Presents a theoretical perspective on the impact of society on new technologies, and gives examples of the impact of cultural factors on the development of computer/video-mediated educational technology in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Highlights include the use of television, computer languages, and videotex. (14 references)…

Provides a brief history of Japanese early childhood education. Explains that the kindergarten idea came from Western countries and was adapted to Japanese society by the Ministry of Education and by Christian missionaries. Presents examples of these adaptations in the Japanese translations of Froebel's books as well as in the development of…

Suggests a reconsideration of the criticism of Japanese competition against the background of the Japanese educational system's highly developed learning culture. Considers some of the basic aspects of group-oriented communal learning in school, while also cautioning against a "monocausal" culturalism. (Author/CMK)

This study used data from the 1991-93 Carnegie International Survey of the Academic Profession to examine the perceptions of college faculty in regard to the emphasis on research over teaching in advanced-industrialized higher education systems, the compatibility of research and teaching, and job satisfaction. It focused on data from 8 countries…

The purpose of this study was to measure how well business and professional people from various cultures interpret symbols commonly used in international business presentations. Questionnaires contained 15 black and white symbols, selected from the clip art collection of Harvard Graphics business graphics software. Respondents from the United…

Teachers of English as a second language in Japan often have difficulty in stimulating spontaneous classroom discussion; Japanese social and classroom custom dictates subdued and respectful student behavior. Suggestions for overcoming this inhibition are made. (CHK)

The successful educational and industrial systems in Japan are related to the social and historical condition of the country. A society that receives ideas and technology of education from other societies must go through the process of adoption, assimilation, and self-transformation. Students of society do not fully recognize the strengths and…

The timing and order of life events must be studied from both cross-cultural and cross-temporal approaches since timing and order of life events in the aging process vary with sociohistorical change in different societies. This study examined the timing of marriage from the life-course perspective. Subjects were 52 rural Japanese mothers between…

In recent years, United States scholars with an interest in international business and organizational communication have begun to notice the success of Japanese "quality control circles." These are small groups, usually composed of seven to ten workers, who are organized at the production levels within most large Japanese factories. A…

The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation--Behavior (FIRO-B) was administered to 504 Japanese, 219 Australian, 73 Korean, and 397 United States college students to assess interpersonal needs in the four cultures. The FIRO-B provides ratings for inclusion, control, and affection needs on an "expressed" dimension to indicate the…

Before being included in Kanazawa City in 1954, all villages in the Yasuhara district of Japan might have been called model village communities, for these farming communities were built around common utilization of naturally-flowing ground water, and the rice farmers worked communally exhibiting principles of closeness and equality. When Yasuhara…

Responses to a questionnaire indicated that Japanese college students (N=200) scored highest on the right hemisphere scale, preferring intuitive and creative learning styles, while Kuwaiti students (N=400) scored highest on the left hemisphere scale, preferring planning and precision styles. American students (N=200) scored highest on an…

Historical and contemporary special education in Japan and the United States are compared. Differences in societal acceptance of the handicapped, integration into regular education, educational finance, parental roles, governmental control, and staff training are highlighted. The authors' personal experiences demonstrating the influence of culture…

In spite of the current great interest in educational reform and the calls for fundamental change, history suggests that the liberalization of Japanese education will follow the lines recommended by the Ministry of Education--painstakingly planned and slowly and cautiously implemented after lengthy experimental studies. (JHZ)

Explores the specific family practice of determining which family members share a bed or sleeping space. Discusses ways of extracting the moral principles implicit in the practice of arranging where family members sleep at night. Examines similarities and differences in the preferred moral goods of two culture regions--rural Hindu India and urban…