Policy Studies Forum II / Cultural Interaction in East-Asia: Problematics and Possibilities in the Twenty-First Century

December 14: David Walker, “Australia in Asia: Race, Region, and Identity.” Notes to follow.

December 7: Professor Sadria set forth an understanding of methodological and epistemological premises for our work in the social and human sciences. Notes to follow.

November 16: John Clammer, “Cultural Policy and Cultural Change in East Asia: A Comparative Perspective.” Notes to follow.

November 9: Professor Yuzo Itagaki’s lecture “Identity Choosing in Cultural Dynamics for Japan: A Perceptional Approach in Historical Perspective” was a wideranging historical account of Japanese identifications with and perceptions of the world from the classical period to the present. A page linking to his provocative and beautifully-presented illustrations, and further summary of the lecture, will follow here soon.

We were honored with Professor Itagaki’s presence, and also with the attendance of Professor Massoud Daher of the Lebanese University in Beirut and Professor Abderrahim Benhadda of Mohammad V University in Rabat.

In the November 16 meeting of the Forum we will be joined by Professor John Clammer of Sophia University, Tokyo, for his lecture “Cultural Change in East Asia: A Comparative Perspective.” As always, all with an interest are welcome to attend.

November 2: University festival, no Forum meeting.

October 26: Our discussion of Professor Miyashita’s lecture focused on the methodological issues discussed in the lecture and the nature of the concept of “national interest.”

October 19: We were honored to have Professor Akitoshi Miyashita of Tokyo International University speak to us about his recent research, in a lecture titled “Reactive State Revisited: Japan Between America and Asia.” Professor Miyashita outlined methodological problems in the dominant post-war understandings of Japanese foreign policy, and set forth a view that Japanese foreign policy is largely reactive rather than proactive, because of Japan’s structural and “asymmetric” dependence on the United States for security and as an export market.

In the October 26 Forum we shall discuss Professor Miyashita’s lecture. The Forum will not meet November 2 because of the University festival. On November 9 we will be joined by Professor Yuzo Itagaki, who will speak on “Identity Choosing in Cultural Dynamics for Japan.”

October 12: Discussion of Professor Iriye’s October 5 lecture. Students are reminded that the October 19 Forum, Akitoshi Miyashita speaking on “Reactive State Revisited: Japan between America and Asia,” will be from 4:35 to 6:05 instead of the usual time.

October 5: In our first invited lecture of the Autumn term we had the pleasure to host Professor Akira Iriye, who spoke on “Cultural Globalization in East Asia.” Professor Iriye defined a broad perspective of globalization and called for moral leadership in East-Asian societies in order to embed a sense of an East-Asian regional community.

In the October 12 Forum participants will discuss Professor Iriye’s stimulating talk. This will be followed October 19 with the second of our invited lectures, by Akitoshi Miyashita, “Reactive State Revisited: Japan between America and Asia.”

September 28: The schedule of five invited lectures in the Forum and two related lectures in the Cultural Studies Open Seminar has been posted, here. In this first official meeting of the Forum Professor Ewick outlined the frame in which our considerations of Cultural Interaction in East Asia will be placed, with an informal lecture on “Cultural Theory and Cultural Change.” A brief written overview of the subject as we see it may be found here.

The first of our invited lectures will take place next week. We are honored to have Professor Akira Iriye speak to us on “Cultural Globalization in East Asia.” We hope that students will have read at least the closing chapters of Professor Iriye’s Global Community (University of California Press, 2002) in advance of the lecture.

September 21: Distribution and discussion of the Forum description; discussion of Forum themes, expectations, and possibilities. Professor Ewick shall begin the lectures September 28 with “Cultural Theory and Cultural Change.” This will be followed October 5 by Akira Iriye, “Cultural Globalization in East Asia.”