Analyzed 112 advertisements in 4 Japanese magazines targeted at young men and 111 advertisements in 4 magazines targeted at young women. Results found that visual intimacy occurred in advertising substantially more often in young women's magazines than in young men's magazines, and that product-alone advertisements were targeted to young men more…

This collection of essays addresses the role of culture in the functioning of families and the socialization of children. Following an introduction by Irving Sigel, the 15 essays are: (1) "Parent-Child Interactions in Urban Indian Families in New Delhi: Are They Changing?" (Jaipaul Roopnarine and Ziarat Hossain); (2) "Chinese…

Noting that bullying has become very prevalent in Japanese schools, this exploratory interview study examined Japanese junior high school students' perceptions and experiences of bullying, or "ijime." Participating were 61 students randomly selected from two junior high schools in a small Japanese town. Subjects were asked to describe…

Cultural institutions and attitudes are being reshaped and often disrupted without warning or intention by the information revolution. Different socio-cultural visions of the information revolution among scholars in France, Japan, and the third world are described. (Author/RM)

Compares the "New York Times" and the "Asahi Shimbun" in terms of density, variety, and extensive use of statistical and didactic graphics. Concludes that cultural factors account for the style of newspaper graphics, social factors for their acceptability, and organizational factors for their type and density. (JMF)

Defines Uncertainty Reduction Theory. Examines the influence of cultural variability on communication. Argues that cultural variability in individualism-collectivism influences uncertainty reduction in ingroup and outgroup relationships, while cultural variability in masculinity-femininity influences uncertainty reduction in same- and opposite-sex…

This article offers guidelines for developing a national climate for creativity and invention. It recalls the post-Sputnik climate in the United States and notes evidence of Japan's increasing commitment to creativity. It recommends encouraging students to imagine themselves as inventors, providing early training in inventing skills, and…

Compares the Japanese educational system with that in England. Discusses the structure of school levels and examinations, the curriculum, and informal educational practices and cultural expectations. Notes the place of science study in the Japanese system. (Author/WRM)

Addresses the suitability of the term "revolution," the national versus transnational focus, and characterizations of the industrial revolution. Considers a late-development model of industrialization and its application to East Asia. Focuses on issues in Japanese industrialization, such as the role of the Japanese government, militarism…

The Asian family is regarded as a close-knit social unit in which elderly people are believed to occupy a highly respected position. Family members are thought to provide care for elderly parents gratefully because of filial piety. This stereotypic portrayal of Asian families, however, may not apply fully to Japanese families. This article points…

Studies conducted in the US consistently demonstrate that parenting self-efficacy and construction of the parent role are critical elements associated with parents' involvement in their children's elementary school education. Less is known about the dynamics of parent involvement during the preschool period, or in nations outside the US. This…

Traditional ideals discourage Japanese women from working outside the home. This study was conducted to explore generational differences in Japanese attitudes toward women's employment and to interpret those differences in terms of social change. Questionnaires were distributed to approximately 900 Japanese men and women. Subjects were classified…

This paper discusses the role of culture in educational development, especially as it applies to the adoption of systems from one culture to another. This study stems from the Project on Human Potential, a study of educational development from the perspectives of the social and behavioral sciences. The major message was that there is no one way to…

Numerous research studies over the past five years indicate that a high percentage of college students have severe deficiencies in their ability to use mathematics as a language for representing simple quantitative relationships. In the United States these problems are nearly as common among students with strong computational skills in algebra and…

A study of the current expressed reading interests of children in the first two years of school conducted in ten countries--Austria, Canada, England, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Panama, Sweden, and the United States--is reported in this paper. Over 2,000 children drew pictures about what they would best like to read or have read to…