Course Description

In this course, you will learn basically three matters from Politics. The first is "what is politics." Whether or not you have studied, or are studying, politics as an academic discipline have surely nothing to do with if you can become a politician and even a statesman, really! Regardless of this fact, why do we need the study of politics? You will learn the reasons. The second is "what is a welfare state," and this is the main issue of this course. You will study how deeply our daily lives and entire life rely on this type of social system and, despite its very importance mentioned above, what big difficulties it is being faced with now in almost all major countries, including Japan. The third is "what is a nation, and how it is related to a state as an independent country." While we would like saying all human beings are essentially the same and equal, why do we usually do our politics and public welfare including health care, education, and labor policy by a national unit? Are there some necessities to do so or is it so just by chance? We will explore the question. As a result, you will essentially change your perspectives to understand politics and other social problems in reality, and you might radically change your own way to see casual daily scenery surrounding you.