/ Federation Internationale Pour la Recherche en Histoire des Femmes (IFRWH/FIRHF)
August 12-15, 2018
University of California, Santa Barbara

Submissions accepted 1 Nov 2016 until 15 March 2017

The theme, “Transnationalisms, Transgressions, Translations: Conversations and Controversies,” probes the meanings of boundaries and frameworks, narratives and epistemologies, analytic terms and foundational categories, global, national and local understandings, interactions and power relations across time and space. We are open to proposals for complete panels (chair, commentator, three papers) as well as individual papers, roundtables, conversations, workshops, and non-traditional forms of presentation. This will be the first time that this international gathering of historians of women and gender will assemble in the United States.

*Transnationalisms: This sub-theme reflects the international turn in this era of globalization and the commitment of IFRWH/FIRHF to international histories and comparative panels in such areas as women’s and gendered movements, transnational organizations and global governance, state socialist and third world /global South manifestations, settler societies and Empires, imperialisms and colonialisms, anti-imperialism and anti-imperial uprisings, global labor, individual life trajectories, the traveling across space (and time) of ideas and objects, labor and sex trafficking, mobilities and immigration/migration, and related areas.

*Transgressions: This sub-theme considers the ways various peoples over time and space define the transgressive from dominant and accepted norms of being, identity and behavior as well as the self-conscious transgressions against hegemonic gender in relation to other social factors. Papers might consider outlaws and criminalization, deviancy, rebelliousness, genderqueer and trans*gender identities and practices, witches, “bad” mothers, gender bending dress or labor, crossing race/ethnic or class/caste lines, revolutions and social movements.

*Translations: How do terms of analysis travel across languages, disciplines, and time and space? What is lost in translation and how can we forge a transnational praxis when we cannot always speak well to each other? We are especially interested in the place of orality and how national historiographies and cultures of intellectual life (including the place of women’s and gender history and feminist and gender studies/theory) address concepts like gender, race/ethnicity, class, sexualities, agency, identity, power, (post)colonialism, globalization, feminisms, and development.

Founded in 1987, IFRWH is affiliated with the International Congress of Historical Sciences/Comité Internationale des Sciences Historiques and consists of national affiliates from across the globe, which link scholars together in a transnational network. Beginning in 2020, it will award the Ida Bloom-Karen Offen Book Prize in Transnational Women’s and Gender History (named after two of the most active founders of the organization.) Though the language of the conference is English, and the languages of the organization are French and English, we will seek to have plenaries with translation into Spanish and from French and Spanish into English. But we want to problematize this issue and invite suggestions on how to make this component of the conference accessible. In addition, as funding permits, we will plan on having modest subventions for graduate students, and scholars from areas of the world or institutions without resources.

Our submission link will go alive by November 1, 2016; we will accept proposals until March 15, 2017. Send inquiries to: ifrwh18@gmail.com

Posted in announcements, conferences, graduate school | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Premodern Japanese humanities, Harvard University

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Paula
job opening - 5The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University is conducting a search for a tenure-track position in premodern Japanese humanities. We are particularly interested in applications from scholars in pre-Tokugawa history, pre-Meiji literature, and other fields of the humanities whose work complements that of current faculty at Harvard. The deadline for applications is October 17, 2016. More details on the position, including the portal for submitting application materials, can be found at http://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/7048.
Position Description:  The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations seeks to appoint a tenure-track professor in pre-modern Japanese humanities. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2017. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Applications from scholars working in pre-Tokugawa history or pre-Meiji literature are particularly encouraged, but we also welcome applications from other humanists whose work complements that of our current Japanese studies faculty.
Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Contact Information:  Chair, Pre-modern Japanese Humanities Search Committee, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, 2 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Contact Email: chaireal@fas.harvard.edu
Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Regional and Cultural Studies-Asia, Air University (U.S. Air Force)

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Paula

job opening - 5United States Air Force, Air Force Culture and Language Center
Assistant Professor of Regional and Cultural Studies – Asia

Location: Alabama, United States

The U.S. Air Force Culture and Language Center at Air University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Regional and Cultural Studies – Asia. The successful applicant will join a growing interdisciplinary department that develops cross-culturally competent military personnel, providing both deep cultural/regional expertise and general, transferable frameworks that students can employ anywhere they are deployed.

