Expanding social science research
into SNS space

Graduate School of Media and Governance
Doctoral program Second year
Moe Yamauchi

Program: Global Governance and Regional Strategy(GR)

The cyberspace excellence and interdisciplinary focus I needed to pursue my research

After finishing my graduate studies in sociology at Keio University, I started working for an IT firm while continuing my own personal studies in other fields.

One day, I came across the Twitter feeds of some young women. There were a lot of selfies, many of them sexual. But instead of reacting with judgement or disgust, it made me curious. What drives this behavior? Are there new contexts or societal shifts behind these kinds of tweets? I realized that by using these accounts as a focus of study and analysis, I could understand how sexual norms and even the meaning of privacy was evolving in society today.

That realization made me eager to resume my formal studies at graduate school in the fields of information sociology and gender studies, this time at a higher level. But because my research methodology was to take place in cyberspace, where people interacted using different norms in comparison to the physical world, I needed an environment that had a deep understanding of this new world and that was equipped to help me research it. That's why I chose SFC and chose to study under Professor Motohiro Tsuchiya, someone with deep knowledge and expertise and could help me go further.

SFC's flexible curriculum allowed me to research while continuing to work in IT, helping to create a strong foundation for my own interdisciplinary studies

SFC is an exciting place where students of diverse backgrounds and different life experiences get together. It's also an open place where you can gain knowledgeable and valuable advice from experts anytime you need. I'm able to ask Professor Sachiko Mori (psychology) and Professor Kazumi Ogasawara (security policy) for professional advice that I couldn't possibly get anywhere else.

Another great thing about SFC is the focus. You can attend classes by your supervisor without having to attain other study credits. This gave me the flexibility to pursue my research while continuing my employment at an IT company. This flexibility was also clear in SFC's response to the pandemic. When the campus became off-limits, the transition to remote learning was smoothly executed.

Today, my goal is to pioneer a new interdisciplinary field, making the most of my diverse experiences in graduate schools, private firms and my interests in information, gender and youth. I am to create new research in cultural sociology and produce useful insights for a range of organizations, while staying close to the IT industry.

Introduction of Laboratory