IGWS Newsletter Vol. 25

Report on the 18th IGWSS seminar

Report on the 18th seminar: “Career Design and Gender”
（Speaker: Dr. MUNEKATA Hisako. Profrssor of The Department of Psychology, Kijyo Gakuin University）

　‘Career' which was once used as a word to show one's record, history or previous occupational expertise, has recently become regarded as the ‘way of life’itself.With these career issues in the spotlight, the requirements for the ‘Development of Independent Career’is being sought by acute changes in people's working-styles and life-styles.

　So, What are the necessary factors to design a career of one's own? We have to ask ourseves “am I living in my own unique way?”― career design is the self-actualization in each individual's life; it is the most important thing in pursuing an individual career.

　Questing for and deciding on a career is a key challenge in one's youth, and one which continually change shape through one's life. One's career in the futere is shaped by raising self-awareness of ‘what one wants to do the most’and ‘the field in which one has the most ability.

　Here are some of the audience's remarks on the lecture: ‘What is important is to be fulfilled in life ― there are many different reason behind and types of career to choose from.’‘To carve out my pwn path through my effort and action is a good way to desig my individal career.’‘Making many mistakes along the way, the most important thing in the end is to create wonderful life of my own’. The lecture seemed to encopurage and inspire students to follow their own path in life.

Report on the 19th seminar: “If I were you …: What I think during interviews”
（Speaker: Ms.Michiyo OHWAKI. TV director at Chukyo TV Broadcasting）

　OHWAKI Michiyo, who won the women's broadcasting prize from Japan Women's Council for Better Radio and TELevision in 2004, and 2006 art recommending newcomer prize from the Agency for Cultural Affaires, is active journalism as a reporter, director and priducer at Chukyo TV Broadcasting.

　Her career started with studying the relationship between Southeast Asian coutries and Japan, and the experience of ieteracting with people from these coutries, when she was a student. Her lecture as conducted using as the medium, her documentary films. Two of them were focused on Southeast Asia.

　One was about a child born to Filipina mother and Japanese father. The child's innocent gaze that OHWAKI focused on addresses a stronger messages. The other film was about the comfort women in WWⅡ ― she received both good and bad responses when this program was broadcast.

　OHWAKI says she owes she being a journaist to people around her who have tought her the meeting of journalism and the importance of being a journalist. The relationship between the imfirmation provider and recipient is crucial in journalism ― She reports the truth in such a arelationship, not only her personal impressions. Her professionalism as a TV director is “half as a jounelist and half a member of community”.

　We expect she will keep on creating documentaries with a a sharp, international prspectiv.

Report on the meeting discussing graduation theses written from a gender perspective,
held on 29th January, 2008

　For the firt time, IGWS held a report meeting for the graduation theses which are conscious of gender bias. The seven senior students from various realms such as literature, social students and medeia, read the summary of their theses ― comments were given and were asked on the papers by new discoveries by sharing various viewpoints regarding gender, and motivations for study. After the reports, we enjoyed some tea and time for sociable chatting. The names of the reports and reporting students are as follws:

• ANDO, Yohei. “Masculinityin Dracula”
• HORIO, Nami. “Working Women in the United States”
• SAKAGUCHI, Yuu. “What is necessary to change the Japanese Women's M-Shape Working Rate into U-Shape”
• KATO, Ayumi. “The Problem of Child Prostitution in Thailand”
• SUDA, Miwa. “The Declining Birth Rate and the Labour Force in Japan: From the Viewpoint of Women's Social Advance”
• TANI, Miki. “When a Heroine Becomes a Hero: On the Analysis of TBS drama Hanayori Dando”
• ITO, Michiyo. “Worklife Balance: Comparing Japan and Sweden”

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