Reaction to Diamond

I thought it is better if we can consider “race” as one, in other words, it is better if there is no classification. However, in reality, there are many definition and classification of “race”. I think those exist because those are necessary in many places.

Although, I agree that classifying race is very subjective and arbitrary. Some people might say my race is Asian, and some might say Japanese. It depends on each person’s perspective. Therefore, I thought when we discuss about “race”, we should know as many definition and classification of race as possible so that we can think race as our problem and what is the best definition.

Reaction to Shreeve

In the text of Shreeve, there are many scientists’ opinions, and I like this style because I can see many perspectives and ideas of the word “race”.

I thought “race” is too difficult to have clear definition. Every person have different point of view toward classification.

I think, as I looked deeply about this text’s title, “Terms of Estrangement”, is also saying about the difficulties in the word “race”. If one scientist gave the definition of “race”, another scientist will surely criticize that definition and gives another one. Therefore, the problem of classifying “race” always goes round and round.

I thought that is why in this text, there is no specific conclusion about author’s opinion.

Reaction to Gould

Gould tried to remind us that every scientist has big effect on influencing their idea. For example, Blumenblach made his theory of five classification of race, which afterwards became Hitler’s racism. In other words, if there had been no Blumenbach’s idea of hierarchy classification of race, Hitler’s racism might not have happened.

 Thorough reading this text, I thought this is true. Scientists have high authority. When they shared their ideas, they used some techniques or authority to convince people, and their ideas became common. I think that is why scientists’ ideas have big influence on people and world’s situation in the future.

20×20 presentation reaction:)

I had hard time making the slides because I am bad at computer. In the beginning, it took almost an hour to complete one slide. However I gradually got used to the system of power point, and enjoyed decollating the slides.

After finishing the slides, I tried to practice many times so that I would not be nervous.

Although, when I finished practicing twice, I have noticed one thing.

“My presentation is not what I really want to say!”

I mean, the more I practice, the more my presentation became like a manual. I thought if I practiced a lot, I would just think what I have said when I practiced during the performance of the presentation. That is not what I wanted to do because that is just a presentation which is forced to do by Mark, and also which is lack of eagerness. Therefore, I decided to make my presentation with minimum of rehearsal.

As a result, I enjoyed making my presentation in front of section mate, and I could tell what I really wanted to from my mind. Unexpectedly, my time management was good too. However, as I read the comments from section mate, I noticed that eye contact was incomplete. Consequently, next time I will make a presentation, I want to improve eye contact.

I really enjoyed this 20×20 presentation. Thank you very much for giving me a chance to think about my content of essay, and the way of presentation!

My essay final draft, Sexual Minority:)

How Can Japanese Sexual Minority Be More Accepted?

Ⅰ. Introduction

According to Hideki Sunagawa who is a gay activist and cultural anthropologist, 1 or 2 out of 40 people is sexual minority in Japan. In other words, it might be possible to have a sexual minority student in each ELP section in ICU (“TOKYO jinken” 6). This statistics shows how they are closely related to non-sexual minority. Then, who are the sexual minority? They are mainly divided into three categories: Homosexual who are sexually attracted to the same gender (between women is called Lesbian, and between men is called Gay) (Campos 5), Bisexual who are sexually attracted to either gender (Campos 6), and Transgender who feel a sense of incongruous between their biological sex and gender identity (Campos 6).

James Thomas Sears, the editor of the international Journal of LGBT Youth and teacher at Trinity College, said that these sexual minority’s names are getting familiar through media due to increasing of TV stars such as Ai Haruna who had declared themselves to be sexual minority (474). However, they still feel difficulties living in the present world. Simon Forrest who works at Durham University as a trustee of AVERT, The AIDS Education and Research Trust, complained that the names became much more familiar, but their bad environment such as violence or discrimination still remains until now (qtd. in Cole 111-119). The solution for this situation is that Japanese people need the correct understanding such as what makes sexual minority live in difficult life, or what individual non-sexual minority people should do toward them to make the situation better. The way of making people understand those issues effectively is education. Therefore, Japanese government should make a curriculum including sexual minority education in schools.

