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Final Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

aimai

A

state in which there is more than 1 intended meaning resulting in obscurity, indistinctness and uncertainty

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2
Q

origins of aimai

A
  • geographical determinism
    • Jp isolated from rest of Asia because dangerous seas
      • free from threat of invasion
    • Jp mountainous with little inhabitable land
      • people had to live in close communities
  • climate
    • hot summers, rainy season supports intensive agriculture (e.g. rice)
      • irrigating, planting and harvesting traditionally shared by community
      • achieve high productivity w/ small space
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3
Q

explanation of aimai

A
  • bred cooperation b/c fear of exlcusion
  • have to communicate w/out disrupting harmony
  • avoid expressing ideas clearly
  • form of unity in which everyone aims for same goal
  • strong emotional unity -> inability to criticise openly
  • asserting opinion clearly shows assumption that other person knows nothing
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4
Q

examples of aimai

A
  • ‘maa-maa’
    • response to questions of how well you are/did
    • avoids appearing overconfident
  • ‘ichio’
    • way to say yes w/out assertion
    • avoids appearing superior
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5
Q

cross-cultural effects of aimai

A
  • Jp appear shy/uncertain
  • non-Jp can find irritating
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6
Q

aimai differences b/w Jp and West

A
  • disagreement
    • Jp: listen w/ air of acceptance then disagree vaguely, emotional response to disagreement, would affect relationships
    • West: direct and honest expression of opinion, non-emotional responses to disagreement
  • silence
    • Jp: indicates deep thinking
    • West: discomfort, indication of apathy
  • solutions
    • Japanese need to be aware of ambiguity and problems that can arise
    • Non-Jp need to understand cultural significance
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7
Q

giri

A

traditional attitudes toward moral duty/social obligation

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8
Q

2 parts to giri

A
  • moral pinciples/duty
  • behaviour obligated to follow
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9
Q

history of giri

A
  • recieved goodwill from others in rice field in helping transplanting and reaping rice
  • needed to return favor
  • carefully noted whether recieved favor back
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10
Q

examples of giri

A
  • chugen and seibo
    • summertime and wintertime gift giving
  • Valentine’s day and white day
  • negajo and shochumimai
    • cards sent in New Year and July
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11
Q

bushido

A
  • ethics formed among samurai
  • foundation of national morality after Meiji restoration
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12
Q

bushi/samurai

A
  • class that had political power and position of leadership from end of 12th C
  • self-defense groups that protected private manors and maintained public order
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13
Q

feudalism

A

decentralised structure of society in which vassals obtained protection and land as reward for loyality and service to lord, powerful in Middle Ages

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14
Q

origins of bushido

A
  • zen buddhism
    • introduced tea ceremony, flower arrangement, haiku, calligraphy
    • stressed physical discipline, self control, etc.
  • confucianism
    • rational, utilitarian philosophy of human relationships which consideres proper human relationships as basis of society
    • stresses social order based on strict ethical rules
    • centered on familiy and state - both governed by men of education and superior ethical wisdom
    • 4 principles: humanism, faithfulness, respect for social norms, chi (wisdom)
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15
Q

neo-confucianism

A

justified ideologically feudal system in Jp in 17th C

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16
Q

key principles of bushido

A
  • loyalty
    • bushido historically determined to die
    • all samurai had to live honorably so have no regrets when die
    • strict moral code involving justice, politeness
    • loyalty in feudal Jp = relationship b/w lord and vassal
    • differing opinions on reason for relationship
      • obligations and service
      • submission and self-sacrifice
      • remuneration only
  • honor
    • die rather than disgrace self
    • if samurai died in war then fame and rewards passed down generations
    • seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) most honorable samurai death
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17
Q

cons of bushido

A
  • led to fanatic patriots
  • committed horrific atrocities in name of honor
    • before Russo-Japanese war early 20th C Jp soldiers killed sick wife and kids so not a burden on country
    • Kamikaze squads in WWII
  • attitudes praised as exemplifying budo spirit
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18
Q

modern bushido

A
  • still dominant in some ways
  • sometimes -ve b/c suicide seen as easy escape to honor family after failures
  • some young people losing respect
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19
Q
  • uchi
  • soto
A
  • inside, home, belonging, spouse
  • outside, outdoors, others, outside home
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20
Q

origins of uchi/soto

A
  • traditional ie system
  • male dominated (senior male had absolute power)
  • head of household in charge of family business (provided family w/ salaries)
  • household itself more important that individual members
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21
Q

