Search

Chapter I of the book "Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation," by Lafcadio Hearn is presented. It deals with the development and changes in the economic, social, and environmental status of Japan. It provides information on the challenges faced by the country, both economic and social. It focuses on the traditions and culture of the country. It offers an overview of the Japanese economy and politics.

The volume is intended to give readers a glimpse of the day-to-day life of disabled people in Japan. Eight brief papers present life experiences of a mentally retarded preschooler, severely disabled children, a child with muscular dystrophy, a young girl with polio living in the community, visually disabled and recovering mentally ill people receiving vocational training, a hearing impaired worker in a subway arcade shop, and a Down's syndrome man working in a laundry. The second part of the booklet describes services and programs (including education, income security, and employment) widely used by disabled persons in the community. A final section touches on such issues as legislation, participation of disabled people in policy development, and professional training. (CL)

A collection of works on the development of Asian universities is presented, focusing on an aspect of higher education not previously analyzed: the contemporary impact of Western academic systems in Asia. Eleven papers fall into three sections following the introduction, "Twisted Roots: The Western Impact on Asian Higher Education," (P. Altabach). The sections are: (1) The Non-Colonial Experience: "China's Universities and Western Academic Models" (R. Hayhoe); "Looking West and East: Thailand's Academic Development" (K. Watson); and "Independence and Choice: Western Impacts on Japanese Higher Education" (S. Nakayama); (2) The European Colonial Tradition: "The Western Impact on Philippine Higher Education" (A. Gonzalez); "The Origin of Modern Indonesian Higher Education" (W. Cummings and S. Kasenda); "Indian Higher Education: Colonialism and Beyond" (A. Basu); "Change Amidst Continuity: University Development in Malaysia" (V. Selvaratnam); and "University Education in Singapore: The Making of a National University" (S. Gopinathan); and (3) The Japanese Colonial Impact: "The Emergence of the Modern University in Korea" (S. Lee); and The Development of Higher Education in Taiwan" (W. Wu, S. Chen, and C. Wu). (SM)

The tale "Ch&#016B;dayu Wins His Suit," by James Seguin De Benneville is presented.

An appendix is presented of the characters of the Yotsuya Kwaidan or O'Iwa Inari Tales of the Tokugawa.

The tale "Sanzugawa Bridgeless: The Flowerless Road Traversed by the Dead" is presented.

The tale "The Rites for O'Iwa San" is presented.

The article offers information on different Japanese games that are being played by Japanese children for centuries including blindman's buff (eye-hiding), puss-in-the-corner and variety of "here we go round the mulberry bush". It mentions that Japanese games slightly differ from games in other countries. It states that kago play was purely a Japanese game in which two children carry a bamboo pole on their shoulders and on that a third child clings.

The article presents seven observable situations on the life of children in Japan. It mentions a picture of little boys playing with snowballs in the winter season. It states a scene where two boys are playing with musical instruments such as flute made of bamboo and drum. Furthermore, a scene wherein boys are playing with the puppies of a large dog, which represents the large dogs in the street of Tokyo, is discussed.

This book examines how culturally specific aspects of Japanese preschool children's narrative discourse skills develop and eventually lead to literacy. It discusses how language shapes and is shaped by culture-specific experiences, analyzing how young Japanese children develop narrative structure and how Japanese parents guide their children in the acquisition of culture-specific styles of narrative and literacy. The book is based on research involving 20 preschool children ages 4 and 5 years and their mothers. Data consisted of children's and mothers' monologic narratives that were elicited by a neutral researcher; mother-child interactions, with a focus on mothers' utterances when they verbally interacted with their children during narrative elicitation; and mother-child interactions in the context of book reading activities. Part 1 of the book provides a theoretical and ethnographic background to the study. Part 2 analyzes the personal narratives told by Japanese preschool children and adults. Part 3 studies mother-child narrative discourse interactions, not only in Japan, but also in North America, using categories of meaning that emerge from the data. Part 4 examines the relationship between sociocultural background and young Japanese children's literacy development. (Contains approximately 400 references.) (SM)

The collection of essays on teachers as course developers is designed to help teachers understand how to develop courses or modify existing ones using their own experience and the experiences and theories of others. It attempts to capture this process through the stories of six teachers who have developed courses. Each narrative focuses on a specific aspect of course development. Articles include: "Teachers as Course Developers" (Kathleen Graves); "A Framework of Course Development Processes" (Kathleen Graves); "Designing Workplace ESOL Courses for Chinese Health-Care Workers at a Boston Nursing Home" (Johan Uvin); "Designing a Seventh-Grade Social Studies Course for ESL Students at an International School" (Pat Fisher); "Designing an EAP Course for Postgraduate Students in Ecuador" (Maria del Carmen Blyth); "Designing a Writing Component for Teen Courses at a Brazilian Language Institute" (Maria Estela Pinheiro Franco); "Planning an Advanced Listening Comprehension Elective for Japanese College Students" (Barbara Fujiwara); and "A Curriculum Framework for Corporate Language Programs" (Laura Hull). A list of further readings is included and contents are indexed. (MSE)

Focusing on culture and organizational processes, this book examines the influences of culture on the organizational processes of conflict, negotiation, and decision making. The essays discuss the following: (1) culture and communication in organizational contexts; (2) cultural communication and organizing; (3) stereotypes and schemata; (4) a theory of conflict and culture; (5) culture and the management of conflict situations; (6) national and organizational cultures in conflict resolution in Japan, the United States, and Yugoslavia; (7) ethnicity and mediation; (8) normative power and conflict potential in intergroup relationships; (9) culture and decision making; (10) subjective culture and organizational decision making; and (11) North American and Japanese managerial attitudes toward decision making. (HTH)