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The current study by Konstantinovskaia is a critical investigation of how such notions as "beauty" and "femininity" are constructed, communicated, and defied in Japanese and Russian societies. It adopts a cross-cultural and three-level approach to data evaluation wherein TV ads, interviews, and blog information are utilized to probe into gendered language through the lens of ideology, expectations, and practice. The monograph illustrates that the typology of desirable females in Russian and Japanese TV ads is somewhat diverse and that women have varying views of what is "feminine" and "non-feminine" conduct. It also reveals the complicated evolution of discourses and ideologies on women within these two highly mobile societies. The book is undoubtedly an informative and constructive resource for studies on sociolinguistics, gender, language, and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess young people's attachment hierarchy, the Important People Interview (IPI) was developed based on Bowlby's conceptualization of ethological behavioral systems. The present study examined the validity of the IPI in a sample of Japanese young adults (N = 472; Mage = 20.34, SD = 1.28; females = 53.81%), because Bowlby's behavioral systems conceptualization has been assumed to be universal. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed agood fit of the IPI model with a Japanese sample. The ranking of the mother in attachment hierarchy correlated positively with young adults' self-esteem, and the ranking of the father correlated negatively with their depressive symptoms. The absence of romantic partner; shorter romantic relationships; living separately with mother, father, and romantic partner; and less frequent meetings with the mother, father, and romantic partner correlated with the higher ranking of friends. When other attachment figures are unavailable, people may flexibly use friends to meet their attachment needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares some business practices in Thailand and Japan using a cultural model. The focus is to assess the validity of using a ‘western’ model in the context of a changing south-east Asia and Japan, and the contextual global implications for change. The model considered was developed by Hofstede in his famous cultural dimensions theory. The model concentrates on five cultural dimensions across over 100 countries of the world. This paper’s aim is to identify and interpret features of the cultures of Thailand and Japan when juxtaposed with what is obtainable in the Western World and draw conclusion on its implications for Malaysia. The relevance of a western model in two very distinctive ethnic contexts was X-rayed and the most suitable for these Nations were discussed. Hofstedt’s five cultural dimensions are: power distance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and short- and long-term orientation. The two most suitable for developing Countries like Japan and Thailand are: power distance and uncertainty avoidance. After analyzing these two cultural dimensions, it is argued that a western interpretation takes insufficient account of the different ethnic and social contexts in plural and homogenous societies. The hegemonic western perspective may thus be challenged when comparing non-western cultures. Similarities and dissimilarities for the cultures of Thailand and Japan were inferred and discussed. A preliminary assessment is undertaken of the implications of the paper for globalizing the engineering profession and business in Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reconsiders Carl Rogers’ theory of the necessary and sufficient conditions of therapy in the context of therapy in Japan. It prefaces this with the discussion of certain characteristics of Japanese culture which have an impact on the therapeutic relationship and ways of working, specifically with regard to those Western therapies practised in Japan. The article offers both a cultural reading of Rogers’ six conditions and a caution about the transposition of theory and practice from West to East. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Most of the literature about Japanese social relationships focuses on men in organizational settings. However, this study used intensive interviewing to examine the nature, structure and function of social relationships among the spouses of Japanese expatriates. The Japanese women in these samples were found to engage in complex, highly regulated, complicated and obligatory relationships through their primary affiliation with other “company wives”. Traditional cultural norms of ryoosai kenbo (good wives and wise mothers) were expected from modern women, and the enactment of these roles was enforced through scrutiny, gossip and the possibility of ostracism. Understanding the social organization and support within the Japanese women's community is central to understanding how culturally specific social networks can both give support, as well as create social constraints to help seeking. Health oriented prevention programs must consider these social factors when evaluating the immigration stressors faced by these families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, I offer a story of the adaptation of a young foreign student from Japan undergoing transformative processes of development and eventually becoming a practicing psychoanalyst in New York. The first phase of development took place in a sudden immersion into the radically unfamiliar external environment and culture of the USA. This process of adaptation mimicked and retraced the developmental tasks of infancy in many respects. The second part describes the adaptation of a dyadic psychoanalytic relationship that brought about renewed organization, differentiation, and the development of intrapsychic balance through remembering and rewriting past internal experiences. The concepts and understanding of ego psychology will be utilized in developing the story. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, I attempt to propose an additional and new dimension of twinship selfobject need: A patient yearns for a sense that the analyst recognizes himself or herself in the patient. Through clinical vignettes with two Japanese patients, I illustrate that this new dimension and Kohut's original definition are related, but represent two different kinds of transferences. I discuss the issue of whether this new dimension of twinship is the essential source of the selfobject milieu in which an individual experiences himself or herself as a human among other human beings; namely, that it is a sine qua non for humanization and, furthermore, that this dimension of twinship appears as a patient's striving toward establishing a twinship tie in an environment in which he or she is aware that his or her or the other's subjectivities are differently formed... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated use of the Japanese Interest Checklist for the Elderly (JICE). An interview that followed administration of the checklist illuminated the reasons for interests among 65 participants. Examining the reasons behind levels of interest is a potential avenue of research that may add to our understanding of the nature of interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicultural children's literature is a passport to foreign cultures. Because we live in a global and multicultural society, it is important to help children understand cultures different from their own. Many educators use picture storybooks to introduce the social life and customs of other societies. This article highlights four realistic picture storybooks that depict commonly held values, beliefs, and attitudes of Japanese culture. Specifically, this article focuses on four aspects that contribute to the foundation of the Japanese social system: harmony, empathy, loyalty, and patience. When introducing culture to children, it is imperative to share realistic picture storybooks that depict current ideology, social life, and customs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese students often feel it is difficult to acquire communicative skills in English at school. Although many of them appear to have positive, favourable attitudes towards learning English, their annual Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) total score mean has been consistently low. The present paper discusses this paradox from two points of views, pedagogical and cultural. First, some features of TEFL in Japanese schools are highlighted. TEFL starts late (at junior high school), the class hours per week are comparatively few, and classes are large. In addition, while communicative language teaching (CLT) has been formally adopted, teachers and students are still conscious of grammar-translation skills, particularly because of their prominence in University entrance examinations. Second, certain aspects of Japanese communication styles have significant effects on students' motivation to learn English and their preferred modes of communication in English. These include 'dual structured' communication, implied meanings, tacit understanding, and sensitivity to social and contextual factors such as formality, status, power and social distance. This paper presents the results of a study on aspects of formality and politeness in the use of English by Japanese teachers and students, and concludes by discussing recent developments and future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]