SCHOOL LIFE: Comparative Culture, Intercultural Communication II, Interchanging Societies

 In Comparative Culture, a class that examines cultural differences mainly in terms of behavior, the class mainly focused on the behavior of people riding in trains. There was a worksheet handed out that I was unfortunately unable to wrap my head around due to the language barrier and an odd feeling of fatigue in the morning.  The gist of the worksheet was to describe a likely scenario on a crowded train and how one responds to a train that is fully crowded to the point where people nearly overflow from the doors when it stops at a station. The main talking point of the lecture was groping on trains; this is a common occurrence in Japan due to the crowdedness of trains and the general unwillingness of victims to protest when they are being fondled. Japanese culture is often known for virtues of withstanding situations and being patient rather than asserting one's individual rights, and this paired with a situation of being in a completely filled train where calling for help would potentially become a great ordeal (though by moral standards it should not be a greater ordeal than the violation of one's body and space) facilitates a feeling of helplessness for victims of groping and molestation on crowded trains. The professor asked students if they thought groping on trains was more common in Japan than another train-heavy country, the United Kingdom. Students near-unanimously voted that Japan has the most cases, and apparently they were right. The professor explained the cultural differences in that women in the West are more likely to raise their voice or scream if someone touches them inappropriately. While I was aware of these cultural differences I had never given a depth of thought to groping on trains and how its frequency in Japan is culturally related. By looking at what was discussed about trains in Japan, this class brings about a clear cultural perspective, which deepens its relevance for the culture element of my study contract.

 The next class was Intercultural Communication. Taught all in English, as I said before, the class explored the effects of culture shock. The class, while in English, focuses more on activities rather than dialogue. Students first explained their experiences of culture shock; many of the students in the class are Chinese, so it was easy for them to describe what was culturally shocking to them upon coming to Japan. One of the most recent exchange students from a university in China which operates an exchange in the same way that Evergreen and the University of  Hyogo does had an interesting perspective; she said she finds it difficult to discern romantic couples in Japan, because many boys/girls and men/women don't hold hands or engage in other displays of affection in public. She said in China couples are always holding hands; I found this a bit odd, as I had not noticed too much more physical contact when I had studied in China before. I believe there are very similar ideas about physical displays between Japanese and Chinese culture, but who was I to argue with a genuine observation from a Chinese student? In Japan, physical displays are of course more common than they used to be, but there are couples that do not display affection often if at all in public. This was the only really relevant cultural lesson of the class; other culture shock experiences were differences in table manners and speaking dialects, yielding the typical culture-studies response that cultural differences are never right or wrong, etc. The class moved into an activity where students walked other students around the room while one of the partners had their eyes close, to simulate how it feels to be in a new environment and to guide people who are in a new environment. The main lesson was that cultural differences in language and customs can make one feel intellectually inferior and cause one to lose confidence. When the stress from these situations accumulates it can be debilitating to people in a new culture. I offered my thoughts on this kind of culture shock; in many cases when I have been in Japan, if things are not going well, particularly in terms of interpersonal relationships, I not only lose confidence in myself and feel alienated from Japanese culture, but also feel the distress permeate throughout all aspects of being in Japan. I become resentful of cultural traits and customs that I once accepted and even admired. This might be a response unique to certain individuals, but it differs strongly from the kind of culture shock in, for example, seeing yet to be potty-trained toddlers defecate on the street. This might make one feel strange but it does not necessarily create true shock of being out of one's element; true culture shock, in my opinion, is an overall complete disconnection or resentment of the culture itself. In my cases though, I have always found that overcoming these stresses of living in another culture leads to a deeper love for the culture and a great personal growth.

 Third period was the course by Ueno-sensei, "Interchanging Societies" (I still can't think of a better translation for the title of this course, so I guess that it will stay). Mainly the professor discussed differences in geography and forest density between the United States and Japan. The class was a difficult one to sit through; due to the professor's disuse of a microphone, his voice, while audible, was soft and lulling, and a quick glance at other students in the class shows many students with their heads down. This is something I never really see at Evergreen; the way many Japanese professors lecture is a traditional lecture, and Ueno-sensei is a traditional teacher (no hats on in class). These lectures do not always actively engage the students, and even when they do, many students stay silent unless addressed directly. Students were advised to write down their impressions of the course, and I advised Ueno-sensei to use a microphone. On Thursday (writing Tuesday's post on Friday, today), he started using a microphone and many more students seemed to pay attention.

 That wraps up Tuesday's classes. I joined the Folk Song Club later that evening for a dinner with only the first year students, and in spite of no alcohol consumption, the noise level and horseplay was effusively there. Sometime: a cultural entry on how Japanese college students behave at meals. And remember, cultural differences are not good or bad, just different.