Summary of Discussion

Abstract

The theme for NASSS 2009 was “Americanism and Social Justice.” The discourse for “Americanism” began its usage after American Independence in the late 18 th Century, and later was employed as cultural and political logic to unify the American people. However, this discourse has undergone significant changes and has been infused with a variety of differing implications over the course of history. Perhaps we can say that it is a historical discourse in which different logic has been continually applied by each disputant. On the other hand, the concept of “Social Justice” has greatly changed its connotation as well, depending on the era and argument. “Social Justice” has not simply been a philosophical problem, but even considered as a social concept which stipulated the way American society existed. If that is the case, how has “Social Justice” been perceived at each given time and how has the concept correlated with the discourse of “Americanism”? If we consider that “Americanism” and “Social Justice” contain such diversified substance, it makes much more sense to initially ascertain or unravel the various meanings hidden within these terms. Furthermore, if we examine how these concepts are employed today, it may be possible to shed light on the state of present day American society. I believe that this is the reasoning behind the selection of the theme of “Americanism and Social Justice” for NASSS 2009. This theme was circulated among the three keynote speakers from abroad, as well as becoming the scholarly focus of the three Japanese researchers during the plenary session that occurred on July 25 th , 2009. Summarized comments from the keynote speakers and commentators will follow below.