influence of uchi/soto on politics

A
  • psychological exclusivism towards other groups
    • discrimination against minorities e.g. burakumin, Ainu, ethnic Koreans
  • need to develop relationships w/ people from other countries
    • group all other people as ‘gaijin’
    • important for young people to be aware of this aspect of culture
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22
Q
  • honne
  • tatamae
A
  • deep motive/intention
  • refers to motives/intentions that are socially-tuned, suppressed by majority opinion
    • dichotomy contrasting genuinely held feelings and socially controlled ones
    • prevalent in most countries, Jp uses it extensively
    • considred virtuous not to express feelings
    • easy for Jp to use b/c grow up w/ them, can cause misunderstanding
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23
Q

gambaru

A

to do one’s best and hang on

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24
Q

free time in Jp vs. US

A
  • not working = unpleasant feeling for Jp, seen as wasteful/shameful
  • e.g. Jp men don’t know what to do with themselves when retire, increased suicide among elderly
  • cruicial for US to have free time
25
Q

origins of gambari

A
  • rice growing
    • intensive labor practice so needed people to give all during harvesting, etc.
  • geographic conditions
    • challenging conditions never allows contentness, always restless
  • equal opportunities for upward mobility
    • post-Meiji restoration greater equality
    • if work hard can fight for better place in society
26
Q

gambari today

A
  • losing importance
  • some think youth have been spoiled
  • classrooms unruly
  • rigorous exam process means a lot of kids give up on dreams
  • beginning to think leisure time important, shortened work week to 5 days
27
Q

problems w/ gambari

A
  • death from overwork (karoshi)
  • fanaticism (e.g. soldiers in WWII)
28
Q

origins of do spirit

A
  • Taoism
    • beliefs of ancient china
    • influenced Zen Buddhism
    • do literally translates to ‘way’
    • expresses unity of man and nature
    • concerned w/ bringing heaven and earth together
  • Zen Buddhism
    • emphasizes importance of acting
      • naturally
      • gracefully
      • thoughtfully
29
Q

do in tarditional Japanese arts

A
  • formalization (actions become rule bound - kata)
  • beauty of complete perfection (constant repetition of kata)
  • mental discipline
  • integration w/ skill
30
Q

problems w/ do

A
  • Jp seek perfection in all aspects of life to achieve spiritual satisfaction
  • emphasis on perfecting established standards rather than creation of ideas
  • accepted in soc. if follow rules
31
Q

haragei

A

way of exchanging feelings/thoughts in an implicit way

32
Q

+ve of haragei

A
  • can read others minds and guess what they are thinking
  • social lubricant
  • helps avoid arguments
33
Q

-ve of haragei

A
  • hide real feelings/thoughts
  • seen as decietful in business/politics
  • hide motives to gain power
34
Q

haragei + amae

A

speaker allows themselves to become dependent on sensitivity of listener to read b/w lines

35
Q

haragei + honne/tatamae

A

don’t say what really think

36
Q

haragei + ishin denshin

A
  • intuitive understanding w/out using words/signs
  • ID is unintentional, whereas haragei is intentional
37
Q

high/low context cultures

A
  • HCC
    • most info lies in setting/people, little info in verbal message
    • don’t ask many qs and value silence
    • e.g. Jp
  • LCC
    • verbal message contains most info
    • ask qs to avoid ambiguity, intolerant of it
    • e.g. West
38
Q

nemawashi

A

laying groundwork before reaching final agreement

39
Q

spadework vs. nemawashi

A
  • decision making process
    • JAPAN
      • Jp. decides by unanimous agreement
      • boss has nominal decision-making power
      • if don’t notify opponents/supporters, reason enough to go against plan
    • WEST
      • boss has ultimate decision-making power
      • done on those in power
  • meaning of meetings
    • JAPAN
      • make decisions before meeting
      • too uncomfortable to discuss frank opinions in meetings
      • more like ceremonies
    • WEST
      • place to discuss matters and reach conclusion
  • certain characteristics
    • JAPAN
      • notification
    • WEST
      • effective advertisement
40
Q

cons of nemawashi

A
  • sometimes regarded as crafty
  • non-Jp think it is cheating/lobbying, etc.
41
Q