Ⅱ. Two Reasons for introducing sexual minority’s education

              As mentioned above, the curriculum of sexual minority education is the important key to solve the bad environment toward sexual minority. According to the survey of Stonewall who is a national organization lobbying for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality and justice in UK, 48% of sexual minority under eighteen years old have experienced a violence attack (qtd. in Cole 117). This data might seem not high percentage than expected, but majority of bullying toward sexual minority is non-physical attacks, such as sneering or staring them nastily. Thus, most of the sexual minority have been attacked in either physical or non-physical ways (Cole 117). This situation makes them difficult to go to school. One of the young gay men who live in Britain said that half of the time in his school life was to find places to hide, and the other half was to wait for the class mates to tease him. The recording of the sexual minority’s themselves experience reported by Simon Blake, CEO of fantastic young people's sexual health charity Brook, warns how lonely and isolated they are, which should not be happen (qtd. in Cole 114).

The reason why this problem also happens in Japan is that Japanese students don’t have a chance to learn about sexual minority’s reality at school. The Ministry of Health compiled statistics on the saturation level of sexual minority’s education in 2009, which result was 78.5% of the students have never learned about those issues, and 10.7% of the students have learned, but the content was negative (qtd. in Inaba 3). As a result, it can be said that Japanese people don’t have the correct understanding which occurs to be negative image of them, or homophobia. If there were chance to learn the reality of them, many Japanese people would change their view of them. Japanese people just don’t know sexual minority’s reality. Therefore, the education of sexual minority is a good possibility to change their environment such as in schools, or work places.

             In addition, the education of sexual minority can be a solution of acquiring their rights in society. Even though the law created by Human Rights Committee made them much supportive, they still have discrimination and violation of rights, for example in their job and marriage (Gupta 36-37). Especially in Japan, this issue is not discussed and there is no supportive law of giving their rights (“Seiteki Mainoriti No Jinken Mondai”). Increasing Japanese people who correctly understand the inequality of sexual minority’s rights will make them easier to acquire their rights. Consequently, following two problems are expected to solve by introducing the curriculum of sexual minority’s education:

1) Bad environment in school or work place

2) The inequality of sexual minorities’ rights

Ⅲ. The Ideal curriculums of sexual minority’s education

Then, what is the ideal curriculum that makes effective changes in the present Japanese sexual minority’s problem? First of all, Japanese government needs to reexamine the present situation of education. According to Akiko Inaba, the concept of gender appeared in Japan by the time of 1980’s. However, the concept indicated that it reproduced the sexual discrimination, so in the late 1990’s, Japanese government introduced “Gender-Free Education”, which is to teach the inequality of men and women by the gender’s point of view (1). This education did not include the content of sexual minority. In other words, their existence was eliminated by this “Gender-Free Education” (2). Of course, it is important to learn the difference of social position between men and women, but that should not exclude the concept of sexual minority. Therefore, Japanese government should at first add the content of sexual minority in the text book and the curriculum.

              Also, the way of teaching sexual minority’s concept is important. The ideal way is introducing discussion in the class because it can widen each student’s point of view, and it is much more effective than one-way class because teacher might have who is actually sexual minority. The junior high student who took lecture given by sexual minority said that the lecture made her to think the sexual minority’s problem more seriously, and to feel the reality of sexual minority (“The Making of Learning about Sexual Diversity in Junior High School”).

Ⅳ. The way to change Japanese Government’s traditional idea of Gender

              However, the most difficult part lies on changing the Japanese government supportive to this suggestion, introducing the curriculum of sexual minority’s education. In the past, there were actually some movements to change Japanese educational system toward sexual minority. For example, Legislative Bodies of the Diet and Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly asked government to introduce sexual minority’s supportive teaching material, but the conservative politicians opposed it, and those institutions were forced to cancel the idea (Sears 474). If the Japanese government doesn’t become supportive, achieving sexual minority’s confortable living place all over Japan is absolutely difficult.

There are many actions taken by sexual minority to change this situation, and these actions should be more promoted to convince the government. On a world scale, sexual minorities unites together, and promote their rights and better life in the present world. For instance, IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, created event for making non-sexual minority more familiar to sexual minority on May 17th (IDAHO).              

