In honor of Happy America Day...
Jul. 5th, 2008 10:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kodalai...I'm about to do something I don't do often -- never have done before, in fact. I'm going to discuss ways that America is better than Japan.
Disclaimer: The following opinions are entirely my own, constructed according to my own value systems, and this inherently biased. I am not in any way intending to imply that one country is inherently overall superior to the other, nor that the US doesn't have plenty of problems of its own, nor that the positive aspects discussed are always properly or universally applied, nor that they don't have their own down sides.
I've often heard people say that America has no 'culture' of its own. And I've just as often said that no one could possibly say that with a straight face unless they've never spent extensive time in other cultures. Like any other immersive environment, the values and social culture of the U.S. are invisible to us, unless and until we step outside that environment to a place where things that we always take for granted, aren't. These are a few of them that I've identified.
1) Individuality
American children, and adults, are encouraged to be individual. They are encouraged to consider their own personality, and develop and apply their own values -- whether that's moral values or taste in art, music, et cetera. Japanese children, however, are taught that "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." When I first heard that I assumed it was an old saw; it's not. It's repeated practically daily in the schools here. The kids ARE encouraged to toe the line, not to make noise or make waves, and to be uniform -- not just in clothing style but in every way.
People in America are encouraged to speak their minds, to go ahead and actively do things, and participate in things. In Japan it is considered unthinkable to single yourself out in such a way.
2) Creativity
American kids are encouraged to be creative. Depending on the subject, creativity may even be valued over correctness. Creative arts and activities are encouraged in our kids and in our adults as well. Japanese school systems and cultural pastimes, however, places a very strong emphasis on rote learning and memorization, with as little active creative input from the individual as possible. This sometimes leaves people inflexible and unable to function when presented with something outside the usual frame.
3) Independence
Personal independence is highly valued in American culture. When considering whether someone is a 'success' in life or not, one of the first things we look at is whether they're financially independant and able to take care of themselves. Situations with people who are able to take care of themselves, but don't bother to, do exist but are generally looked down on. Being able to start your own life as an independant adult is a sign of maturity.
In Japan however, valuing independence in its own right is not particularly built-in. Sspecially within the last few decades there has been a growing number of young men and women who continue to live at home well into adulthood while working. While this is not in and of itself a bad thing, especially in a culture which values family ties more than America does, having people spend their salaries entirely on designer clothes, luxury vacations, electronic toys, et cetera while relying on their parents to continue to provide them with housing and food is not a particularly healthy situation. The many even more unfortunate individuals who don't attempt to get jobs at all is even more of a problem (see 'NEET' and 'hikikomori.')
4) Equality
Something that we beat into people from day one, or at least try to, is the concept of equality -- the idea that all people, if faced with the same opportunities, have the same potential of success. Equality of race, of gender, of social class, et cetera. Now obviously this is an issue we're still struggling with, as a lot of people seem NOT to understand this equality. Nevertheless the overall social ethic is that we SHOULD treat all people equally, that it's something to strive for.
By contrast in Japanese society, although the equality of races and genders is written into their constitution as well, they aren't nearly so far along in really internalizing and accepting it. Gender discrimination is entrenched and far more oppressive here than in the US. Racial discrimination appears on first glance not to be an issue, but on deeper scrunity it is -- the Japanese tend to be highly xenophobic and as equipped with a set of racial stereotypes as the most embarrassing American.
5) Efficiency
A common stereotype about the Japanese, especially the Japanese workforce, is that they're incredibly motivated workhorses who sweat their asses off, as opposed to us lazy Americans. However, that's not entirely true. The Japanese work ethic is very strong, but it's also very effort-motivated -- as opposed to results-motivated. In Japan, what you accomplish is less important than how many sweat-effort-hours you put in to accomplish it. Efficient or skilled work is not as highly praised as hard work.
As a result you get situations where people have no motivation to change the ways they do things in favor of a more energy or work efficient method -- in fact, they're strongly discouraged from doing so. In America, however, innovation is considered a very valuable work skill, and efficiency a goal in its own right.