We seek an individual with expertise in the Asia-Pacific region who has conducted grounded intercultural and/or ethnographic field research in one or more of the sub regions of Asia (South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia).  An earned Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., anthropology, cultural or religious studies, social or cross-cultural psychology, sociology, etc.), as well as post-secondary teaching experience and regional language proficiency, is required.  The successful candidate must demonstrate, through application materials and interview, the ability to teach and mentor professional military students; bring diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives into the classroom; establish a sustainable, productive research program; and function professionally in a highly collaborative, diverse organization.

Air University is a Level V post-secondary institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. We are located on Maxwell Air Force Base, adjacent to historic Montgomery, Alabama. Students include officer and enlisted members of the US Air Force and other Services, representatives of international/allied armed forces, and government civilians.

The Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) leads the U.S. Air Force in building a cross-culturally competent Total Force to meet the demands of its dynamic global mission. From online courses that reach over 2,000 Airmen annually to smaller, graduate-level seminars, faculty members design and teach both core and elective courses across Air University schools/ programs; e.g., Air War College (AWC), Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), etc.

Teaching will primarily include leading graduate seminars in one’s area of expertise, developing curricula for undergraduate and graduate-level instruction, delivering lectures on relevant regional and cultural topics, advising student research, and assessing student learning. Teaching may also include facilitating online courses, developing curricula for online instruction, and conducting faculty development on intercultural competence for other Air University schools and programs. Research activities will include designing and conducting original scholarly studies and publishing results in academic and professional venues.  Service will include establishing and maintaining professional relationships with colleagues across Air University, with other government agencies, and with civilian academic institutions; and serving on Air University and AFCLC committees.

In addition to the requirements outlined above, applicants must hold U.S. citizenship at the time of application; be eligible for a security clearance; and be able to travel in order to qualify for consideration.  To apply, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, and contact information for at least three references.  Applicants may apply at www.usajobs.gov (announcement # AFCLC06-16).

For additional information, visit the Center’s website at culture.af.mil or contact the search committee chair, Lt Col Todd Butler at todd.butler@us.af.mil and334-953-7862.

Contact:Lt Col Todd Butler, todd.butler@us.af.mil or 334-953-7862

Website: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/445997000

 

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Call for Papers: Twenty-Third Annual Japan Studies Association Conference

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Paula

Twenty-Third Annual Japan Studies Association Conference
5-7 January 2017
Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawai’i

In January 2017 we will meet in Honolulu to share our continuous and new pedagogical and research interests in Japan’s literary and cultural traditions, historical and economic developments, sociopolitical and religious past and present. We invite proposals for individual presentations, discipline-specific or interdisciplinary panels, roundtables on pedagogy and teaching innovation and staged readings.

The following themes can serve as useful points of departure:

  • Cultural memory: historical perspectives, enduring challenges, possibilities for the future;
  • The legacy of Fukushima and nuclear futures — healing and persistent challenges;
  • Pre-modern, modern or contemporary Japanese literature and culture;
  • Performance traditions and contemporary practice: music, theater, film;
  • Japanese aesthetics and material culture;
  • Historical, social, economic or political perspectives on Japan’s relationships with its national self and neighbors;
  • Multicultural identities in Japan;
  • Japan’s religious traditions, sacred texts and architecture;
  • Youth and popular culture in Japan; manga and anime;
  • Pedagogy, field trips and study tours: teaching Japanese language and culture – reflections and strategies, hurdles and achievements;
  • Infusing Japanese Studies into the undergraduate curriculum – successful course/program development, faculty collaboration and ways to engage with institutional core goals;
  • New voices in Japanese Studies: graduate student research.

We encourage both east-west and inter-Asian comparative perspectives as well as panels that center on the discussion of a common text, approached from the points of view of various disciplines.

Submitting an abstract or a panel proposal

Abstracts for an individual presentation (approx. 250 words) or proposals for a themed panel, roundtable or staged reading (approx. 500 words) should be submitted via JSA’s website, http://www.japanstudies.org/2017-conference-honolulu-hawaii.html, by September 26, 2016.

