As I read the chapter, I found it interesting how Japan places an emphasis on harmony and the promotion of a group-based society within its school systems. From an American perspective it is easy to spot the negatives in this type of mentality. To sacrifice our individualism is to ignore our individual self-interests and ideas. Meanwhile, our consciousness – usually a product of our own individual thinking - is transformed into a tool molded by an outside source. Gutek brings up the point that this inhibits creative thinking and therefore stalls any type of progress and growth within a country.
On the other hand, I did notice that there could be a positive to a collective mentality. With an individualist mindset, you only have yourself to worry about. In school, if any of your actions are not carried out in the best way, there is only yourself to disappoint. Whereas with the group-driven mindset, your entire classmates becomes a part of the equation. With such a large group dependent upon you, it encourages you to do better and promotes higher achievement. Also, Gutek mentioned how there is equal funding across all schools in Japan. This equal distribution of resources gives students in both rural and urban areas access to the same education. In the US we have the opposite situation. There are obvious differences in our rural and urban school systems which cause students to receive varying qualities of education.
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I'm intrigued by your view of the group-based society. It's impossible to deny the fact that all too often in American we are encouraged to get ahead in life despite the negative effects it can have on others. Being in a group will either encourage someone to work hard, or give them the opportunity to sit back and let someone else do the work for them. I think that both individual and group pride are necessary for someone to be truly successful. The trick is finding the balance between the two.
ReplyDeleteWith all of the issues surrounding the field of higher education, the question then becomes: Is it possible to still earn a degree, one that holds value for students? More importantly, is it possible to measure the true value of a degree in higher education? I believe the answer begins with a matter of purpose and by that, I mean schools should be working to ensure that educational programs and courses are designed with a specific purpose and completed for a specific purpose by the students. Educators should also see this as a matter of importance as they develop their instructional strategies and work with students in the classroom. It may sound too idealistic and improbable to implement; however, there is something that every educator can do to ensure that their students are working towards this goal of purposeful-driven education. What I will focus on is the educator's perspective and strategies that can increase value for students. english class for Japanese
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