Abstract In his book "You Gotta Have Wa", journalist Robert Whiting considers the differences between Japan and the United States in terms of how they play baseball, a game originating in the U.S., adopted by Japan and today a highly popular form of entertainment in Japan. This paper examines Japanese and American culture and society, the differences between the two countries and how these differences are reflected through the way both nationalities play the game of baseball.
From the Paper "In Japanese society, there are certain signs and symbols differentiating between private and public space. Every society makes some distinction between these two spheres, but the underlying meaning of this difference and the ways in which the difference is enforced differ from one society to another. The Japanese view of public and private spheres is bound with ideas about religion, historical developments, and attitudes toward the place of the individual in society. The Japanese view also contrasts sharply with that of the Anglo-American tradition, indicating a number of differences in the way the two types of society are constructed and the ways in which the individual relates to those societies."
An analysis of the culture of the Japanese Sumarai through an examination of the book by Thomas Cleary (translated from Taira Shigesuke) "Code of the Samurai".
Abstract This paper looks at this "strange" culture to Western society known as the code of the Samurai. It examines the history of its development, the important role in played in Japanese culture and how it has affected modern Japanese society.
From the Paper "The samurai warrior class came to dominate Japanese society because for most of its history the country has been at war. Apart from the Mongol invasions of the 13th century and the debacle of World War II, the warfare has been internal ? warlords fighting each other, or the central authority of the shogun. One has only to see some of the historical dramas filmed by the great director Akira Kurosawa, such as The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, or Ran to get a vivid sense of what the samurai were all about. Once the strangeness (to Westerners) of the bizarre dress and armor is registered, and one gets acclimated to a different culture and age, the motivations of the characters become clearer. For the samurai, there is usually an issue of honor to resolve, either by attack, revenge, or submission to authority."
Abstract This paper addresses the already complex issue of mother-daughter relationships which is made even harder by differences in culture and traditions. The story tells of four women and the relationships with their mothers - all Chinese-Americans struggling with the traditions of the past and the modernity of their future. This paper analyzes the different interactions between the generations and how each character deals with their own personal issues and problems.
From the Paper "Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club" is a story about the lives of Chinese women, who have immigrated into America, and the Chinese- American daughters who are born to them. The novel is a collection of stories narrated by the characters-- four mothers and their four daughters--who tell the tales of joys and conflicts in their family relationships. The main character is June, a Chinese-American woman, whose relationship with her mother, Suyuan, is strained by the cultural and generation differences.
Each of the character's stories is rich with Chinese culture and heritage, describing traditional festivals, marriage ceremonies, cuisine, fashion, and childbearing. Tan describes the rules and expectations for the traditional Chinese woman in this book, showing that each of these women possesses a nature and spirit that gives her individuality, despite her upbringing. There is a strong emphasis on family relationships in this novel."
Abstract Set in 1920s Northern China, "Raise the Red Lantern" is based on the novel "Wives and Concubines" by Su Tong. The paper discusses the story line which focuses on nineteen-year old Songlian, who is cajoled into marrying a wealthy householder to become his fourth wife. Songlian is educated, but she dropped out of college following her father's death. It discuses one of the primary themes of "Raise the Red Lantern", which is the role of women in Chinese culture.
From the Paper "The film is laced with dialogue that reveals ingrained misogyny; the concubines unquestioningly accept their roles. Songlian bemoans her fate but feels powerless to change it. The film opens with a close-up shot of Songlian's face as she speaks to her stepmother off-screen. Songlian's tearfully resolute visage sets the stage for the remainder of the film, which reveals the belief systems, values, behaviors, and customs of Northern China. Visually and emotionally captivating, Raise the Red Lantern lends insight specifically into the lives of wealthy Chinese concubines, and focuses especially on the role of women in Chinese culture."
Abstract Jonathan D. Spence's book "The Death of Woman Wang" paints a picture of life in rural China in the seventeenth century, referring to the death of a woman who ran away from her husband, was returned to him and then was killed by him. The paper shows that the story of Woman Wang serves as an illustration of the place of women in this society, the nature of the law of the time and the social structure which allowed such things to happen. The paper explains that while the story of Woman Wang is an important element in the book, it does not become the central focus of the book until more than two-thirds of the way through and for most of the book, the focus is on village life in T'an-ch'eng in the era under discussion, the people of the village, their mode of life and the internal and interpersonal dynamics of that society.
From the Paper "This raises one of the issues raised by the book. The reader has to be careful in reading the book to differentiate between accounts offered by Huang and Feng, accounts which have a historical basis, and the stories of P'u Sungling, which are fiction, though they do reflect the same issues and contain much useful information. Still, it would not do to presume that a story by P'u Sungling carries the same historical weight as a direct account from one of the other two. Paul Berman reviewed the book when it was published and notes that Spence's "great achievement is to have revealed something about the literary possibilities of historical scholarship" (Berman 210), though he is also revealing some of the historical possibilities of literature at the same time. It remains important to keep the two separate when considering any aspect of the account in this book, though."
Abstract This paper looks at reasons why it has been difficult for many American companies to penetrate the Japanese export market in the past. It discusses how, over three decades, the Japanese laws and regulations created barriers to entry, by culturally binding allegiance and employing strategies such as cross-shareholding which favor keiretsu (local industrial groups). Officially, Japan's policy is to promote imports, but in practice this was often not the case. This paper focuses on how the American markets have been able to penetrate the Japanese markets with their sale of spirits.