For more information, please contact the Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Dr. Maggie Ivanova, Flinders University (Australia): maggie.ivanova@flinders.edu.au
Dr. Andrea Stover, Belmont University (USA): andrea.stover@belmont.edu

Contact Info:

Dr Maggie Ivanova
Vice President, Japan Studies Association
Director of Studies, Drama
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia

Posted in announcements, conferences, graduate school | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Japanese History, Cornell University

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution: Cornell University
Location: New York, United States
Position: Tenure Track Faculty

The Department of History at Cornell University seeks applicants for an open-rank, tenure-track position in the history of Japan, period of specialization open, to begin July 2017.  We are particularly interested in candidates who can place the archipelago within regional and global contexts as well as situate their research and teaching around inter-disciplinary themes. Teaching responsibilities will include surveys in Japanese history, graduate and undergraduate courses in Japanese history, and courses in the candidate’s specific area of expertise. They must have their Ph.D. in hand by July 1, 2017. The appointment will commence on July 1, 2017. Please send letter of application, curriculum vitae, and three references byOctober 1, 2016 to Academic Jobs online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7524.  Cornell is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and underrepresented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resources on Sexual Assault in Japan

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Paula

It is an unfortunate reality that sexual crimes occur all over the world, no matter where you live or who you are. In Japan, where sexual crimes are seldom discussed openly, crime is perceived as far lower than other countries, and problematic biases in the legal system make it difficult for victims of such attacks to seek help, it can be even more difficult for people who cannot speak enough Japanese to obtain help on their own. Below I am providing a list of resources specific to sexual assault and crimes against women based on recent web searches and from the advice of colleagues. The US embassy also has more helpful information for victims of domestic abuse, which can be found here. It is also unfortunate that the majority of English-language services (particularly those you can go to in person) are limited to the Tokyo area, but there are hotlines and online options open to anyone listed as well.

I encourage everyone to take note of these resources and pass them along to those who have been or could potentially be affected by sexual violence, and please do add to this list any other services you know to be helpful.

===

Crisis/Counseling Centers and Hotlines

Tokyo Rape Crisis Center
http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/?page_id=67
http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/

The Tokyo Rape Crisis Center provides telephone counseling to female victims of sexual violence. They provide medical and legal information to help victims figure out their next steps. Unfortunately, they have limited hours of availability for calls and English-language assistance is limited (but possible); they have an answering machine service if you cannot reach them directly at the time.

TELL: Tokyo English Life Line
http://telljp.com/

TELL is a Tokyo-based non-profit that offers English-language counseling support, including confidential phone counseling for a variety of mental health services. They regularly deal with cases involving sexual assault, and offer face-to-face counseling options as well. They deal a wide variety of issues and can be contacted via their online form. They also have a counseling services directory that covers many different parts of Japan.

Sexual Assault Relief Centre (SARC)
https://sarc-tokyo.org/

The website is in Japanese only, but occasional English-language support is available. SARC can direct people to medical assistance, help with reporting, and connect people with legal specialists.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)
https://www.rainn.org/

RAINN offers a toll-free 24/7 hotline for sexual assault counseling and referrals: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).  RAINN also offers a hotline that provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual violence, their friends, and families over RAINN’s website.  Their immediate services are not international, but the Online Hotline is free of charge and is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Counseling Center for Women
https://ccwjp.net/

The Counseling Center for Women offers confidential multilingual support for women in Japan on a variety of personal issues. Tel: 050-1501-2803, Monday to Friday, 10:00 – 17:00

Women’s Hotline (counselling – legal and psychological support) [source]

Yokohama: English and Chinese: (04) 4271-0091

Japan Helpline
http://www.jhelp.com/index_top.html

Every day (24 hours) Toll Free: 0120-46-1997

Consultation Service for Criminal Incidents Involving Foreigners [source]

Weekdays (9am-5pm) English, Japanese (& other languages): 0592-23-2030

Tokyo Crime Victim Hotline (by Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department – Japanese only) [source]

TEL: 03-3597-7830. Services available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. weekdays.

