News
JF-GJS Fellow Seminar「市民社会制度化の政治経済学―日韓の民主主義における比較の視点から―」が開催されました
報告
On August 25, 2026, Dr. Yeon-I Kwon, a JF-GJS Fellow and Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo, gave a seminar entitled “The Political Economy of Civil Society Institutionalization: A Comparative Perspective on Democracy in Japan and South Korea.” The seminar was held toward the conclusion of her two-year JF-GJS Fellowship and provided an opportunity to reflect on the research she had conducted during her stay at the Institute, while also discussing the next stage of her ongoing book project based on her doctoral dissertation. The seminar was moderated by Professor Young-Geun Kim, Professor at Korea University and Specially Appointed Professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, with Professor Yoshihiko Takenaka, Vice President and Executive Director for Education at the University of Tsukuba, serving as discussant.
In the first part of the seminar, Dr. Kwon briefly introduced the evolution of her research during the fellowship. Her agenda has centered on Japanese politics and civic engagement, while also addressing related questions of institutional design, policy processes, and East Asian regional dynamics. Rather than recounting individual projects in isolation, she reflected on how these intellectual threads grew from an abiding inquiry into the interplay between political institutions and societal actors.
The core of the presentation focused on adapting her doctoral research for publication as a scholarly book. Dr. Kwon discussed strategies for expanding its analytical scope while preserving the rigor of its original fieldwork and empirical findings. Particular attention was devoted to bridging the initial dissertation questions with broader thematic concerns demanded by a monograph, as well as considering how a comparative perspective might contribute to the development of the book.
Framing the manuscript as a work in progress, Dr. Kwon invited feedback on its overall structure, analytical framing, and comparative perspective. The dialogue thus moved beyond specific case details to engage a fundamental publishing challenge: how a doctoral dissertation can be developed into a scholarly book for a wider academic readership without losing its empirical depth.
Professor Takenaka offered detailed commentary on the manuscript's proposed trajectory. He responded positively to the proposed direction, noting its clearer positioning in relation to existing scholarship, the usefulness of its conceptual framework, and its effort to move beyond overly dichotomous understandings of Japanese civil society. At the same time, he outlined critical issues for publication: delineating a well-calibrated research scope, safeguarding the empirical strengths of the original fieldwork, and navigating the methodological complexities of cross-national inquiry. He also stressed the need to maintain an analytical balance across the selected cases and to articulate explicit criteria for their juxtaposition.
Following Professor Takenaka’s remarks, Professor Kim summarized the discussion and raised further questions regarding the conceptual and empirical groundings of the project. He noted that the historical lens developed in Dr. Kwon’s work effectively enriches prevailing debates on Japanese civil society, while emphasizing the need for robust archival and qualitative evidence to substantiate key theoretical claims. The exchange underscored the broader challenge of integrating micro-level policy analysis with long-term historical and macro-comparative frameworks.
The floor was then opened for questions and comments from the participants. The seminar received 54 registrations, and approximately 25 participants joined in person and online on the day of the event. The session convened scholars and researchers across Japanese politics, civil society, comparative politics, and adjacent disciplines.
Professor Yutaka Tsujinaka, President of Toyo Gakuen University, offered observations on how the concept of “civil society” has been historically constructed and mobilized in Japan. He noted a contrast between the active presence of social and civic organizations at the societal level and the more cautious use of the term “civil society” within official governmental discourse, emphasizing the importance of institutional context in shaping political vocabulary.
Associate Professor Yuki Tanaka of the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia shared insights from her own journey of transforming a doctoral thesis into a scholarly volume. She reflected on the imperative of recalibrating the central inquiry for a broader audience and illustrated how integrating a comparative angle had sharpened her own work. Other participants from across and beyond The University of Tokyo echoed these insights with observations from their own manuscript preparations, sparking a vibrant dialogue on case selection, methodological trade-offs, and interpretive nuances inherent in cross-border research.
Ultimately, the seminar broadened from an appraisal of an individual manuscript into a rich colloquium on the craftsmanship of the academic book. Marking the culmination of Dr. Kwon’s two-year JF-GJS Fellowship, the seminar provided vital insights from the discussant, moderator, and participants that will directly inform the final revisions of her book as it advances toward publication.
開催情報
Date & Time: August 25, 2026, 16:00–17:30 (JST)
Venue: Conference Room 1 (3F), Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo / Online (Zoom)
Title: The Political Economy of Civil Society Institutionalization: A Comparative Perspective on Democracy in Japan and South Korea
Presenter: Dr. Yeon-I Kwon, JF-GJS Fellow / Visiting Researcher, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo
Moderator: Professor Young-Geun Kim, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Discussant: Professor Yoshihiko Takenaka, Vice President and Executive Director for Education, University of Tsukuba
Organizer: JF-GJS Initiative, GAS, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo
登録種別：研究活動記録
登録日時：FriOct208:41:312026
登録者 ：権妍李・GAS事務局・神林
掲載期間：20261005 - 20270104
当日期間：20260825 - 20260825