As sexual minority is moving to change the government, non-sexual minority should also take an action to complain the government. In fact, Japanese non-sexual minority are actually complaining to the government to introduce the curriculum of sexual minority’s education. However, according to the research of Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, only 52%of elementary school and 15% of junior high school in Tokyo planned a year curriculum of sexual minority’s education (Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly). Japanese non-sexual minority still need the effort to increase the percentage of introducing curriculum. Showing both sexual minority and non-sexual minority’s effort toward the present situation is the best way to change the government’s traditional idea of gender.

Ⅴ. Conclusion and Expectation

Sexual minorities are of course “minority”, but they are certain to exist everywhere in the world. However, taking the case in Japan, they are not accepted by society because Japanese people had no chance to learn about their difficult situation, and Japanese people’s knowledge toward them is only from media. Therefore, Japanese government should reexamine their idea of gender, and be supportive to introduce the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education. Although, this essay does not mention about how media influence sexual minorities, so it might be better to see in what way media is biased and how Japanese people can utilize it to promote the understanding toward sexual minorities.

              The expectation by introducing the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education in schools is that sexual minorities will be more accepted in the present world. Equal rights between sexual minorities and non-sexual minorities, and more comfortable place to live by not feeling that they are “minority” is the ideal world. “I’m proud to be gay!” (IDAHO).  Japan should create a society where all the sexual minorities will be proud of themselves. (1522 words)

Works Cited

Campos, David. “Diverse Sexuality and Schools”: 2003. Print.

Cole, Mike. “Education, Equality and Human Rights”. 2006. Print.

Gupta, Indrani Sen. “Human Rights of Minority and Woman’s: Human Rights and Sexual Minorities”. 2005. Print.

Inaba, Akiko. “ gakko kyouiku ni okeru sexual minority[ Sexual Minority Youth in Public School Education: Recommendations for the Change Process ].”   .http://daigakuin.soka.ac.jp/assets/files/pdf/major/kiyou/22_kyoiku1.pdf    web.13 Oct. 2011.

International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia. Home Page.

http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/-IDAHO-english,41-     web. 13 Oct.2011.

Sears, James Tomas. “Youth, Education, and Sexualities”. 2005. Print.

“Seiteki mainoriti no jinken mondai” [ The Problem of Human Rights Toward Sexual Minority]. http://www.pref.tottori.lg.jp/secure/538013/kihonhoushin2_03-10.pdf

     Web. 15 Oct. 2011.

Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. “ heisei jyugonendo tokyotogikai kaigiroku daiyongou.” http://www.gikai.metro.tokyo.jp      web. 13 Oct. 2011.

Tokyo Metropolitan Human Rights Promotion Center. “TOKYO jinken” [ TOKYO human rights ]. http://www.tokyo-jinken.or.jp/jyoho/47/tokyojinken47.pdf    Sep. 2010. web. 12 Oct. 2011.

Watanabe, Daisuke. Kusunoki, Yuko. Tashiro, Mieko. Ushitora, Kaori. “Chugakko ni okeru sei no tayousei rikai no tame no jyugyou zukuri ” [The Making of Learning about Sexual Diversity in Junior High School]. 1 March. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

my essay draft: sexual minority

How should Japanese Sexual Minorities Be More Accepted?

According to the national census, the number of sexual minorities is 3-5% of the whole population. In other words, 1out of 40 people is sexual minorities in Japan, which means half of the section mate in ICU has at least one sexual minority student (Sunagawa 6). This statistics shows how they are closely related to non-sexual minorities. Then, who are the sexual minorities? They are mainly divided into three categories: Homosexual who are sexually attracted to the same gender (between women is called Lesbian, and between men is called Gay) (Campos 5), Bisexual who are sexually attracted to either gender (Campos 6), and Transgender who feel a sense of incongruous between their biological sex and gender identity (Campos 6).

In Japan, these sexual minorities’ names are getting familiar through media due to increasing of TV stars such as Ai Haruna who had declared themselves to be sexual minorities (Sears 474). However, they still feel difficulties living in the present world. Simon Forrest who works at Durham University as a trustee of AVERT, The AIDS Education and Research Trust, complained that the names became much more familiar, but their bad environment such as violence or discrimination still remains until now (111-119). The solution for this situation is that Japanese people need the correct understanding of what makes sexual minorities live in difficult life, and what individual non-sexual minority people should do toward them to make the situation better. The way of making people understand those issues effectively is education. Therefore, Japanese government should make a curriculum including sexual minority education in schools.

