Faculty Introduction
MIYACHI, Katsunori Associate Professor
Specialized fields
Labor policy, labor economics, social policy (research on the policy history and theories related to "labor")
Subjects Taught
Labor policy theory, labor economics theory, and an introduction to labor issues in the global age.
Learning in Department of Policy Design × My Area of Expertise
Let's look at our society! Let's confront "labor" head-on!
Department of Policy Design aims to cultivate individuals who can focus on the diverse attributes of people living in local communities, identify the challenges facing our society, and develop various plans to solve those challenges.
Even in the field of "labor," which is my area of expertise, we face a variety of challenges.
- hardship due to low wages
- The problem of long working hours
- The problem of young people working part-time or unemployed.
- The issue of accepting foreign workers
- Issues such as women's continued employment and gender pay and promotion gaps, etc.
The above are just a few examples; in reality, countless different labor problems occur. You have probably heard or seen some of these.
In any case, workers of all backgrounds face various problems at every stage of their lives. Furthermore, while the vast majority of university graduates must become workers to earn a living, many university students enter the workforce without acquiring the rules and basic knowledge about "labor." If they lack sufficient knowledge about "labor," they may not even understand that it is a "problem that needs to be improved."
However, that knowledge about "labor" can be both your weapon and your armor. This is because suggestions for improving the workplace environment based on correct knowledge can lead to the realization of "decent work" and a "better society."
Why not confront "work" head-on in order to design a career that suits you, and ultimately, to design a "better society"?
Introduction to Exercises I and II
Theme: Various issues surrounding "labor" and future challenges
Judging from the career paths of university graduates and the employment structure in Japan, the vast majority of students in Department of Policy Design (and indeed at Tohoku Gakuin University) will likely end up working as "employed workers" for someone else.
In that context, conditions surrounding "work," such as wages, working hours, and career planning for both men and women, as well as the various problems that arise there, are extremely real and relevant to our daily lives.
In this seminar, we will discuss strategies for realizing "decent work" (meaning meaningful and humane work).