The social science dissertation workshop meets next on Thursday April 24 to hear from Anna Skarpelis.* It is her second appearance at the workshop; she is now a PhD candidate in sociology at New York University and a Japan Foundation fellow at the ISS Todai. Her dissertation research is about the origins of welfare states, comparing Germany and Japan. The talk will focus mainly on how authoritarian governance, war mobilization, and economic regulation intersected to shape social policy development during the Japanese interwar and war periods (~1920's - 1945).

Most governments expand and centralize during authoritarian periods and in preparation of war. How does Japan's experience compare to that of other nations? And when war aims clashed with those of authoritarian government, how were these troubles resolved? Anna goes beyond traditional political science approaches by bringing together economic, historical and sociological theories (e.g. Hayek, Polanyi, Tilly, Foucault) to explore mechanisms of welfare state transformation.

Guests are always welcome at the workshop; if convenient please let me know you are coming (jccamp[at]umich.edu).

John Campbell

*Meetings of the Shaken Social Science Dissertation Workshop start at 12 pm on Thursdays and go to 1:30 and sometimes beyond. The Institute of Social Science provides coffee and tea and you are welcome to bring lunch. The location is room 533 on the 5th floor in the Akamon General Research (Sougou Kenkyuu) Building. The building is off to the right after you come through Akamon, or you can cut through the grounds of Ito Hall off Hongou Doori. It is Bldg 38 on this map:

http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/documents/Hongo_Campu
sMap_E.pdf