              As mentioned above, the curriculum of sexual minority education is the important key to solve the bad environment toward sexual minorities. According to the survey of Stonewall, the UK national organization lobbying for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality and justice, 48% of sexual minorities under eighteen years old have experienced a violence attack (Cole 117). This data might seem not high percentage than expected, but majority of bullying toward sexual minorities is non-physical attacks 

, such as sneering or staring them nastily. Thus, most of the sexual minorities have been attacked in either physical or non-physical ways (Cole 117). This situation makes them difficult to go to school. One of the young gay men who live in Britain said that half of the time in his school life was to find places to hide, and the other half was to wait for the class mates to tease him. The recording of the sexual minorities’ themselves experience reported by Simon Blake, CEO of fantastic young people's sexual health charity Brook, warns how lonely and isolated they are, which should not be happen.

The reason why this problem happens in Japan is that Japanese students don’t have a chance to learn about sexual minorities’ reality at school. The Ministry of Health compiled statistics on the saturation level of sexual minorities’ education, which result was 78.5% of the students have never learned about those issues, and 10.7% of the students have learned, but the content was negative (Inaba 3). As a result, it can be said that Japanese people don’t have the correct understanding which occurs to be negative image of them, or homophobia. If there were chance to learn the reality of them, many Japanese people would change their view of them. Japanese people just don’t know sexual minorities’ reality. Therefore, the education of sexual minorities is a good possibility to change their environment such as in schools, or work places.

             In addition, the education of sexual minorities can be a solution of acquiring their rights in society. Even though the law toward them became much supportive, they still have discrimination and violation of rights, for example in their job and marriage (Gupta 36 37). Especially in Japan, this issue is not discussed and there is no supportive law of giving their rights (“Seiteki Mainoriti No Jinken Mondai”). Increasing Japanese people who correctly understand the inequality of sexual minorities’ rights will make them easier to acquire their rights. Consequently, following two problems are expected to solve by introducing the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education: 1) Bad environment in school or work place 2) The inequality of sexual minorities’ rights

Then, what is the ideal curriculum that makes effective changes in the present Japanese sexual minorities’ problem? First of all, Japanese government should reexamine the present situation of education. According to Akiko Inaba, the concept of gender appeared in Japan by the time of 1980’s. However, the concept was indicated that it reproduced the sexual discrimination, so in the late 1990’s, Japanese government introduced “Gender-Free Education”, which is to teach the inequality of men and women by the gender’s point of view (1). This education didn’t include the content of sexual minorities. In other words, their existence was eliminated by this “Gender-Free

Education” (2). Of course, it is important to learn the difference of social position between men and women, but that should not exclude the concept of sexual minorities. Therefore, Japanese government should at first add the content of sexual minority in the text book and the curriculum.

              Also, the way of teaching sexual minorities’ concept is important. The ideal way is introducing discussion in the class because it can widen each student’s point of view, and it is much more effective than one-way class because teacher might have some sense of prejudice about them too. Another way is to invite the lecturer who is actually sexual minority. The junior high student who took lecture given by sexual minority said that the lecture made her to think the sexual minorities’ problem more seriously, and to feel the reality of sexual minorities (“The Making of Learning about Sexual Diversity in Junior High School”).

              However, the most difficult part lies on changing the Japanese government supportive to this suggestion, introducing the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education. In the past, there were actually some movements to change Japanese educational system toward sexual minorities. For example, Legislative Bodies of the Diet and Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly asked government to introduce sexual minorities’ supportive teaching material, but the conservative politicians opposed it, and those institutions were forced to cancel the idea (Sears 474). If the Japanese government doesn’t become supportive, achieving sexual minorities’ confortable living place all over Japan is absolutely difficult.

              There are many actions taken by sexual minorities to change this situation. On a world scale, sexual minorities unite together, and promote their rights and better life in the present world. For instance, IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, created event for making non-sexual minorities’ more familiar to sexual minorities on May 17th (IDAHO). These actions should be more promoted.

