IGWS Newsletter Vol. 24

  • Report on the 17th IGWS seminar at Aichi Shukutoku University
  • Participants' impressions of the Seminar
  • Introduction of the study: “The aggressiveness of women: An Examination of aggression in relationships”
  • The backrush and the Fujyoshi boom
  • Description of feelings by student who took part in the Aichi International Women's Film Festival 2007 talking session
  • News from IGWS
    Greeting by the new director/ Information on the 19th IGWS Seminar
  • Open Lectures in the Second Seminar (2007) related to Gender and Women studies

Report on the 17th IGWS seminar

The 17th seminar “The Various Ways of Life and Living: The goal of the Gender Equal Society”by Mr. Akira Nakamura, a menber of the committee for the Men's Center Japan.

 How should the role of men be dealt with while women's lib, feminism and women's studies have already been acknowledged? I found men's lib because I thought men were also oppressed socially, and a society which is comfortable for females should also be kind to males.

 However, since my childhood, I have been told to be ‘manly', the social oppression which expects me to kill my feelings as a person. The social oppression of men never allows them to whine or show their feelings, and it sometimes causes a lack of communication and misunderstanding between husband and wife.

The unsymmetrical relationship between men and wemen due to their gender is not a recent phenomenon. A gender problem hides within ‘Date DV', which is now a srious problem among young people. Women overwhelmingly tend to be the victim of the DV, noth physical violence and mental cruelty. And the unfair gender roles can be seen in examples such as when the couple's child suddenly falls ill. The mother is expected by society to be the dedicated nurse for her child, but the father often isn't insted, his gender role means he is expected to work.

Humans in gender equal society must respect each other, not live in a fixed gender role. By respecting the various personalities of people on socaity, not by oppressing each other, I hope to establish a society which is kind to both males and females.

Description of feelings by students who took part in the Aichi International Women's Film Festival 2007 talking session

 ‘Aichi International Women's Film Festival' was held at Will aichi from September 5th to 9th 2007. During the festival many films, exciting movies by women directions, and so on, were show at six places throughout Aichi. ‘Gender in Movies: students' viewpoints' was one of the events. In the talking session, two students from each university (Nanzan University, Sugiyama Women's Univeisity and Aichi Shukutoku University) attended: a male and female student from Aichi Shukutoku University.

 The subject of the session was ‘Women who try to live glamorously: the Gender Image in Sakuran'. The movie Sakuran by Mika Ninagawa is staged on Yukaku, the red-light district, in Yokohama. It is the success story of heroine Kiyoha as a prostitute, and her linging to escape to the world that lay outside of the walled Yoshiwara.

 What does ‘living Glamorously' mean? Here are the impressions of the two students.

  • ‘Living glamorouslu'means to be one's ideal self. There is a mental barrier in the choice of occupation which is a result of the gender role. Recently, diversity is being recognized and some people are trying to live up to this idea. However, the situation has not yet improved. It might be due to difficulties throwing away rigid values. If we can throw them away, we may be able life as opur ideal selves.
  • Sakuran is a movie based on the red-light district in Edo era. I was moved by the strength and the toughness og heroine Kiyoha, who is a prostitute. Becaousse I was the only male in the talking session, I had expected a certain conflict with the other students, who were all female. However, in the session, some of the other participants agreed with my ideas. This showed me that I had tried to lebel them ‘women'and distinguish between ‘them' and ‘me'. After the session, Ibegan to think more about the equality of men and wamen, and I think broadened my horizons through this experience.

News from IGWS

Greeting from the new editor

 Our facility was founded by Dr. Kuninobu and developed by our former director, Dr. Ishida. This is the 12th year of IGWS. The exchange of information with other fasilities has been fulfilled, and we started the project ‘Globalization and Gender' last year, our 10th anniversary year. The results of this project are being used to enrich the gender educational program, and will be sent out nationwaide as the result of our hard work and research. The new study project ‘Education and Gender' is now about to be launched. I hope for your continued kind support for IGWS, a place of education and study.


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