Japanese study
ことばと文化./鈴木孝夫 (Language and Culture/Takao Suzuki)
In order to understand different languages, you must understand the culture of the country.
In the past, Japanese dictionaries were written without taking this into consideration, and if you look closely, you can notice this.
‘Culture is like the existence of air to those who were born and lived there, so it is originally difficult to realize. People generally live their lives thinking that everything that exists in their country is natural and that other existences and customs cannot exist.’
The scope of each word is different, and even if it includes the same object, the perspective from which it is viewed is different.
Therefore, word distinctions reflect the way a culture views things.
‘To give a name is simply for humans to acknowledge that one aspect of the world around them is worth using, separating it from other aspects or fragments.’
Adjectives are interesting when comparing scales, as they can potentially be compared across a variety of criteria. The ancient Greeks said, ‘The measure of all things is man,’ but the standard for the shape of a man fits this perfectly. In addition, the methods used to organize the world using words, no matter how big or small, were all human-centered, that is, humans were the standard.
If you look at the description of a word in a dictionary, it is often explained in a circular manner. The meaning of a word is not explained in words, but is understood through direct experience. Since each person has different experiences, the meaning will be different, and it is difficult to define a clear word. However, verbs and adjectives are easier to define than nouns because they specify specific actions.
Using Western language analysis, Japanese personal names are strange, but they have different characteristics from Indo-European languages. In Japanese, when calling other people, they are borrowed from the names of relatives (fictitious use of relatives' names). Also, depending on the relationship between superiors and subordinates, there is a distinction between calling people by their names if they are above or by their names if they are below. The fictional use of kinship names also distinguishes between superiors and subordinates, similar to the names between relatives. The name of relative is originally a self-centered term referring to oneself, but adults sometimes use child-centered language to sympathize with the child.
おもしろい Japanese
7. さいふ売（う）り場（ば）は どこですか。
あれ: Oh?
ここ: here
鞄(かばん): bag
売（う）り|場（ば）: market (sell | place)
財布(さい|ふ): wallet (wealth | fabric)
どこ: where
あちら: there
あそこ: there
どうも: thanks (how again..)
～を: ~to
ください: please
あ包（つつ）みしますか: want to pack it?
リボン: ribbon
色（いろ）: color
どう: how
なさい|ますか: will you do it?(do | it?)
ピンク: pink
お待(ま)たせいたしました: You've waited a long time
何|時（なん|じ）: what | time
～まで: until ~
ばん: half
今（いま）: now
ここ、そこ、あそこ、どこ: here, there, thhere, where
～から、～まで: from~ until ~
～と: and
～を|ください: give me
8．あのう、こちらは 何時（なんじ）からですか。
レストラン: restaurant
休（やす）み: day off
バニラ: vanilla
チョコ: chocolate
～で|ございます: ~.
パーセント: persent
～引(び)き: discount
～から: because~
図書室（としょ|しつ）: library
教室（きょう|しつ）: classroom
デパート: department store
学校(がっ|こう): school
お手洗（てあら）い: toilet
エレベーター: elevator
郵便局（ようびんきょく）: post office
銀行（ぎんこう）: bank
スーパー: supermarket
学生会館（がく|せい|かい|かん）: student centor
学食（がく|しょく）: student cafeteria
事務室（じむ|しつ）: office
博物館（はく|ぶつ|かん）: museum
休館日（きょ|かん|び）: closed day
美容院（びよう|いん）: salon
定休日（てい|きゅう|び）: regular holiday
美術館（び|じゅつ|かん）: art museum
市場（いちば）: market
年中無休（ねん|じゅう|む|きゅう）: open all year round
病院（びょう|いん）: hospital
ネックレス: necklace
また: again
来（き）ます: I'll come
うでどけい: watch
カメラ: camera
餃子(ギョーザ）: dumpling
～びきする: discount
9．ソウルの 地下鉄（ちかてつ）は いいですね。
一人（ひと）: person
多（おお）い: many
特（とく）に: especially/more
来（き）た: come
かわいい: cute
電車（でんしゃ）: subway
そして: and
きれいだ: pretty
新（あたら）しい: new
静（しず）かだ: quiet
あまり: not much
地下鉄（ちかてつ）: subway
便利（べんり）だ: convenient
とても: very
どうでしか: How is it?
高（たか）い: expensive
いい: good
There are two types of adjectives.
When the 'い' adjective ends a sentence or modifies an expression, 'い', the same as the basic form, is used.
The 'だ' adjective is changed to 'だ', which is the same as the basic form, at the end of a sentence, and to な when modifying an adjective.
'い': Positive: Append 'です'. Negation: Change ‘い’ to ‘く’ and add ‘ないです／ありません’
'だ': Positive: Remove 'だ' and add 'です'. Negative: Exclude ‘だ’ and add ‘～では（じゃ）ありません’.
10. 少（すこ）し 複雑（ふくざつ）ですが、便利（べんり）ですよ。
複雑（ふくざつ）だ: complicate
少（すこ）し: little
乗（の）り換（か）え: transfer
大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）だ: okay
難（むずか）しくない: not hard
すぐに: right away
慣（な）れます: get used to it
おもしろい: funny
本当（ほんとう）ですね: That's really true
最近（さいきん）: recent
外国語（がいこくご）: foreign language
案内（あんない）: guide
外国人（がいこくじん）: foreigner
中国語（ちゅうごくご）: chinese
私（わたし）たち: we
うれしい: happy
りんご: apple
アイスクリーム: ice cream
あまい: sweet
夏（なつ）: summer
暑（あつ）い: hot
冬（ふゆ）: winter
寒（さむ）い: cold
スポーツ: sport
楽（たの）しい: funny
今日（きょう）: today
忙（いそが）しい: busy
天気（てんき）:weather
アニメ: animation
部屋（へや）: room
広（ひろ）い: large
彼女（かのじょ）: her
先生（せんせい）: teacher
やさしい: kind
子供（こども）: child
元気（げんき）だ: healthy
親切（しんせつ）だ: kind
黒（くろ）い: black
古（ふる）い: old
低（ひく）い: low
有名（ゆうめい）だ: famous
まじめだ: sincere
きらいだ: hate
にがてだ: clumsy
大好（だいす）きだ: like very much
食（た）べ物（もの）: food
町（まち）: street
しおからい: salty
きたない: dirty
生活（せいかつ）: life
さびしい: lonely
狭（せま）い: narrow
クラシック: classic
音楽（おんがく）: music
にぎやかだ: bustling
しゅうまつ: weekend
おしゃれだ: cool
店（みせ）: store
11． 北海道(ほっかいどう）へ 行（い）きます。
旅行（りょこう）: trip
サイト: internet site
～へ: to
～で: at
雪祭（ゆきまつ）り: snow festival
見（み）る: look
それで: then
ホテル: hotel
～や: and
じょうほう: information
ほかに: other
行（い）く: go
かん: ~days
所（ところ）: palce
バス: bus
くらい（ぐらい）: about
ところで: however
Verb is
Japanese conjugation - Wikipedia
12. 私（わたし）は どこへも 行（い）きません。
連休（れんきゅう）: holiday
妹（いもうと）: younger sister
もしもし: hello?
お元気（げんき）ですか: hi.
出著（しゅっしゃう）します: it's business trip
課長（かちょう）: head of a section
3泊4日（さんぱくよっか）: 3days 3 nights
大変（たいへん）ですね: it's a big deal
たこやき: takoyaki
店（みせ）: store
紹介（しょうかい）: introduction
くる: come
家（いえ）: house
帰（かえ）る: go back
買（か）う: buy
食（た）べる: eat
おにぎり: rice balls
飲（の）む: drink
コーヒー: coffee
勉強（べんきょう）する: study
飛行機（ひこうき）: air plane
船（ふね）: ship
駅（えき）: station
読（よ）む: read
ごはん: rice
手（て）: hand
洗（あら）う: wash
宿題（しゅくだい）: homework
ネクタイ: necktie
あ酒（さけ）: alcohol
聞（き）く: listen
いつ: when
家族（かぞく）: family
高速（こうそく）バス: express bus
コンサート: concert
タクシー: taxi
母（はは）: my mother
彼氏（かれし）: boyfriend
今晩（こんばん）: tonight
ゴールデンウィーク: golden week
〜週間: for ~ weeks
映画（えいが）: movie
前（まえ）: front
アルバイト: part time job
修学旅行（しゅう|がく|りょこう）: educational trip
誕生（たん|じょう）プレゼント: birthday present
会（あ）う: meet
毎週（まい|じゅう）: every week
Cultural Psychology
European/American vs. East Asian: Independant vs. Interdependant, Analytic vs. Holistic
Culture and Motivation
Motivations for maintaining self-esteem vs. face (independant vs. interdependant)
: I'm still great vs. other people will think it's weird
- Personality: self-enhancement vs. self-improvement
- Strategy: promotion vs. prevention orientation
- Perpective of review: entity vs. incremental theory of intelligence
Motivations to stick out or fit in
- Uniqueness vs. conformity
Importance of personal vs. social choices
- Rationalizing choices for myself vs. Rationalizing choices for the other person
Culture and Relationship
- Relationships, among family members, among friends, and between spouses, are sociocultural and historical constructions.
- In European-American culture cycles, where the independent self is pervasive, love,
intimacy, self-disclosure, and choice are emphasized in relationships.
+Enemies as Abnormal, out group, High relational mobility, love marriage, happy first
- In many other culture cycles, where the interdependent self is pervasive, family and in-group dynamics, status, resources, expectations, obligations, and roles are emphasized in relationships.
+Enemies as normal, in group, Low relational mobility, arranged marriage, happy later
Working class vs. Middle class: interdependant vs. independant, less number of relation vs. large number of relation, Morally Binding vs. Freely Chosen
Culture and Development
The child and childhood are cultural inventions and cultural products. Parents and children are culturally-shaped shapers of each other and of their worlds. Being a parent or studying parenting brings many implicit cultural models to the foreground.
When do cultural differences emerge?
- Evidence of cultural variation in early childhood
'Cultural differences are the product of socialization processes!'
What accounts for the differences?
- Parental styles:
1. physical contact vs. face-to-face
2. sleep with vs. sleep alone
3. Direct help vs. let child enlighten themselves
Is there any critical period for cultural learning?
- Sensitive periods for language & culture acquisition
Social Class
Middle-Class
- High Educational attainment
- Universities and employers want unique, separate, and in-control individuals
- People in middle & upper class cultural contexts tend to use their independent selves.
Working-Class
- Low Educational attainment
- Working-class families and friends want similar, connected, and accommodating partners.
- People in working class cultural contexts tend to use their interdependent selves.
- College culture focuses on independentnorms.
- First-generation students have more interdependentmotives than continuing-generation students.
- Focus on independence disadvantages first-generation students.
Both high & low class people engage in unethical behavior but for different reasons (for self-benefit for the former while other’s benefit for the latter).
Culture and Health
Within-cultural differences
- Social class differences: HS vs. BA, peaceful vs positive
- Latino paradox: no money but good health!
Cross-cultural differences
- Negative affect: affect health only for Americans
- Anger expression:
Anger and compromised health
- Anger as vented frustration in Western cultures: low social class, bad health
- Anger as dominance display in Asian cultures: high social class, good health
Accultration & Multiculturalism
Acculturation = process by which people migrate to and learn a culture that’s different from their heritage culture
Individual factors: Personality. Motivation. Age
Socio-cultural factors: Cultural distance, Cultural fit, Ethnicity/Race
“One size fits all” approach: examine migrants in isolation and examined acculturation strategies as "choices".
1. Characteristics of the migrants: Age with sensitive period
2. Cultural distance = how much two cultures differ in their overall ways of life
3. Cultural fit = the degree to which one’s personality is more similar to the dominant cultural values in the host culture
4. Ethnicity/discrimination: Identity denial, Stereotype threat
Multicultural & Multiracial Experiences:
1. Multicultural
– Definition: People who participate in the culture cycles of two or more cultural contexts.
– Bicultural people show ability to use different cultural frames (i.e., frame switching).
– Multicultural experience associated with greater creativity
2. Multiracial
– Definition: People who identify with two or more racial heritages
– History and demographics
– Asian and Middle class want Multiracial Identities
3. Denial of multicultural
- Lower performance self-esteem
- Lower motivation (i.e., lower actual performance and lower efficacy possible selves)
When their multiracial identity is denied, they attempt to assert their denied identity
Ecology/Migration
Cultural differences in individualism-collectivism are accounted for by
– Ecology and subsistence system
– Rice theory of culture (wheat vs. rice)
– Pathogen prevalence
– Modernization/socioeconomic development
– History of voluntary settlement etc.
Global rise in individualism (vs. collectivism) is accounted for by
– Socioeconomic development, disaster frequency, pathogen prevalence, and climate variations
– Socioeconomic development is the strongest predictor
Reference
Using Japanese Numbers to Read Days, Months and Days of the Week
おもしろい Japanese
Cultural Psychology