Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Johanna Zulueta
Date: 17-19 October 2019
Venue.: Embassy Suites by Hilton, Portland Washington Square

On October 17-19, Sayaka Aono, Sakura Imamura, and Minami Nakane, FILA students under the seminar of Dr. Johanna Zulueta (Sociology, Migration Studies), presented their research work titled, “Sexual Violence in Japan and its Countermovement” at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology (AACS) Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. The three students presented their work as members of BeLive Soka, a group committed to addressing the occurrence of sexual harassment in the university by holding workshops and information sessions regarding gender, sexuality, sexual violence, and related topics. Sayaka, Sakura, and Minami’s presentation focused on the consent workshops being held by the group to make students aware of the concept of sexual consent and its relation to incidences of sexual harassment and sexual violence. They also presented findings from the survey they conducted on students’ awareness on the concept of consent. Their work is an example of how sociology is practiced – the application of sociological concepts and methods to address particular social issues with the aim of effecting social change. Their presentation was part of the sessions organized by the Research Committee on Clinical Sociology (RC 46) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) for this year’s AACS Conference. Dr. Zulueta is currently the Regional Representative for Japan of RC 46. Sayaka, Sakura, and Minami’s presentation was well-received among both students and academics. Current President of the ISA’s RC 46, Professor Emma Porio of the Ateneo de Manila University commended the students’ presentations and encouraged them to continue with their work. ISA Executive Committee Member and past RC 46 President, Professor Jan Marie Fritz of the University of Cincinnati also expressed her admiration of the students’ presentation. The students were able to network with fellow students, academics, and practitioners during the conference, thus making their experience a valuable one.