6) Diversity
Like 'equality,' this is one of the things that we as Americans have a lot to work on. But the bottom line is that our society generally accepts that diversity is a good thing, and devotes our efforts into promoting it. We generally consider it a good thing to have people from a variety of backgrounds, with many different cultural traditions -- and even where it isn't considered 'good,' so long as it isn't actively harmful, it should be tolerated. Gay and lesbian issues continue to be a huge struggle in the U.S., but the fact that they are allowed to struggle for acceptance is an amazing feat.
In most of Japan, however, different is considered to be bad by the default. If individuals acting out of line is stamped firmly out, imagine the trouble presented by someone who is inherently unable to fit into the order! There are people and factions within Japanese society who have come to view diversity as a valuable thing, but again, as with issues of racial and gender equality, it's a long uphill struggle with many years to go.
On a similar note, one of the things we're encouraged to do, as leaving JETs, is make lists of "things we will miss about Japan" and "things we'll be glad to go home to." I'll post the Japan list later, but in the meantime, here's a few things I'll be just ecstatic to get back to in the US:
1) Clothes dryers
2) Garbage disposals
3) More than three flavors of ice cream (green tea, vanilla, and chocolate, to be precise)
4) Baking ovens
5) Can wear tank tops and shorts in public without being stared at
6) Can just generally go out in public without being stared at
7) Pizza
8) Mops
9) Too many other kinds of foods to list here
10) Being able to communicate with whomever I want, especially in commercial and professional settings, without a constant struggle
Disclaimer: The following opinions are entirely my own, constructed according to my own value systems, and this inherently biased. I am not in any way intending to imply that one country is inherently overall superior to the other, nor that the US doesn't have plenty of problems of its own, nor that the positive aspects discussed are always properly or universally applied, nor that they don't have their own down sides.
I've often heard people say that America has no 'culture' of its own. And I've just as often said that no one could possibly say that with a straight face unless they've never spent extensive time in other cultures. Like any other immersive environment, the values and social culture of the U.S. are invisible to us, unless and until we step outside that environment to a place where things that we always take for granted, aren't. These are a few of them that I've identified.
1) Individuality
American children, and adults, are encouraged to be individual. They are encouraged to consider their own personality, and develop and apply their own values -- whether that's moral values or taste in art, music, et cetera. Japanese children, however, are taught that "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." When I first heard that I assumed it was an old saw; it's not. It's repeated practically daily in the schools here. The kids ARE encouraged to toe the line, not to make noise or make waves, and to be uniform -- not just in clothing style but in every way.
People in America are encouraged to speak their minds, to go ahead and actively do things, and participate in things. In Japan it is considered unthinkable to single yourself out in such a way.
2) Creativity
American kids are encouraged to be creative. Depending on the subject, creativity may even be valued over correctness. Creative arts and activities are encouraged in our kids and in our adults as well. Japanese school systems and cultural pastimes, however, places a very strong emphasis on rote learning and memorization, with as little active creative input from the individual as possible. This sometimes leaves people inflexible and unable to function when presented with something outside the usual frame.
3) Independence
Personal independence is highly valued in American culture. When considering whether someone is a 'success' in life or not, one of the first things we look at is whether they're financially independant and able to take care of themselves. Situations with people who are able to take care of themselves, but don't bother to, do exist but are generally looked down on. Being able to start your own life as an independant adult is a sign of maturity.
In Japan however, valuing independence in its own right is not particularly built-in. Sspecially within the last few decades there has been a growing number of young men and women who continue to live at home well into adulthood while working. While this is not in and of itself a bad thing, especially in a culture which values family ties more than America does, having people spend their salaries entirely on designer clothes, luxury vacations, electronic toys, et cetera while relying on their parents to continue to provide them with housing and food is not a particularly healthy situation. The many even more unfortunate individuals who don't attempt to get jobs at all is even more of a problem (see 'NEET' and 'hikikomori.')
