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Title: Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program by David L. McConnell ISBN: 0-520-21636-9 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: February, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.45 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Fascinating and eye-openning
Comment: Reading this book has honestly changed my life. As a JET Program applicant, I bought this book in hopes that it would give me some insight which will help me do well in my job interview for the ALT position. Now, not only do I know more about the JET Program than I ever did before, but I think I also have a more enlightened understanding of Japanese culture and the true meaning of "internationalization."
One recurring theme in the book is Program participants who have come to Japan with unrealistic expectations and the unwillingness to view things in a way which looks beyond their own cultural nearsightedness. In their jobs and daily life, these people become frustrated at what they perceive as intolerance from a rigid and naive Japanese society who should be grateful for foreigners who want to make Japanese culture into something more consistent with their own western values. What became obvious to me as I read these stories is that while there certainly exists some intolerance on the Japanese side of things, one of the biggest causes of these participants' frustrations has been that they have been blind to their own intolerance.
I have learned that people who feel that the job of an ambassador (which seems to have more to do with a JET's duties than teaching English does) is to conduct themselves no differently than they would in their own culture actually end up creating divisiveness, misunderstanding, and tension between cultures, which is the opposite of their purpose. A foreigner who is willing to adapt to and learn from Japanese culture mores while retaining their personal values is the kind of person who truly embodies the ideals of "internationalization," and has much more power to affect positive social change than the kind of person described above.
I have always viewed assertion of individuality to be a virtue, and I have viewed cultural pressure to conform as oppressive and wrong. But reading this book made me realize that many people's path to true happiness comes through being a good member of a group, and not necessarily through being a strong individual. While I still personally feel that my place in the world is to be a strong individual, I also am comfortable with the fact that many people feel differently. I have also realized that assertion of individuality in many cases, such as when it comes at the expense of damaged human relation, can actually be the opposite of virtuous. This is not to say though that the pressure of conformity is necessarily a good thing, just that those who feel most comfortable in situations where they are able to meet concrete expectations are not necessarily wrong just because they are different from me.
Reading this review might lead you to believe that the book itself is devoted to spouting the kind of opinion that I have presented in this review. This is not the case. While I do believe that the author holds similar views to those I stated, his book is a serious, thorough, and objective study of the JET Program. He presents a variety of experiences, both positive and negative, from JET participants, Japanese educators, and people from various government ministries, and allows the reader to draw his or her own interpretations of the information presented.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the JET Program and to anyone who would like to gain insight into Japanese culture and the process of "internationalization" through the viewpoints of people who have been involved in the program.
Rating: 3
Summary: Beware that this is a history book!
Comment: I currently live in Japan and know many JETs. I'm not too sure who the audience for this book is. If you want to know the current and future state of the JET program, you are not the audience. If you were in the JET program in 1988 or 1989 this would probably be good nostalgic material for you to reminisce over and laugh about. I don't question its accuracy and much of it is interesting to read (kind of like gossip because it focuses on mostly negative and sensational aspects of JET participants' experiences in Japan), but for most people I think it is just a reference book for when you need to know what happened back in the late 80s. If you are a prospective JET, I recommend that you talk to former JETs who were recently in Japan.
Rating: 4
Summary: A "must-read" for potential JETs.
Comment: This book is a great overview of Japan's JET program. While most of the research was done on the early years of the program, the author has kept in touch over the years and includes a chapter on JET in the 2000's. The main players are introduced, and the functions of CLAIR, AJET, JETAA and the various ministries are outlined. I found the information on how JETs are placed to be very insightful. Also, some fairly common cultural misunderstandings are focused on. Perhaps JETs who read this book will not make the same mistakes as their predecessors.
The author does a nice job of presenting both sides of the JET program. The opinions of the Japanese teachers and administrators is counter balanced with the opinions of the JETs themselves. As expected, the viewpoints rarely match. There is a great section on a JET who felt that she had had a great experience, and that everyone was happy with her performance. The Japanese host institution was glad when she finally left.
The book does tend to emphasize the bad experiences over the good. Statistics show that JETs who break contract are fairly rare, yet they make up the majority of the interviewees. The author does not imply that this is the majority experience, just that they make for more interesting reading.
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Title: Learning to Bow : Inside the Heart of Japan by Bruce Feiler ISBN: 0395647266 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 22 September, 1992 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Teaching English in Japan: Japan (Teaching English) by Jerry Osullivan, Jerry Teaching English in Japan O'Sullivan ISBN: 0844208752 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: November, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Dave Barry Does Japan by Dave Barry ISBN: 0449908100 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 14 September, 1993 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Japanese Cultural Encounters by Hiroko C. Kataoka, Tetsuya Kusumoto ISBN: 0844285315 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: 11 January, 1991 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Gateway to Japan (Kodansha Guide) by June Kinoshita, Nicholas Palevsky ISBN: 477002018X Publisher: Kodansha International Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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