The final cultural factor involved with education in Japan is the essential part of education in Japan that involves the strengthening of the moral values of students. Passing down important moral values to children is the job of the school and parents (Whitburn, 1995), and one notable value that is portrayed in every Japanese school is the ability to cooperate with others well and efficiently. With this idea of a “group identity,” there is less of an emphasis on the individual, but more on the whole, which, according to Whitburn (1995), also helps contribute to “order and discipline not only in society but also in the classroom.” Again, the dependence on each other is included in schools, and since there is so much dependence on each other, the need for good cooperation increases. Along with this Japanese concept of a group identity lies many expectations held for the students in many of the school rules common to most, if not all, schools in Japan. According to Koda (personal interview, October 16, 2016), an exchange student from Japan, students are expected to wear their hair and required uniforms in certain ways and not to violate certain rules; many schools also require students to join clubs, or extracurricular activities, which are fun ways to get along well with other students and foster good relationships with certain faculty members. While Japan’s overall education system seems to be simple and effective, it is not without its flaws, and people not used to
Japanese people regard schooling as one of the most important aspects of the growth and development of a child and therefore their entire school system is more competitive and higher achieving. Before beginning this task most of my knowledge on Japanese schools was based upon small pieces of information provided from class activities, previous teachers, or stereotypes.
Japanese education is very influential to the youth of Japan. It can affect students future and plays a big role in society today. Some people believe that students in Japan are better educated than the students in United States. While some people think this is not true, there are many strong reasons that prove this is accurate.
At the morning assembly, the author notices that there are no Japanese children present: “I discover later that they have their own morning assembly in another field in the back of the school. It is obvious that we do not mix classes. They have their own classes and classrooms, and we have ours, although we are all the same school. A few years later, they will build a new school somewhere outside the town, exclusively for themselves.”
Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994). This approach to teaching encompasses how knowledge is both communicated and perceived by the students. The teacher must have a good relationship with the parents, have high expectations, learn about their students culture, have culturally mediated student-centered instruction, willing to reshape the curriculum, and be a facilitator in order to accomplish this method of teaching. These are key points a teacher must be willing to do if they intend to be an effective teacher especially in a highly culturally diverse area like central
Each country has its own kind of education, and education always plays an important role in affecting students’ life and study on many aspects. Having received ten years of education in China and two years of education in the U.S. I would like to compare and contrast a few significant aspects of these two different kinds of educations. Knowing that no two education systems are the same, the differences between American education and Chinese education allow countries to take the essence and discard the dross through learning from each other so as to improve their own current education systems.
Many scholars and journalists (e.g., Bergin & Bergin, 2015; Boaler & Staples, 2008; Lareau & Horvat, 1999; Lareau, 2002; Lewin, 2005) insisted that culture initiated and possessed by different groups of people influences schooling and learning of children in distinctive ways. This paper aims to investigate students? cultural capital from home influencing schooling and learning. Regarding Bourdieu?s (1986) culture capital, group of people has been creating and living within their own habitus embedding believe, culture, cultural materials and activities, norm, and so on. Framed by Bourdieu?s cultural capital states, this paper demonstrates three aspects of cultural capital including the embodied, the objectified, and the institutionalized states. Generated within our habitus, these three aspects create us differently regarding our beliefs, thoughts, behaviors, and interaction. I interviewed several colleagues and fellows and selected five interviewees whose data is synthesized and presented in the following sections. In addition, the interviewees? personal and educational background will briefly be presented. In a conclusion section, I specifically suggest parents to support their children? cultural capital. However,
Self-concept is one’s view of personal identity and goals in relation to others, which could be influenced by culture and understood by the collectivism-individualism dimension. This study examines self-concept of individuals from countries of different cultures, to be compared to Individualism Index ratings to ascertain correlation with allocentric, idiocentric and group levels. The sample is dominantly Australian (72%), with 6.5% from United Kingdom, 2.6% from Singapore and 18.9% from other countries. The 234 undergraduates did the ‘I Am’ Test by completing seven statements beginning with ‘I am’ with self-descriptions. Individualism Index ratings were found to be positively correlated with the idiocentric answer score and negatively correlated with allocentric and group answer scores. The sample displayed idiocentric tendencies the most due to the highest mean score for idiocentric answers. While further research could be done to minimise identified weaknesses, this study has contributed significant support for past research, thus prove to be relevant in the pursuit for cultural competence in culturally diverse environments like tertiary education institutions.
