About CGraSS

Mission

The Center for Gender Research and Social Sciences (CGraSS) was founded as: 1) an interdisciplinary research center that combines the methods of social sciences and gender studies and 2) an educational entity that oversees the introduction of gender studies into the curriculum at Hitotsubashi University. Following this two-pronged approach to scholarly exchange and education, the Center aims to educate students to be successful, progressive researchers and/or citizens working to advance gender equality.

CGraSS consists of three divisions:

1) Research Division

In addition to furthering graduate student education through collaborative research projects outlined in “Advanced Research Projects” (determined by the Graduate School of Social Sciences), the members of CGraSS also undertake individual research. The 2010 edited volume, Gender and Society: History of Masculinities, Military and Sexuality (Kimoto Kimiko and Kido Yoshiyuki, eds.) presented the research results of a large number of graduate students in addition to those of faculty members, and was the outcome of “Advanced  Research Project 7—Gender as Everyday Practice and Method” (2006–2008). This division aims to create new horizons in social science methodology by complicating its existing methods with perspectives on gender, and disseminating its research outcomes through publication. In 2017, Inheriting Gender Studies (Sato Fumaka and Ito Ruri, eds.), the outcome of “Advanced Research Project 14—The Past, the Present, and the Future of Gender Studies in Japan” (2014-2016) was published. This work aims to describe herstories/histories of gender studies in Japan through intersectional and intergenerational interviews with 21 of ”pioneer” scholars.

2) Division for Scholarly Exchange

This division administers a lecture series featuring both domestic and international scholars. It  also holds symposia, during which students and scholars may present their latest research. Our goal is to connect researchers, research institutions, and students in gender studies from all over the world.

3) Gender Education Program (GenEP) Division

This division is responsible for education in gender studies at Hitotsubashi University, from General Education to Foundation and Applied courses in undergraduate and graduate programs. By integrating up-to-date research conducted by the Research Division or featured in our lecture series and symposia, Gender Education Program provides an additional platform for the further dissemination of our work.

Go to top of page

History

The Center for Gender Research and Social Sciences (CGraSS) was established by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University on April 1st 2007. It has its roots in the Gender Education Program Project (“Proposal for a General Education Program at Hitotsubashi University to encourage gender equity”) of 2005 to 2006. The Center’s mission is to integrate social sciences and gender studies research, so that both fields may be expanded and enriched.

The GenEP project was funded by Hitotsubashi University’s Grant for Restructuring and Improvement of Education and Research. Under its auspices, the faculty worked to tailor an educational program that was suitable to the needs of the University and its students, while adhering to the standards of scholarship expected of advanced research institutions both at home and abroad. In keeping with the University’s institutional identity as a center for research and education specializing in social sciences, in which the social sciences are envisioned as a discipline fundamental to the interrogation and improvement of civil society, faculty members worked to expand the boundaries of social science research by introducing perspectives on gender. The 2006 Advanced Research Project 7, “Gender as Everyday Practice and Method” comprised one step towards the goal of integrating social science research and gender studies.

The Center for Gender Research and Social Sciences was established in the hope of bringing new perspectives to social science research, but also continues to pursue the goals originally outlined in the Gender Education Program. Hence, GenEP continues to be an active division of the Center, constituting an additional platform for the introduction of new research on gender into the University’s undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Go to top of page

Organizational structure

The representative, in conjunction with the Center’s executive committee, oversee and approve: 1) the annual budget and statement of accounts and 2) annual proposals for Center activities. In addition, the representative and committee considers the appointment of new members to the executive committee. The executive committee consists of representatives from the Educational Division, Research Division, and Financial and Administrative Affairs. The list of center representatives follows:

Go to top of page

Members (as of April 1st 2020)

Representative

Administrative role	Name	Affiliation	Research field
Representative	KIDO, Yoshiyuki	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Studies in Social History	American History
Representative	NAKAI, Asako	Language and Society	English Literature

Executive Committee

Education Division Representative	IKAWA, Chitose	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Philosophy	English Literature
Education Division Representative; Pride Forum	Ota, Miyuki	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Reshaping Society, Advancing Human Development, Global Issues Course	Comparative and international education, Non-formal education, Adult education
Research Division Representative	KO, Ikujo/HUNG, Yuru	Graduate School of Social Sciences: Humanities and Philosophy	Social History of Modern Taiwan
Financial and Administrative Affairs Representative	SATO, Fumika	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Studies of Social Structure and Socio-Cultural Transformation	Gender Studies

Members (Research Division)

	ITO, Ruri	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Emeritus Professor	International Sociology and Gender Studies
	OZAKI, Masataka	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Reshaping Society, Advancing Human Development	Sociology of Sport
	KATO, Keiki	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Studies in Social History	Asian History
	KIMOTO, Kimiko	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Emeritus Professor	Sociology and Social Research
	KOIDO, Akihiro	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Studies of Social Structure and Socio-Cultural Transformation	International Sociology
	SAKA, Natsuko	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Reshaping Society, Advancing Human Development	Sociology of Sport
	SAKAMOTO, Hiroko	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Emeritus Professor	Intellectual and Cultural History of Modern China
	NAKANO, Satoshi	Graduate School  of Social Sciences, Studies in Social History, Global Education Program	History of International Relations
	YASUKAWA, Hajime	Graduate School  of Social Sciences, Human Practice	Sociological Theory, Visual Sociology, Communication Study
	YAMADA, Tetsuya	Graduate School of Social Sciences, Reshaping Society, Advancing Human Development	Sociology of Education
	AHMADJIAN, Christina L.	Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Business Management Program	Sociology of Organizations
	TAKEUCHI, Kan	Graduate School of Economics, Public Economics	Experimental Economics, Behavioral Economics
	YOKOYAMA, Izumi	Graduate School of Economics, Public Economics	Labor Economics, Applied Econometrics
	MORIGUCHI, Chiaki	Institute of Economic Research, Research Division of Comparative and World Economics	Economic History, Comparative Institutional Analysis, Economics of Family, Economics of Organizations
	LEE, Yeounsuk	Graduate School of Languages and Society	Linguistics of Modern Japan, Cultural Studies of Modern East Asia
	INOUE, Mayumo	Graduate School of Languages and Society	American literature, Post-colonial studies, Aesthetic Theory
	KAWAMOTO, Reiko	Graduate School of Languages and Society	Anglophone Cultures
	KOIWA, Shinji	Graduate School of Languages and Society	Musicology, Western Music History
	NAGATSUKA, Makoto	Graduate School of Law, Theories of Law and Language, Corporate and Economic Law	Copyright Law, French Law, Intellectual Property Law
	MATSUZUKA, Yukari	MORI Arinori Center for Higher Education and Global Mobility	Sociology of Education, Public economics, Economic Policy, Pedagogy
	TSUGE, Michiko	Student Support Center	Psychology

Go to top of page