As the world they grow up in, culture tends to shape and nurture the people within it. Within Western society, the modern rise in social and cultural pressures have warped people’s perception of themselves and others, resulting in a large increase in mental disorders, such as anorexia and depression. However, while the Western world is suffering from body image issues, Asian countries have seen a rise in youth who are socially withdrawing for extended periods of time. In Japan, such a term is called “hikikomori.” It is a quickly developing syndrome in which adolescents “lock themselves away in their rooms for months, years, or even sometimes decades at a time, with minimal social contact” (Rosenthal and Zimmerman 82). Though these two conditions …show more content…
In comparison to America, Japanese society has a large reliance on the way in which people interact. Their heightened sense of self-awareness cripples their interactive and social skills. Furthermore, social expectations lead them to be restrictive in expressing their thoughts and prevent many youths from relaying their honest opinions (Li and Wong 602). In Japan, individuals use their skills and abilities as a way to prove themselves to others as opposed to Western cultures where they aim to differentiate themselves (Toivonen, Norasakkunkit and Uchida 5). The change from collectivism to individualism in Asia has caused the need for individuals to conform to social norms, resulting in a rise of youths who depend on their parents. These parents then have a tendency to be overprotective of their children and, as such, they are less likely to develop necessary social skills. While many American students may yearn to leave home after graduating high school, in Japan, it is not an uncommon occurrence for children to spend much of their lives with their parents (Furlong 314). With a crippling lack of social skill and a hindered ability to build interpersonal relationships, many youths are becoming reluctant to join society (Li and Wong
When one thinks of the ideal physique and what it takes to achieve this, most simply go to diet modification and exercise. However when it comes to adolescents, the need to fit in is immediate and often time fast measures are taken to achieve what they consider as the perfect body. Adolescent culture is ever changing but when combined with home cultural views the stress that it can place on a teenager to conform can lead to development of disordered eating. There are few studies on Asian American’s (AA) and their cultural views on weight, however much is being learned. AA’s have always been pen-pointed as being the group that have maintained cultural values through the generations. AA with disordered eating have shown the need to please parents and achieve not only academically but also in appearance (i.e., presenting oneself in a certain way), and this is linking family pride is linked to their children’s achievement and appearance (Tsong & Smart, 2015). Even with all we know, pathways to disordered eating are complex and have various outliers, and still are not very well understood (Streiegel-Moore & Bulik, 2007) Just about all patterns of disordered eating begin with dieting, unrealistic outcomes, and problematic views of the world around (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016).
As Mahatma Gandhi said, “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive” (Mahatma). Our culture identifies who we are and how we behave in social environments and provides us with a foundation in which to live our lives and raise our families. Each individual culture has certain customs and courtesies that are important. Exposure to the cultures of others can be intimidating and can leave a person feeling confused and unsure about how they fit in (Schaefer 60). Culture shock can leave a person feeling out of place in an unfamiliar culture (Schaefer 60). Our diverse societies demand understanding and acceptance of other cultures. Learning and understanding these cultures before being
The 1940s, a time where Nisei, Japanese American born in the United States, was hard. After the bombing at Pearl Harbor, in 1941. On February 19, 1942, The president passed the executive order 9066 (Japanese Internment Timeline 6). This order was a forced law, and in this case it was forcing the Japanese Americans into concentration camps, bringing the United States into World War II (Japanese Internment Timeline 6). There was an argument on the West Coast during this time period that had opinions from each side. I believe it was not equitable for Japanese Americans to be taken out of the Pacific Coast and placed into the concentration camps, also referred to as internment, because there
Parents are entrusted with their children and raise them the best they know how, even as the children follow their own path in life. The American culture encourages youth to make the transition to independency, to find
As we age, our lives are divided into stages with inescapable hardships. The most difficult of these stages has proven to be adolescence and young adulthood, the years in which our personalities are defined. This juncture is the pinnacle of maturation, however, it is gradually becoming a plateau wherein inactivity is most prevalent. It is indisputable that American children and young adults alike are lingering in their youth for far too long. Many in their teens and twenties are holding tight to the freedom of childhood by depending on their parents, refusing to settle down, and avoiding responsibility. Through their lack of independence, inability to commit and their indolence, certain action must be taken against adolescents
In the 1990s, there were more than 7 million Asian Americans in the United States of America. Bureau of the Census has published that there is a total of 3,726,400 Asians, which includes Pacific Isalnders, which is represented to about 1.6 percent of the population. Chinses Americans were the first Asian to be migrated in the United States.
James Hickman was always destined for greatness, but that moment was yet to reveal itself in his future. From age 5 to 7 James life was rocky, he would soon find himself being transferred in and out of4 mental institutions, 5 different group homes, 17 times in detention centers and eventually St. Charles juvenile prison at the age of 13. James recalls one incident where he was given a powerful drug called ‘Thioridazine, Mellaril and other strong drugs in which he couldn’t move, talk, scream or cry “all I could do was lay there and wait for the drugs to wear off.” James Hickman beat the odds for the future that was being laid out in front of him by the system, after severing ties with addiction and homelessness in 1990 thru 1996 James ended up serving time in Iowa State Prison in Fort Madison.