Emergency Interpretation Service (for Medical Institutions) [source]

Tokyo: Mon-Fri (5pm-10pm): (03) 5285-8185

AMDA: International Medical Information Center (Kanto) Tokyo
https://en.amda.or.jp/content/content0044.html

Everyday (9am-8pm) English (Thai, Chinese, Korean & Spanish): 03-5285-8088

AMDA: International Medical Information Center (Kansai) Osaka
http://amda-imic.com/

Mon-Fri (10am-5pm) English (Chinese Spanish and Portuguese – call for availability): 050-3598-7574

Pathways to Safety International
https://pathwaystosafety.org/

Pathways to Safety International specializes in serving Americans experiencing interpersonal and gender based violence abroad.  The offer services such as safety relocation, specialized international safety planning, referrals to seasoned international family law attorneys experienced with the Hague and international child custody cases, international transition services, and assistance with housing and other basic needs when a survivor has left their abuser, whether back in the United States or in another area of the world.

Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims
https://lhj.jp/english

Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims is an NPO that works to eliminate the issue of human trafficking, especially sex trafficking, in Japan. Lighthouse aims to eliminate human trafficking in Japan by: providing confidential consultation services for survivors of human trafficking via a toll-free multilingual hotline, email, and LINE”; educating and training law enforcement and government officials to recognize human trafficking survivors and investigate cases; organizing awareness campaigns and seminars to help bring more attention to the issue of human trafficking and encourage change in society.

General

The general number for the Japanese police in case of an emergency is 110. The number for an ambulance is 119. To ask for an English speaker to assist you, you can say: “Eigo de onegai shimasu.”

The Tokyo English-speaking police can be reached by telephone at: 03-3501-0110

The US Embassy page on crime in Japan offers a number of links to help people call and report crimes. They give some specific instructions on how to call the police, fire department, etc. for specific and immediate emergencies.

The Embassy also maintains an informational page about crime proceedings in Japan. They also list many organizations that can assist foreigners with legal, medical and daily life issues. There is also a section for crime support for Okinawa residents at the bottom of the page that includes rape-specific needs.

The UK Embassy has created this resource for UK residents. It has a helpful guide on what steps one might go through when visiting the police or reporting a crime.

Survivors United is a resource that assists survivors of sexual assault by active duty service members or are loved ones of those impacted by sexual assault within the military. This group may be especially useful for those in Okinawa or on military bases in other locations in Japan. Facebook site (with contact information) can be found here.

The US Department of State incudes a page with contact information for you to contact your nearest embassy for assistance in the event that you have been a victim of a crime. They cannot investigate crimes, provide legal services, serve as interpreters, or pay any fees. But they can: replace a stolen passport; contact family, friends, or employers; obtain appropriate medical care; address emergency needs that arise as a result of the crime; explain the local criminal justice process; obtain information about your case; connect you to local and U.S.-based resources to assist victims of crime; obtain information about any local and U.S. victim compensation programs available; and provide a list of local lawyers who speak English.

For US Army Japan residents, see the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) and hotline.

For list of major Japanese hospitals, see Japan Visitor‘s list.

For a list of international Japanese hospitals, see Japan Hospital Search for International Patients.

===

Have any more resources to add? Please email us at shinpai.deshou@gmail.com or leave us a comment below!

Posted in main posts, study abroad, useful links | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Funding: Grants for Ukiyo-e Research at Ota Memorial Museum of Art

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Travis

As one of the preeminent museums specializing in ukiyo-e, the Ōta Memorial Museum of Art, in Shibuya, Tokyo, has been offering grants for budding ukiyo-e researchers for many years.

Eligibility: Anyone who is interested in ukiyo-e can apply for this grant.
Funds: up to 1,000,000 yen (100万円)
Deadline of submission: October 31, 2016

Application Procedure

Please send the application form according to the standard format by registered mail together with your resume or CV, outline of your research theme (1000 words maximum), and particulars of necessary expenses of research. The standard format can be downloaded from our web site. Though the application form in English is acceptable, writing in Japanese is better in order to understand your research theme more accurately. The papers will not be returned.

Address:
Office for Grant on Ukiyo-e Research
Ota Memorial Museum of Art
1-10-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0001 JAPAN

*Winners will be notified in Feburary 2017.
*Grants will be presented to one or two winners (either individuals or groups) in March 2017.
*Within one year of receiving the grant, grantees should submit the results of the research to the museum. Grantees should put priority in publishing in the museum’s bulletin, over publishing that research elsewhere.