              As sexual minorities are moving to change the government, non-sexual minorities should move more to complain the government. In fact, Japanese non-sexual minorities are actually complaining to the government to introduce the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education. However, according to the research of Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, only 52%of elementary school and 15% of junior high school in Tokyo planned a year curriculum of sexual minorities’ education (Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly). Japanese non-sexual minorities still need the effort to increase the percentage of introducing curriculum. Showing both sexual minorities and non-sexual

minorities effort toward the present situation is the best way to change the government’s traditional idea of gender.

Sexual minorities are of course “minority”, but they are certain to exist everywhere in the world. However, taking the case in Japan, they are not accepted by society because Japanese people had no chance to learn about their difficult situation, and Japanese people’s knowledge toward them is only from media. Therefore, Japanese government should reexamine their idea of gender, and be supportive to introduce the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education. Although, this essay doesn’t mention about affection of media, so it might be better to see in what way media is biased and how Japanese people can utilize it to promote the understanding toward sexual minorities.

              The expectation by introducing the curriculum of sexual minorities’ education in schools is that sexual minorities will be more accepted in the present world. Equal rights between sexual minorities and non-sexual minorities, and more comfortable place to live by not feeling that they are “minority” is the ideal world. “I’m proud to be gay!” (IDAHO). Hope all the sexual minorities will be proud of themselves.

1386 words

Works Cited

Campos, David. “Diverse Sexuality and Schools”: 2003. Print.

Cole, Mike. “Education, Equality and Human Rights”. 2006. Print.

Gupta, Indrani Sen. “Human Rights of Minority and Woman’s: Human Rights and Sexual Minorities”. 2005. Print.

Inaba, Akiko. “ gakko kyouiku ni okeru sexual minority[ Sexual Minority Youth in Public School Education: Recommendations for the Change Process ].”   .http://daigakuin.soka.ac.jp/assets/files/pdf/major/kiyou/22_kyoiku1.pdf    web.13 Oct. 2011.

International Day Against Homophobia & Transgender

http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/-IDAHO-english,41-    web. 13 Oct. 2001.

McLelland, Mark J. Queer Japan from Pacific war to the internet age “”. 2005. Print.

Sears, James Tomas. “Youth, Education, and Sexualities”. 2005. Print.

Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. “ heisei jyugonendo tokyotogikai kaigiroku daiyongou.” http://www.gikai.metro.tokyo.jp     web. 13 Oct. 2011.

Outline of my essay

Research Question:

How should Japanese sexual minority be more accepted?

Thesis Statement:

Japanese government should make a curriculum including sexual minority education in schools. To support this statement, following three parts are needed:

1) The reasons why Japanese government should introduce sexual minority education in schools.

2) The ideal curriculum which makes effective change in the present Japanese sexual minority problem.

3) The way to change the government’s traditional idea of gender.

Ⅰ. Introduction

(Hook) Statistics of how many sexual minority exist in ICU to show that this problem is concerned with everyone
(Background) Definition of “sexual minority” and educational history of Japanese sexual minority

Ⅱ.The reasons for introducing sexual minority education by Japanese government are:

A. By the curriculum of sexual minority education, the environment toward sexual minority changes in the school

B. sexual minorities can acquire their rights much easier by getting sexual majorities’ support from the education

Ⅲ. The ideal curriculums which make effective change in present Japanese sexual minority problem are:

A. Adding and changing the content of what Japanese students learn thorough their sex education

B. Discussion to widen each student’s point of view of sexual minority

C. Inviting the lecturer who is actually sexual minority

Ⅳ. The ways to change the government’s traditional idea of gender:

A. Sexual minority’s activity to change the situation should be more promoted

B. Changing Japanese traditional idea of gender by dividing to each prefecture

Ⅴ. Conclusion

A. Repeat thesis statement and main points

B. Suggest further research to the readers

C. Expectation through this suggestion

Sources

Youth, Education, and Sexualities

James Tomas Sears 2005

Queer Japan from Pacific war to the internet age

Mark J. McLelland 2005

Human Rights of Minority and Woman’s: Human Rights and Sexual Minorities

Indrani Sen Gupta 2005

Diverse Sexuality and Schools

David Campos 2003

Education, Equality and Human Rights

Mike Cole 2006

International Day Against Homophobia & Transgender

http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/-IDAHO-english,41-

学校教育におけるセクシュアル・マイノリティ
http://daigakuin.soka.ac.jp/assets/files/pdf/major/kiyou/22_kyoiku1.pdf

