Media, Communication and Human In/Security

1. Media, Communication and Human In/Security April 13, 2007

2. Introductions • Getting to know one another

3. Yuriko Muramatsu • Studying farmer cooperatives in Thailand • Fieldwork: twice • Using questionnaire • Issue related to organic fertilizer • The NGO is concerned about the ability to grow in their fields • One year exchange in US • Doctorate?

4. Deffi • From Indonesia • Agriculture faculty • Research: “traceability” of farm products from producer to consumer • Applications to Indonesia • Holden: What are the links between information/communication and the traceability?

5. Tamir Tornon • From Mongolia • Focusing on the measurement both quantitatively and qualitatively of globalization • What is globalization? • Appadurai: cultural view of globalization (?) • “scapes”: 6 of them • Financescape: movement of money into and out of a country; influence of money in specific places • What does this have to do with Human In/Security? • Nomadic society might have a different structure than a non-nomadic society (like Japan)

6. Tamir Tornon • Production for subsistence versus production for profit. In-security is created by this change in societal form? Especially because of the role of the state How is this related to the communication? No 2-way flow between the nomads and the State

7. Mami Ishikuro • From Akita • Akita University: Public Health Nursing • Studied midwifery • Specifically, now not yet decided • Possibly, prenatal care • Interesting because it is not only about women, but the family as well • Holden: how is this related to human in/security?

8. Summarizing So Far • Deffi, Tamir, Mami: these research areas all differ, but one of the issues is about how societies survive • By “rationalizing” their social processes • A major part of “rationalization” is the systemizing of communication • Ex: public health aims at creating a stable population, making sure that we don’t lose too many child (by death or else

9. Aung Thi • From Myanmar • Studying public health science for human security • Emphasizing disease control (specifically malaria) in Myanmar • working toward an MA • community mobilization

10. Looking at Disease • The relationship between “germs” and global community • Since we are a global community we carry our diseases from place to place • One of the best examples of this is Spanish explorers like Cortez, whose European germs became diseases for the Central and South Americans • In this class the focus is on STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) like AIDS

11. Oscar Gomez • From Colombia • One year (so far) in Japan • Chemical engineering major (background); with some philosophy, linguistics, history • Once a public health inspector (in Bogata): related to environmental health • Started studying Japanese in school • Got Monbukagasho scholarship • Research: Japanese experience on environmental health since WWII • Focusing on “discourse” and its relation to human security relative to the government’s power

12. Discourse • A word that has been in use for about 20 - 25 years in social science • The word relates to ways of seeing, ways of believing, which enter our public “discussions” in ways that can influence us.

13. Vivian • Comparative Culture • Chinatowns in America • Cultural aspects in these areas • Traditional events like festivals • Traditional structures like family • What does this have to do with Human In/Security? • Most Chinese went to the US as labor • These were men who didn’t have wives • Because of racism/laws they were unable to marry caucasians • Chinese women came over as prostitutes or sex slaves

14. Sociological Dimension • How do formal structures like the State created in/stability? • How do informal structures like the family or a corporation or group (like an NGO) create in/stability? • Non-profit orgs are called NPO

15. What is this class? • Informal • Depend on teamwork • Each week you are going to participate • Blog and each week one of you has to lead a “discussion” on the blog • All of you should comment on it