bigaku

A
  • Japanese sense of beauty
  • Western life widespread among Jp people
42
Q

examples of bigaku

A
  • wafuku: original Jp clothing
    • today mostly wear yofuku (western clothes)
    • kimonos less popular b/c difficult to move in and seen as putting on airs
    • kimonos only worn on special occasions now - demonstrate formality, status and pride
  • hogaku: traditional Jp music
    • rare in Jp these days
    • modern Jp music played with Western instruments
    • used in certain occasions (e.g. New Year)
  • Japanese art
    • traditionally monochromatic, few strokes, silk cloth, etc.
    • now western art ubiquitous - vivid colors, complete, explicit
    • traditionally beauty comes form feelings
    • W. art is logical beauty
    • criticised for vague beauty fundamentals
43
Q

beauty in Jp today

A
  • Jp blindly imitates W. culture
  • need to gain greater appreciation of Jp culture
44
Q

kisetsu

A

Japanese sense of seasons

45
Q

6 Jp seasons

A
  • winter
  • summer
  • spring
  • fall
  • tsuyu (rainy season)
  • typhoon season
46
Q

Jp lifestyle w/ weather

A
  • architecture
    • raised floors
    • airy rooms
    • paper doors
    • keep cool from humidity
  • clothing
    • mostly W. clothing except for yukata (informal kimono)
    • worn as pyjamas or relaxing summer nights
  • food
    • fruits+veg year around
    • bamboo shoots in spring
    • eels in summer
  • letters
    • most begin w/ some form of seasonal greeting
47
Q

annual seasonal Jp events

A
  • cherry blossoms in spring
  • Tanabata festival July 7, hang sheets w/ poems outside
  • omisaka prepare for New Year
48
Q

wabi-sabi

A

simplicity and elegance as Japanese beauty ideals

49
Q

zen buddhism and wabi-sabi

A
  • zen doesn’t regard nothingness as a state of the absence of objects
  • instead affirms existence of unseen behind empty space
  • nothingness is ideal form of beauty
    • tea ceremony
      • esteemed qualities: lack of polish, asymmetry, simplicity
      • lack of ornamentation requires participants to complete surroundings in mind
50
Q

modern wabi-sabi

A
  • disappearing due to lack of understanding
  • practise tea ceremony w/out mental effort, form of entertainment and imitation
  • materialism: Jp only values surface, don’t see unseen beauty of outer world
  • lead more luxurious lives adn need to realise the values they were built on
51
Q

amae

A

japanese dependence on others’ benevolence

52
Q

amae explanation

A
  • related to enryo (restraint), giri (social obligation), tsumi (sin), haji (shame)
  • inner circle: amae, no enryo
  • middle circle: enryo
  • outer circle of strangers: neither
  • like relationship b/w mother and child
  • Jp people struggle to say no b/c don’t want to break amae bond
  • if want to get close will bring present
53
Q

shudan ishiki

A
  • Japanese group consciousness
  • considered a virtue to adhere to values of a group, solidarity
  • social groups create own social codes of behaviour
54
Q

what is shudan ishiki influenced by?

A
  • development of non-verbal communication
  • uchi/soto
  • emphasis on harmony
55
Q

iitoko-dori

A
  • adopting elements of foreign culture
  • began w/ acceptance of shinto + buddhism
  • reconcile theoretical contradictions
  • Jp people have 2 religions
  • e.g. 1873 Tomioka model factory built entirely of imports, French workers hired, Jp workers copied them
56
Q

consequences of iitoko-dori

A
  • little religious conflict
  • able to accept new ideas (e.g. christianity)
  • Jp not willing to stand up for beliefs w/out group consensus
57
Q

kenkyo

A
  • Japanese virtue of modesty
  • people expected to be modest regardless of social position
  • self-assertiveness discouraged, consideration encouraged
  • Jp soc. v. vertical heirarchy e.g. sempai-kohai
  • v. complicated honorific system(teingeigo - polite, senkeigo - honorific, kenjogo - humble)
    • used to address superiors adn respected people, also older people
  • express humility in English to establish equality, in Japan to show inferiority
58
Q

chinmoku

A

silence in Jp communication

  • Zen: purpose not stated explicitly but learned intuitively
  • group consciousness
59
Q

otogibanashi

A
  • Japanese foltktles
  • portray visual and emotional beauty
  • known for portrayal of physical beauty of seasons and in-depth description of hero’s emotional life
  • often contains animal characters that take form of humans
  • helps explain japanese concept of people coexisting w/ nature in vague way
  • stories develop in same basic way
  • ideal person portrayed: strong will

Japanese Culture (1 decks)

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