معرفی
Akiko Takeyama is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the departments of Anthropology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Kansas, where she also serves as Director of the Center for East Asian Studies. Her research examines the intersection of gender, sexuality, class, and labor within neoliberal globalization, with ethnographic focus on Japan's service economy and adult video industry.
Her interdisciplinary scholarship investigates shifting dynamics of intimacy, consent, and exploitation in late capitalism. Key themes include the commercialization of emotions in host clubs, contractual coercion in media labor, and gendered precarity across marriage systems. Her work employs feminist and political-economic frameworks to analyze how neoliberal policies reshape human relationships and bodily autonomy.
Publications consistently explore marriage alternatives, sex work, and consent politics across global contexts (Japan, India, Brazil, Africa). Recent works analyze how women navigate marital norms, economic vulnerability, and sexual agency within patriarchal structures. Research methodologies prioritize ethnographic engagement with marginalized communities.
Awards:
- Shortlisted for the 2017 Michelle Rosaldo Book Prize (Association for Feminist Anthropology)
As Center Director, she coordinates interdisciplinary initiatives on East Asian studies. No advising relationships, grants, or lab affiliations are detailed in available materials.