World War II was a very influential time for the minorities in America. Army soldiers, industrial workers, rangers, paratroopers, marines, sailors, nurses, pilots, and civilians contributed to the war effort made up not only by white men but included women, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Native-Americans, and African-Americans. This not only disproved that minorities were inferior; it had a huge impact on racial segregation and stereotypes. World War II was not only waged in the Pacific and European territories, it was also being tackled by the home front where war industry and industrial labor was needed to supply our armed forces. In a time when women were still not equal to men and definitely not accepted into the Army, women could perform delicate jobs and fill in for other industrial jobs while the men were off in other countries.
Researchers Henderson and Zimbardo argue that one explanation of the cultural difference between Japanese and Israelis lies in the way each culture deals with attributing credit for success and blame for failure. (2005, p. 20). “In Japan, an individual’s performance success is credited externally to parents, grandparents, teachers and others, while failure is entirely blamed on the person. Therefore the Japanese learn not to take risks in public and rely instead on group-shared decisions.” (Henderson and Zimbardo, 2005, p.22). In Israel, the situation is entirely reversed according to Henderson and Zimbardo. “Failure is externally attributed to parents, teachers, friends and other sources, while all performance success is credited to the individual’s enterprise” (2005, p.22). The consequence is that Israelis are free to take risks since there is nothing to lose by trying and everything to gain.(2005).
Japans history dates back almost 53,000 years and is filled with interesting and fascinating events. Most of Japans actions have left the major world powers in the world stunned. The base of this amazing country is astonishing just by itself. The base is a bunch of active and large under water volcanoes. Japans uniqueness from the rest of the world ranges from its culture to its very interesting history to the change in government every few hundred years and their trading dilemma with petroleum and their assortment of fish that they export. Japan as a country is so very appealing and kind compared to the rest of the world its no wonder that it’s geographically separate from the rest of the world.
Pocky, Anime, manga, kanji. Have you heard of any of these? If not… where have you been? All around us teenagers, children, and even adults are being drawn into Japanese culture through TV, books, and even food. Japanese comics, called manga, take up more and more space on American bookshelves, and they've infused new life into the publishing industry. Japanese animation, anime, is on more and more movies and TV screens and influencing popular toys and games.
Western Influence on Japan Japan, as a nation, is a continually changing society. Ever since western nations became involved with Japan, its changes over recent times have increased at a substantial rate. Japan now faces cultural, economical and social differences as a result of the western involvement. The involvement was initiated by the Japanese themselves, beginning during the Meiji Period1 through current times.
Her mother is a seamstress at home and her father is a sales manager. Chikako describes feelings of distance and having limited quality time with her father, but she has been bathing with him for many years even though she felt uncomfortable. Though she had not reported any inappropriate sexual behaviour or abuse, her anorexia nervosa could have developed from the uncomfortable feelings she experienced while bathing with her father. Akiko’s perception of love and Chikako’s strange experiences with her father can be analyzed through Foucault’s analysis of discipline and power. The notion of power that Western society has inflicted on Akiko through powerful messages can be seen in her actions of self-control. Chikako’s actions can be understood through her difficulty with understanding sexuality because of her encounters (Austin, 1999). These examples demonstrate that eating disorders in Western society and in Japan are very similar to one another especially with the emphasis on
The third master manager that we have picked is Kazuo Hirai. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation. He is also one of the members of the board of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. Going back to the start, Kazuo Hirai began his career with CBS/Sony Inc. which is now known as Sony Music Entertainment Japan in the year 1984 as a marketer of International music in Japan. Then, he joined Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) in 1995. In 1999, Kazuo Hirai was responsible for the overall operation management of the U.S. game business as he was the appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of SCEA. In 2006, he was appointed as Group Chief Operating Officer, SCEI, where his responsibilities were extended to the game business worldwide. Kazuo Hirai had a pivotal role in elevating the industry into a hugely significant genre, making the PlayStation brand synonymous with exceptional gaming and entertainment all together.
This culture is often called individualism. Moreover, Hofstede (1980), noted that power distance in a culture, which means the difference between the lowest and highest member. Highest member refer to a person or a group always makes the decision; people who always have input is belong to lowest member. For example, Korean drama considers family-oriented stories in which father has the power in the family, and other members of family usually defer to him. However, in Western society, parents cultivate their child to be more creative, and give them more freedom to choose their future education and career. Therefore, In Western culture, a child can make such decisions himself, while, in Korean culture, children are more likely to defer to their father. Futhurmoer, Western modernity and Asian traditions has formed striking comparison. In 18 century, Western societies had rised the evolution of post-modernity that suggests the end of original culture, art, subject and history. The production of post-modernity includes the internet, cars, digital computers and so on (Venn & Featherstone, 2006, p.462). Modernity refers a new way of lifestyle and social system. Asian traditions advocate the beliefs, rituals, morals, values and customers in which human being have been passed down from their ancestors (O’Shannessy & Minett, 2008, p.33). Especially, Taoism and Confucianism have had a profound impact on Asian socities, such