Sophia Magazine vol.7 / SUMMER 2018
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not necessarily because Japan is far behind the US. She says it comes down to men’s lack of awareness about sexual harass-ment. Deguchi asked about 170 students in her Psychology of Positionality course to fill out an anonymous questionnaire. Results showed that about 50% of her female students have experienced train molestation at least once. Ten percent of them responded they experienced train molestation on their commute to Sophia. Most of them never reported these inci-dents to the authorities.In addition to lack of public awareness, she says many women are silent around sexual abuse issues. There is real fear around speaking up and being retaliated against. She says the fact that journalist Shiori Ito came out with her real name and face was important. According to Deguchi, Ito not only raised awareness about rape, but also that victims are all different. “It is important to have a diversity of voices and not play into that dominant perception of who a sexual violence victim is,” she says.Although the #MeToo movement did not erupt as it did in the US, she feels that Japanese people are slowly starting to share their stories. In particular, the movement has raised awareness about what constitutes sexual consent, noting that about 60% of her students responded that they thought kissing was equivalent to sexual consent, which is deeply problematic.Deguchi has a lot lined up for the coming months. As part of the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research she is receiv-ing, Deguchi is currently working to create a checklist of the privileges of Japanese people. She hopes it will serve as a tool for teaching about privilege and make it easier for Japanese people to recognize their privileges. Another teaching tool for Japanese students is Diane J. Goodman’s book “Promot-ing Diversity and Social Justice”, which is essentially the only book that specifically focuses on the privileges of the domi-nant group. She also conducts in-depth interviews with Japanese people who are considered allies of minority groups. She hopes that by illuminating the individual processes of their transitions, that these narratives will serve as models for her students, as well as offer insights into how people transi-tion to become activists and allies. From a social psychol-ogy angle, Deguchi is further examining the drivers behind mobilization for collective action, including protests like the #MeToo and #NeverAgain movements. Deguchi has received a Fulbright scholarship and will be on sabbatical in the fall of 2018, during which she will be working with scholars and carrying out research on privilege awareness education. She says the trend is shifting from the single axis model of teaching about race, social class, gen-der, and sexuality, to a more intersectional model of teach-ing about the oppression of people who are discriminated against on multiple levels, e.g., a person of a minority race who is a woman, lesbian and poor. Teaching at Sophia is a joy, she says, because the students have so much potential. Additionally, she says the university offers her an ideal environment where she can use English and Japanese every day. She goes on to say that the university’s mission of “Men and Women for Others, with Others” grounds her Psychol-ogy of Positionality course. “If you want to work for others, you have to know how to work with others and to do this you have to be aware of your privileges.” People must refrain from adopting a condescending attitude in which they attempt to work with marginalized members of society without being aware of their own privileges. The Psychology of Positionality course provides a good training ground for leadership. She describes a good leader as someone who knows that their position gives more weight to their voice than people who are not in that position. The future leadership has the responsibility to make changes that only they can make because of the privileges they enjoy. She concludes: “Use that. Don’t waste it. You can do so much with that privilege.”Future AspirationsTeaching at SophiaProfessor Deguchi teaches Japanese students,drawing upon Diane J. Goodman’s book“Promoting Diversity and Social Justice.”16Research

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