The importance in Japan of group identity, the Japanese approach to decision making, and the way in which the Japanese avoid conflict and build consensus when making a decision are characteristics of Japanese interactions that are critical for Americans to understand in order to communicate successfully with the Japanese. Those who would be…

Examines "question-response" sequences in Japanese political discourse, with particular reference to how questions are used to control other interlocutors as well as the relationship between questions and conflict. Findings reveal that the tendency to avoid overt control and conflict is reflected in questioning strategies employed in…

Studied Japanese preschool children's conflict resolution and how they and their mothers evaluate teachers' conflict resolution methods. Found that preschoolers' conflicts stemmed from wide range of issues, including concerns about justice, rights, and fairness. Preschoolers used negotiation more than retribution or appeals to teachers, which…

Traces Japan's attitude toward and preparation for national defense from the 1930s to 1978. Topics discussed include Japan's indifference to defense since World War II, America's responsibility to defend Japan in case of military attack, the possibility of a Soviet attack on Japan, and public opinion about defense in Japan. Journal availability:…

This paper seeks to identify invisible factors influencing language institutions in Japan that consciously or unconsciously treat non-Japanese teachers in a totally different way from the way they treat their Japanese counterparts. Among the factors are the social, organizational, and legal parameters surrounding non-Japanese teachers in Japan.…

This article is about conflict in an educational workplace setting. It reports on a case study investigating the emergence, development, and management of conflict among diverse native English speakers working as language instructors within a Japanese university. The example of conflict presented, which deals with divergent assumptions about the…

Analyzed children's interactions in 19 Japanese preschools, focusing on conflict resolution and how teachers diminish their role as authority figures to encourage children's sense of self-efficacy and autonomy. Found that the most common Japanese teacher response to conflict is nonintervention, with rare use of commands and rule statements.…

Noting that although many Western educators praise the Japanese educational system because of its students' academic achievements, schools in Japan have developed severe and prevalent problems with student bullying. This paper examines the problem of bullying in Japanese schools. Part 1 of the paper reviews bullying incidents in Japanese schools…

Presents survey results from U.S. and Japanese high school and college students on the current state and future of the relationship between their two countries. Identifies major issues and explaining how to improve the relationship. Concludes that the students were most concerned with the development of understanding between the two cultures. (DK)

This booklet is intended to stimulate discussion about the potential influence of peace museums as a way to educate the public about peace. Four papers are included representing four somewhat different perspectives. The first paper, "The Environment for Peace Education: The Peace Museum Idea" (Terence Duffy), outlines the origins and the…

Many world leaders and scholars feel that the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance is essential for long-term peace, prosperity, and stability in Asia. The purpose of this curriculum unit is to examine this alliance by introducing students to case studies of international conflict, with a focus on security issues in Asia. Through each of the lessons…

The fundamental theme of these papers is what constitutes the common good and the issues and problems related to the understanding of that common good. Several anthropologists and a political scientist explore this theme in various geographic settings and from many theoretical and methodological perspectives. Among the countries and cultures…

A study on leadership, conflict management, research and development (R&D) worker motivation, commitment, and risk-taking propensity in universities compared with corporations and government is presented. It arose from the recognition that R&D in any developed country is critical to the continued well-being of its economy and people, and…

Reports on the views of 73 secondary school Japanese students toward the United Nations. Finds that most tend to think of the UN as relevant to conflicts. Describes how the hunger issue was used in an English-as-a-Second-Language class to teach about the United Nations. (CFR)

This curriculum unit is the first part of a three-part series; it focuses on the theme of conflict. It introduces students to conflict on personal, group, international, and global levels and to basic conflict resolution/management alternatives. Students learn about six categories of conflict through the analysis of episodes in the history of…