4) Equality
Something that we beat into people from day one, or at least try to, is the concept of equality -- the idea that all people, if faced with the same opportunities, have the same potential of success. Equality of race, of gender, of social class, et cetera. Now obviously this is an issue we're still struggling with, as a lot of people seem NOT to understand this equality. Nevertheless the overall social ethic is that we SHOULD treat all people equally, that it's something to strive for.
By contrast in Japanese society, although the equality of races and genders is written into their constitution as well, they aren't nearly so far along in really internalizing and accepting it. Gender discrimination is entrenched and far more oppressive here than in the US. Racial discrimination appears on first glance not to be an issue, but on deeper scrunity it is -- the Japanese tend to be highly xenophobic and as equipped with a set of racial stereotypes as the most embarrassing American.
5) Efficiency
A common stereotype about the Japanese, especially the Japanese workforce, is that they're incredibly motivated workhorses who sweat their asses off, as opposed to us lazy Americans. However, that's not entirely true. The Japanese work ethic is very strong, but it's also very effort-motivated -- as opposed to results-motivated. In Japan, what you accomplish is less important than how many sweat-effort-hours you put in to accomplish it. Efficient or skilled work is not as highly praised as hard work.
As a result you get situations where people have no motivation to change the ways they do things in favor of a more energy or work efficient method -- in fact, they're strongly discouraged from doing so. In America, however, innovation is considered a very valuable work skill, and efficiency a goal in its own right.
6) Diversity
Like 'equality,' this is one of the things that we as Americans have a lot to work on. But the bottom line is that our society generally accepts that diversity is a good thing, and devotes our efforts into promoting it. We generally consider it a good thing to have people from a variety of backgrounds, with many different cultural traditions -- and even where it isn't considered 'good,' so long as it isn't actively harmful, it should be tolerated. Gay and lesbian issues continue to be a huge struggle in the U.S., but the fact that they are allowed to struggle for acceptance is an amazing feat.
In most of Japan, however, different is considered to be bad by the default. If individuals acting out of line is stamped firmly out, imagine the trouble presented by someone who is inherently unable to fit into the order! There are people and factions within Japanese society who have come to view diversity as a valuable thing, but again, as with issues of racial and gender equality, it's a long uphill struggle with many years to go.
On a similar note, one of the things we're encouraged to do, as leaving JETs, is make lists of "things we will miss about Japan" and "things we'll be glad to go home to." I'll post the Japan list later, but in the meantime, here's a few things I'll be just ecstatic to get back to in the US:
1) Clothes dryers
2) Garbage disposals
3) More than three flavors of ice cream (green tea, vanilla, and chocolate, to be precise)
4) Baking ovens
5) Can wear tank tops and shorts in public without being stared at
6) Can just generally go out in public without being stared at
7) Pizza
8) Mops
9) Too many other kinds of foods to list here
10) Being able to communicate with whomever I want, especially in commercial and professional settings, without a constant struggle
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-05 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 03:31 pm (UTC)...this isn't making a lot of sense because my parents won't stop talking right now, but this was an interesting read and I'm glad you posted it. I am all America-proud, even though I think the Japanese will always draw better than us.
Also I think it's funny and cute that you miss mops. <3
no subject
Date: 2008-07-12 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-07 01:31 am (UTC)But it made me wonder if you would have come to the same conclusions about America if you were in a different culture, one not so antithetical to American ideals as Japan seems to be. I'm not saying Japan is obviously the opposite of America but there does seem to be a polarization of view.
I noticed some of the same things about America during and after my 4 month stay in England. But not all of these same things quite as much. Many of the English ideals are similar or along the same lines as American ideals.
Do you think that if you ask people who have been to several different cultures this same question, you would get just as many different answers? Or would some of the conclusions be similar?
If American culture is hard or impossible to recognize without matching it against a different culture, do you see something different depending on what you hold up to it?
An interesting thought. Thanks again for making us think! :-)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-12 04:53 am (UTC)