Research and practice for belonging
Dr Brandon Bodenstein | Anthropologist and Special Education Support Specialist, Tokyo
My work asks one question: what does it take for people to genuinely belong in systems that weren’t designed with them in mind?
I explore it in two settings. As a researcher, I study how Japan includes migrants while keeping them at the margins. As a special education practitioner, I help build classrooms where students with diverse learning profiles can fully take part.
Research: Migration and Inclusion in Japan
My PhD (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 2026) examined how first-generation migrants in Ibaraki Prefecture navigate a system that admits them but leaves their support to local governments and volunteers. My recent articles in Social Science Japan Journal develop the idea of “bounded precarity” to describe that experience.
Practice: Inclusive Learning in Schools
At The American School in Japan, I support middle school students in literacy, executive functioning and access to learning. I co-teach, contribute to work on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and share practice with other educators at conferences such as EARCOS and SENIA Japan.
Latest
- New article: “Rites of precarity: migrant labour and bounded inclusion in Japan’s peri-urban markets”, Social Science Japan Journal, 2026
- New article: “Limited lifelines: International Friendship Associations bridging COVID-19 support gaps in peri-urban Japan”, Social Science Japan Journal, 2026
- Workshop: “Sustainable Systems, Inclusive Spaces: Weaving Belonging Through Policy and Practice”, SENIA Japan Conference, 9 November 2026
- Conference session: “From Anxiety to Agency: Co-Teaching a Building Thinking Classroom in Math”, EARCOS Middle School Leadership Conference, Vietnam
I welcome conversations with educators, researchers and organisations working on inclusion, learning support and migration.