What kind of subjects do FGS students usually take and what do they learn?
This time, we will introduce the course “American Studies” by Professor Maeshima.

Comment from Professor:

“American Studies” aims for a comprehensive understanding of American politics, diplomacy, and the history, culture, and society behind them. This goal is the same for the courses “American Politics and Diplomacy 1 and 2” that I also teach. In “American Politics and Diplomacy 1 and 2”, we examine American political culture, then analyze individual actors in American politics such as distant parliaments, presidents, and interest groups. In “American Studies”, we examine the democratic development of the United States, its national view, and changes in society using the presidents of the United States as a vertical thread. In other words, it is a class focused on the political history of America.

However, it is not just a mere study of political history; it focuses on political issues,
presidential elections of the time, presidential leadership, and social conditions, examining the political culture of each era. Especially after World War II, in addition to an emphasis on this period, we always try to reflect on it from the perspective of its relationship with current American politics. Attention is also paid to the positioning of features of American society such as race and ethnicity, religion, and geographical diversity in relation to politics, as well as mentioning the impact of mass media. While understanding American politics, we aim to also retain the perspective of comparison with Japan striving to “understand Japanese politics through the study of American politics.”

As with any of my classes, it is more of a semi-seminar than a lecture. Through reaction papers each lecture, the aim is for mutual exchange of opinions between the teacher and students, and among the students themselves. The class is a living entity. Through mutual work and observing the reactions of the students, the class content is flexibly changed. Nevertheless, by the final session, almost everything that should be covered in this course is addressed. The active participation of students is the premise, and I always think “the class is made by the students.”

Class Interview

It is a class comparing successive American presidents. Through their personalities and policies, we learn about the history of American diplomacy. We also deepen our understanding of how the world connects with America through American presidents. (Moe Ono, Third-year, Faculty of Global Studies)

I was interested in how a country like America, which is only 240 years old after its founding, came to be called the “hegemony” and possesses such power. As an international political science major, I also wanted to deepen my understanding of America which has shaped and driven globalization in recent years. (Shiho Konuma, Third-year, Faculty of Global Studies)

The charm of this lecture is, above all, the teacher's personality and the interactive lecture style. Not only are our thoughts as students respected, but through communication with the professor, we can deepen our understanding further. (Risa Yamanaka, Third-year, Faculty of Global Studies)