Faculty of Sociology & Social Work

Faculty introduction

Exploring ever-changing contemporary society and enabling the symbiosis of diverse beings

Societies have been enriched and grown through cross-cultural communications. Diversity is a source of global wealth and sustainability. Yet while our society is aware of the importance of diversity, we still struggle with uniformity, fragmentation, and conflict. Neither bonding through interests nor geographical segregation alone is sufficient for symbiosis; what we need is mutual respect, especially for others’ backgrounds and values. To understand people with diverse values, it is also important to understand our own culture and what we are proud of. There is nothing difficult about that; we can acquire such understanding in our relationships with others. For example, there are many things we can learn by researching and discussing how people suffer from inequality and what we can do for them. Accumulating such experiences gives us the power to understand ever-changing society and transform it by ourselves. Please join us in taking a broader look at and thinking about today’s society, in order to realize a future where everyone can live a comfortable life.

Ken Fujikawa, Dean, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work