The United States serves as a culturally rich country who opens its arms to individuals from many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and life experiences. It seeks to be the melting pot of a blended group of people, providing opportunity and equity for all. Consequently, our educational system is the cornerstone for providing equal opportunity for all persons. Therefore, as the United States continues to be immersed with individuals from various cultures, the educational system must consistently seek to assure that educational opportunities are equally distributed to our students. In order for this task to be accomplished, developing a well-defined illustration of what multicultural education is necessary.
The comparison between Japanese and North American educational systems is often used. The Japanese system, along with other Asian cultures, places importance on the group and the interdependence of its members (Cole & Cole, 2001, p. 541). The North American model, in contrast, focuses on the ideals of individuality and independence (Cole & Cole, 2001, p.541). This contrast is due to a conflicting cultural/social structure and outlook of the world. Japanese look at the development of self as doubled sided: the inner self and the social or public self (Hoffman, 2000, p.307). Within the Japanese education system, the teacher's goal is to
The first idea which interested me came from Chapter one. The socio- cultural perspective. This perspective explains, how children’s learning is influenced by family and culture in which children are living.
The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterizes the United States--newness, racial heterogeneity, vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism-- is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogeneous society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese
Swami Nirmalananda, a disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna, once said “Our modern society is engaged in polishing and decorating the cage in which man is kept imprisoned.” Society is seen as a cage by many because the cultural beliefs that make up the society are what guide the actions and behaviors of those people within. Sometimes the culture in societies result in helping people develop successfully and positively, but this is not always the case. For instance, societies that were challenged by racism during the mid-twentieth century were marked by rage and were the causes of some troublesome lives. In two short stories set during the mid-twentieth century, “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” by
While Japan’s overall education system seems to be simple and effective, it is not without its flaws, and people not used to certain societal aspects of Japan may not find the education system very appealing. In fact, some of the reasons for Japan’s educational success may also contribute to negative consequences if taken too far. For example, Dr. Yoneyama, a professor in Asian Studies at The University of Adelaide in Australia, wrote a book in 2012 about several issues surrounding Japanese students. One concern she mentioned was the pressure on the students to strive for their academic achievements. Since the education is regarded so highly in Japan and the Japanese believe that they should do their best in all they do, Yoneyama (2012) says that schools in Japan do not need to pressure students to work hard, but they instead provide guidance for students to try harder for a specific end goal (p. 135). The problem with this is that some students who fail to meet such expectations seem to take their failure harshly, as do their peers, which may result in those students being bullied. However, in an online magazine article of The Atlantic, Berlatsky (2013) said that the bullying in Japan “has actually been seen by many parents and teachers as a feature not a bug.” The Japanese system encourages students to do their best, and if they are not able to meet expectations, it is the job of their peers to help motivate them to do better. The problem with this is that the motivation
Every society and culture has different ways of interpreting and defining occurrences by the way their own culture or society functions. “A society’s culture, consists of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to its members”(Geertz 242). The rituals, customs, ethics and morals that are attributed to the cultures have caused these differences. To understand how the people of one culture interpret a situation or event, one must evaluate the attributes that a culture has. The criteria that an event is based on changes as one culture applies their own ideas to the given situation. Heroism and violation are two concepts that are easily misinterpreted depending on culture’s ideals. Since cultures
Learning and knowledge are highly prized in all societies, especially here in Ireland, where there is a strong tradition of respect for education. The choices that individuals make when leaving school, in particular whether to pursue higher education or not, are likely to have a long lasting effect on their lifestyle. The main purposes for a University education involve: social, national and educational purposes and for the individual personal purposes and moral development. These topics will be addressed in the following paragraphs.