Shoko Barnes
shbarnes [at] usc [dot] edu
Shoko received her B.A. in Communication Studies from Ibaraki University in Japan and her M.A. in Communication Studies with a research assistantship from University of Northern Iowa. Her professional experience includes teaching and business in both countries. For eleven years, she has taught English, Human Communication and Critical Thinking courses in Tokyo, Iowa, California and Connecticut, and also worked in textbook publishing for several years. Her thesis work takes an unique approach in attempting to design a public speaking textbook specifically adapted for Japanese college courses and she presented the paper at NCA. Shoko is currently working on her dissertation research and conducting ethnography on Hikikomori (Social Withdrawal) and NEET in Japan. Other research interests include psychoanalysis, rhetorical criticism, intercultural communication, public discourse, argumentation and advocacy.