Research Essay:) ...Sexual Minority

1. What is the issue you plan to research and write about?

I am planning to research and write about Sexual Minority. The main research question to this issue is “How can they (=Sexual Minority) live a better life in the present world?”

2. Why is the issue important? What is the significance?

Sexual minority, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, is getting to know in recent years by media. However, there are still many problems which should be reconsidered. One of those problems is sexual minority’s rights. Compared to sexual majority, their rights are still unequal (for example, 1.difficulty of changing the sex in their family registration, 2. marriage between gay or lesbian, 3. regulation about the sex change operation). Their rights should be equal because this unequal situation makes them difficult to live in the present world.

↑

I’ll talk more specific details in the next question!

3. Why are you interested in this? What’s the connection to YOU?

As mentioned above, sexual minority is getting to know in recent years by media. There are many films about gay, and especially in Japan, many transgender TV stars play an active part in the variety TV programs (for example, Ai Haruna, Ikko, and Kayo Sato are famous!). However, many people still don’t have correct understanding toward them.

I want to ask my blog reader one question.

Can you tell the difference between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender?

Actually, I couldn’t answer the difference between those two categories before I took the class, Gender in Everyday Life, in ICU. At that time, I noticed how thoughtless my understanding of sexual minority was. Like me, people who are sexual majority tend to assume they understand sexual minority due to the spread of the word thorough media, but when they are asked to tell the difference they actually cannot answer. This is another reason why sexual minority is still difficult to live in present world.

One day in Gender in Everyday Life class, our teacher taught us that sexual minority is actually making an action to change this bad situation. IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, is one of the world-scale action. When I saw their activities and promotion clip, I was surprised how hopeful they are and thought that not only sexual minority, but also sexual majority must make an action to change the world.

From Gender in Everyday Life class, my viewpoint of sexual minority changed, and my understanding deepened. I thought I want to learn and think about them more thorough this essay.

4. What questions do you have about this issue? What do you want to find out?

l  Why it is difficult to change sexual minority’s rights?

l  What sexual minority actually hope for the change to make their life better?

l  What is the purpose of IDAHO’s activity?

l  How sexual minority’s rights are Different between country

l  More specific detail about sexual majority and sexual minority

→Is there clear border line between the two?

l  Statistics of how many people misunderstand sexual minority

l  The ideal world for sexual minority

5. What English sources have you found regarding this issue?

Karen E. Lovaas LGBT STUDIES AND QUEER THEORY, 2006

“IDAHO” http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/-IDAHO-english,41-

Reaction to Fisher

I have mainly two reactions to this text.

Firstly, I thought "Perception Of Self" is much easier to read than Barna or Mcdaniel's text. The examples which were shown in the text are familiar, such as "two-headed vase" one. It was very interesting because at first I can only see a black vase in the middle, and then I gradually started to see two white faces in the on the edge which made me not to see the vase anymore. I learned about the optical illusion in my psychology class, but I didn't know that these perceptions come from not only sensation of eyes but also from brain.(because we can only concentrate one meaning from the object we see, and this work is concerned with our experience as one of the conditions!)

Another reaction is that "Perception Of Self" is also perception. In other word, when we read this text we make ourselves understand it, and try to make it easier by ourselves. There should be many ways of this text's interpretation, which comes from each one's experience, way of selection, and evaluation. There is no right answer in the class discussion, because the writer only knows the intention of this text. Therefore, as I read  it, I thought the class discussion is not for finding the answer or truth, but finding the many-sided ways of interpretation thorough discussing and listening to other section mates' way of thinking.

