The Loss of the Individual, or How Japan Learned a Nationalist, Collectivist Identity Through Education
Format
Oral Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Greg Rohlf
Abstract/Artist Statement
This paper analyzes the social impact of radical primary school education reforms in Japan beginning with the Meiji Restoration in 1868 tbrough the early 1910s, with an emphasis on a growing collectivist, nationalist identity, as well as government roles in education. The school system shifted from its foundations in the individual home or community to being standardized and Westernized by tbe government, which had a lasting impact upon the individual and national identity oftbe Japanese population. However, contrary to general understanding of Japanese modernization, tbe Westernized education was replaced by more traditional Japanese forms of education originating from samurai traditions, while teaching adherence to a new, national identity. This shift in focus laid tbe foundations for the imperialist national identity that would propel the nation through World War II. Sources of information include tbe History of Education Journal and other education history journals, tbe "Imperial Rescript on Education," tbe "Policy for the Construction of a New Japan," and other secondary analyses.
Location
Wendell Phillips Center, Room 140
Start Date
3-5-2008 9:00 AM
End Date
3-5-2008 12:30 PM
The Loss of the Individual, or How Japan Learned a Nationalist, Collectivist Identity Through Education
Wendell Phillips Center, Room 140
This paper analyzes the social impact of radical primary school education reforms in Japan beginning with the Meiji Restoration in 1868 tbrough the early 1910s, with an emphasis on a growing collectivist, nationalist identity, as well as government roles in education. The school system shifted from its foundations in the individual home or community to being standardized and Westernized by tbe government, which had a lasting impact upon the individual and national identity oftbe Japanese population. However, contrary to general understanding of Japanese modernization, tbe Westernized education was replaced by more traditional Japanese forms of education originating from samurai traditions, while teaching adherence to a new, national identity. This shift in focus laid tbe foundations for the imperialist national identity that would propel the nation through World War II. Sources of information include tbe History of Education Journal and other education history journals, tbe "Imperial Rescript on Education," tbe "Policy for the Construction of a New Japan," and other secondary analyses.