From the Paper "As an island nation, Japan is a worldwide net importer due to its geographical limitations. Japan is America's largest overseas trading partner and the largest importer of U.S. agricultural products. With a gross domestic product of nearly $5 trillion, Japan's is the world's second largest economy. Japan's GDP is 70% of that of the U.S., while its population is roughly half. In 1996, the growth rate in Japan's economy was the highest in the developed world, at 3.6%. U.S. exports to Japan are greater than that of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore combined, making Japan a prime Asian market for U.S. exports."
Abstract The Tonkin Gulf Crisis 1964 ranks with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as events that David Kaiser of the U.S. Naval War College refers to as "controversies in American political history that dwarf all others". The paper shows that today, Tonkin Gulf researchers are still examining the evidence to determine whether or not President Johnson's administration intentionally instigated the first attack on Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. It is still not entirely clear whether or not Hanoi actually launched a second attack on Maddox, either. The paper shows that researchers are investigating the facts to determine whether or not Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara deliberately lied to the U.S. Congress to gain support for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which sealed Johnson's re-election and led the United States into the Vietnam War.
From the Paper "According to McNamara at the time of the incident, the Maddox crew did not have knowledge of the 34-Alpha raids. McNamara has since acknowledged that this claim was false, but denies knowing this at the time. The crew knew of the 34-Alpha operations and were worried that the 34-Alpha operations were putting their ship in danger. Many say that this incident made the crew nervous, therefore making them unreliable sources regarding the second attack in the Tonkin Gulf.
When the Senate approved Tonkin Gulf Resolution, Senators Morse and Ernest Gruening opposed the resolution. However, Congress voted 4160 in support. Morse stated, "I believe that within the next century, future generations will look with dismay and great disappointment upon a Congress which is now about to make such a historic mistake (Ford, 1997).""
Abstract The paper shows that with the advent of globalization, the nations of Western Europe, as well as Australia, have been affected by this new trend. With globalization, many industries, once specifically associated with certain geographic locales have now seen their workforces move overseas. The lure of cheap labor, cheap raw materials, low overhead and few regulations has encouraged textile manufacturers, fashion designers and other manufacturers to fill their orders in places like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Costa Rica. The paper shows that Calvin Klein, like other producers of designer jeans, must compete in the global marketplace in order to survive. And like other nations, Australia must also survive in today's economic world. Calvin Klein can compete on the world stage and so can the Australian companies that generate the revenue that makes it possible for Australians to buy such things as designer jeans. The paper questions, however, whether the Australian worker can compete on that same world stage. The paper also questions whether globalization will eventually reduce all workers to the level of those of the Third World, or will Australian and Western industry in general, simply move into the avenues opened up by technology.
From the Paper "Australia serves as a magnet for many upwardly-mobile Asians who flock to Australia for a modern Western education. She has also attracted large numbers of Hong Kong Chinese as a result of fears surrounding Hong Kong's incorporation into the People's Republic of China. In fact, many Hong Kong businessmen send their families to live in Australia while they jet around the world to attend to their corporate interests. Such human connections also serve as the building blocks of a strong business partnership. In the apparel industry in particular, as Australia relaxes its import restrictions, more and more clothing comes from various Asian nations. Though the inexpensiveness of the finished product is not an automatic guarantee of its acceptance by the consumer, a recent study showed that Australians are surprisingly indifferent to the country of origin of their clothing."
Abstract This apparent contradiction will be central to this paper's examination of Confucianism and its critics in modern China. This paper will show that while Confucianism was initially dismissed by critics in the early twentieth century as being an outmoded philosophy supporting a weak imperial government, later critics have come to recognize that it has a place today in Chinese life.
Abstract In this paper, 3 countries in Southeast Asia (Laos, Myanmar and Thailand) are described from the perspective of cultural geography. The role of Buddhism and ethnicity are evaluated in relation to these countries and the value of a cultural geography is discussed as a tool for enabling an understanding of cultural differences and the relevance of geography to culture.
Abstract The paper focuses on the roles women in Argentina, Cuba, Chile, India, and Burma have been able to play in direct political and social change.
Abstract Summary: This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Chinese entering the World Trade Organization. By understanding the different elements of this type of major deal in trade, we can see how this might affect the lives of the Chinese on a world basis. The effects of internationalization of this country has been an issue in recent times, and this deal would have significant affects on China.
Abstract The focus of this paper is the roles of women during the Han period. More specifically, the marriage relationship, and women's roles within this union will take precedence in this paper.
Abstract The following paper is an analysis on the 'Americanization' of Japanese culture. Four distinct areas of culture will be analyzed, and in turn, some general analysis will be presented in terms of assigning the causes for this trend. In particular, focus will be given toward understanding how this process must be understood with the 'transformation of identity' that had been taking place in this context.
Abstract The object of this paper is to uncover the conflict between the Neoconfucianists and the Buddhists in China. This paper will discuss why Neoconfucianism rejected Buddhism, what figures acted as catalysts in the transformation and what themes they used to make this change effective.