These two are my reactions. Thank you for reading :)

Reaction to the Barna text

I agree with Barna's point that it is important to understand different culture. We are now living in global world, and have many chances to experience those differences. However, through the class discussion, my mind changed a little. I still think it is good opportunity to learn and accept different culture, but people must select only the cultural behavior or customs that will prosper in their culture. The most difficult part is the balance of keeping their culture’s identity and accepting it of other culture. Recently, the globalization has become increasing, so I think everyone should examine the way to keep their peculiar culture.

Barna’s text made me notice the types of obstacles in having relation with different culture’s people, but also made me think how I should deal with those difficulties individually.

Therefore, in my opinion, her text is good to read and very useful!

Reaction Writing/ The Giver

No true feelings in the world.

No stress in the world.

However

No choice in the world.

Do you want to live in this world?

At the time I was reading the back cover of the book, “The Giver” written by Lois Lowry, my answer was absolutely yes!!!!!!!!

I envied it because I was depressed about my bad score in the report card. I got tired of thinking about my future such as what job I want to get, or what I should do during university life. I thought, through reading this book, I could escape from the reality of my life.

This book’s world is completely opposite from ours in mainly two points.

Firstly, everything in people’s whole life is controlled and ruled by the community, for example the job you will take, or the children you will receive after you’re married. People in this world should obey the rules, and if they broke those rules, they will be punished.

Secondary, they don’t know the true feelings of fear or happiness because they don’t have memory of war or love, which happened before they were born. They are living in present time, not knowing the existence of the past time or the future time.

The community of this world made it like this system to keep the peace, and not to injure people by the painful feelings.

They are like robots in both good and bad sense of the word.

The main character in this book is Jonas, whose age is twelve, living in this controlled world. At the ceremony, he received the assignment called “The Receiver of Memory”. He will receive all the memories from The Giver. This was very honorable job because he could only held the past memory. Why this assignment was necessary? The reason is when people in the world claimed to change their rules, The Receiver of Memory needed to give final decision by using his wisdom of the past memories.

Through the training of this assignment, Jonas gradually felt painful and lonely. He started to think that all the people in his community should know the true feelings and the past memory. Therefore, he tried to change his world.

The interesting part of this book is the meaning of its title. I was wondering why the title is “The Giver” though Jonas’ assignment is “The Receiver of Memory”. At first I thought the title would be more appropriate if it was “The Receiver”. Although, through reading the whole book, I thought that Jonas successfully changed his world by becoming “The Giver of Memory” to all the people in his community.

As you read this book, you will notice that its ending is not clear. This is very interesting because we can imagine it in diverse ways.

As I read this book to the end, I thought even though our world is stressful, I want to be in this situation for my whole life. I sometimes envy Jonas’ world, but I think we can acquire the true happiness when we experienced the true sadness. Both negative and positive feelings are important for people.

Now, my answer to the question, do you want to live in this controlled world? , is no!

I hope this reaction writing helps you to know which part of  this book is interesting!Thank you:)

my summer vacation and now:)

It's first time to write in this blog:)hehehe
As all of my section mate know, I'm really bad at using computer. lol
Therefore I want to get used to my computer through this blog!

anyway, hello Mark, my name is Saki Endo. My nickname is sakiccho:)
now I want to write about my summer vacation and what I'm expecting  in the Autumn term.

First of all, my summer vacation was wonderful!!!!!! I went to Dublin,Ireland for SEA program. I enjoyed the life over there. At first, I was little bit nervous because it was first time for me to leave my house for a long time. Although, I have experienced many valuable things that cannot be experienced in Japan. I made many friends who were from Spain, China, Korea, Italy. I learned not only English, but also Spanish and Korean from them. In addition, Dublin members  from ICU were also great  because we spoke only English even though we are Japanese. I thought I was in wonderful enviornment with wonderful friends. Now I'm still making contact with friends who met in Ireand, and I promised them to go to their country as soon as possible:) (...so I have to make my money from part time job!)

In autumn term, I want to learn the way to improve my writing and reading skills efficiently. It takes too many time for me to finish up my home work, and in spring term, I was always thinking how I could finish my homework faster. I'm very afraid of many homoworks in ARW, but I'll try my best to improve my English skills and also improve myself. I'm expecting to enjoy my autumn term in ICU, living a full life with my study and club activities.

that's all:) thank you for reading:)