This same information can be found as a single-sheet flyer here. It can also be found on the museum’s website in English, and in Japanese, along with the Japanese-language version of the application form.

Posted in announcements, funding, graduate school | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Announcement: Intimacy and Reproduction in Contemporary Japan

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Paula

ICJIntimacy and Reproduction in Contemporary Japan
By Genaro Castro-Vázquez
© 2016 – Routledge

214 pages | 1 B/W Illus.

https://www.routledge.com/Intimacy-and-Reproduction-in-Contemporary-Japan/Castro-Vazquez/p/book/9781138640443

About the Book

This book presents an ethnographic investigation of intimate and reproductive behaviour in current Japanese society, grounded in the viewpoints of a group of Japanese mothers. It adopts a new approach in studying the decreasing fertility rates which are contributing to the ageing population in modern Japan. Based on the accounts of 57 married Japanese women, it employs symbolic interactionism as a framework to examine the various factors affecting decision-making on childbirth. The influence of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs), abortion and contraception in the daily interactions and experiences of the mothers are analysed to offer a new perspective on the Japanese demographic conundrum. With strong contextual information as the foundation, the book contributes fresh insight into how Japanese women perceive the idea of childbirth in a modernized society, and also assists our understanding of the factors causing Japan’s ageing population. Further, it places the mothers’ experiences within current global debates to highlight the salience of the Japanese case.

As the first book to provide an in-depth examination of the social process underpinning the decision to become a mother in Japan, it will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese culture and society, Gender Studies, and Sociology.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1 The Demographic Cliff
2 Researching Intimacy and Reproduction
3 Unintended Pregnancies
4 Intended Pregnancies
5 Assisted Pregnancies
6 Middle-class Pregnancies
Conclusion

Posted in announcements, culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Asian Religions, Occidental College

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution: Occidental College, Religious Studies
Location: California, United States
Position: Assistant Professor

The Department of Religious Studies at Occidental College invites applications for a tenure-track position to begin August 2017. We seek a scholar with expertise in Asian religions.  We welcome applications from scholars specializing in East or South Asia. The successful candidate will be hired at the Assistant rank; we welcome applications from recent PhDs, as well as scholars who have been teaching for several years.

Strong candidates will be able to teach a range of courses attractive to liberal arts students, including an introductory course in Buddhist traditions, courses in the first-year Cultural Studies Program, and courses that can cross-list with other departments. Strong candidates will possess a record of teaching experience and success.

Strong candidates will also possess a record of, or potential for, robust scholarly research and publications and will be prepared to actively participate in long-range departmental planning.

The Department of Religious Studies and Occidental College are committed to supporting the academic excellence of our diverse student body.  We actively seek candidates equipped to further our mission with their teaching, scholarship, and/or service.

Occidental College is a highly-selective, urban liberal arts college recognized for its diverse student body, its commitment to academic excellence and equity, and its undergraduate research programs. Named one of America’s most beautiful campuses, the College is situated in the vibrant neighborhoods of Eagle Rock and Highland Park in Northeast Los Angeles. As one of the few urban liberal arts colleges in the country, Occidental affords students and faculty unique engagement with communities, cultural institutions, and academic resources throughout Los Angeles.

Occidental College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants because of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, or sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal Law.We strongly encourage underrepresented minorities, women, and LGBTQIA+ candidates to apply.

Candidates should send their application as an electronic file to Ms. Marguerite Dessornes atmdessornes@oxy.edu. A complete application will include the following materials: (1) a cover letter detailing your interest in teaching at Occidental, a liberal arts institution with a mission of equity and excellence; a discussion of your research; and a description of your teaching experience; (2) a statement of teaching philosophy including how your pedagogy creates an equitable learning environment for a racially, ethnically, socio-economically, and culturally diverse student body; (3) a list and brief descriptions of courses you could teach at Oxy; (4) evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as, student evaluations, peer teaching reviews, or other data if available); (5) a sample of your scholarly work; (6) Curriculum Vitae; and (7) three confidential letters of recommendation, with at least one attesting to your teaching.

Review of applications will begin on October 14, 2016.  Interviews of semi-finalists will be held over Skype.

Inquires about the position or about the Religious Studies department can be directed to the Chair, Prof. Kristi Upson-Saia: upsonsaia@oxy.edu

 

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment