Ruth Benedict and the Study of Japanese Culture

Aug. 25, 2020: Ruth Benedict and the Study of Japanese Culture
Ruth Benedict, an American anthropologist famous for her work on patterns of culture, keenly observed Japanese behavior during and after World War II, from afar, and in 1946 published "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword." This book re-framed what Americans had construed as “fanatical” behavior during wartime through a cultural prism, and introduced concepts of debt, duty and shame. During the apex of U.S.-Japan trade relations in the 1980s, applications of “culture” to Japan became much more simplistic and overdrawn. In a backlash, rational choice theories won the day. But over the past 20 years, social psychology research has brought new insights into culture as a set of “learned” (not innate) behavioral norms, and how certain choice options and settings affect behavior. To this day, Japanese social institutions, including schools and companies, continue to invest in shaping the “right” behavior. Indeed, this investment in socialization was one of Benedict’s important insights. The rebirth of culture not as a cause or outcome, but an incentive structure, offers new possibilities for research on Japan. Join us for a zoom with Amy Borovoy, cultural anthropologist and East Asian Studies professor at Princeton University.
Speakers:
• Amy Borovoy, Professor of East Asian Studies and Cultural Anthropology, Princeton University
• Ulrike Schaede, Professor and Director of the Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology, GPS UC San Diego
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This Japan Zoominar @ UC San Diego series brings together new insights, knowledge and opinions on current events in Japan. Experts from around the globe are invited as speakers and contributors, with the goal to create a vibrant exchange and deepen our understanding of Japan’s role in the world. Learn more at jfit.ucsd.edu/zoominar

[@eddiec9756]

Very useful for my Modern Japan Class

[@barakacirq4606]

very insightful, thank you

[@lautaropizarrobazan2497]

Muy buena y clara la exposición. Muchas gracias. Saludos desde Argentina

[@silviaromeroespuch9050]

Very interesting! Thank you.