Job Discussion Forums

[Tsian]

But by what standard are you judging everyone as unhappy?

Are there not many situations where people find happiness through the group dynamics as well?

[stumptowny]

[Tsian]

Stumpytown: You have stated that the Japanese are "unhappy". I'd like to know what you base that on.

[Cool Teacher]

[stumptowny]

[Cool Teacher]

[stumptowny]

bbc's world update on july 5th was spot on. it was about the japanese recognition of the flaws inherent in being an obedient society but only regarding fukushima, not the unhappy working masses.

japanese parliament's new report called fukushima a "made in japan" disaster... a problem stemming from their top-down culture. the report states the disasters fundamental causes lay in the japanese conventions of obedience and a reluctance to question authority. bosses in japan like to have 'yes men' and the government bureaucracy surrounding fukushima was no different. nuclear regulators and operators maintain a coziness, as observed in many countries. what sets japan apart is the lack of effective communication when the events occurred via a deference to authority..

clearly, when things are working it's social harmony. when they are not, it is obedience. some japanese go as far as to say it is cowardliness for not doing anything to make standards of living better here. depends which side you are on as a japanese citizen. in a qualitative sense, disasters and system bureaucracies aside, if your life is miserable here, as my japanese coworkers, you would view the culture here as obedient and probably worse. especially if you have lived abroad and seen the light.

just think, if the japanese parliament went beyond the fukushima report, and broadened the problems of an obedient society to recognize quality of life as important, not just nuclear disasters. the japanese parliament shouldn't stop at fukushima. there are many more pressing problems stemming from obedience... depression, suicide rates, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety disorder. the people cramming you into the train, with the flat, withdrawn, affect, going home at 8pm every night.. yeah, apparently there are labor laws here and they are completely overlooked..

count yourself lucky to be an outsider here regarding working expectations and pressures... but if there is another disaster and your safety is being compromised... remember who is looking out for you. 20 people. 19 not willing to speak up and 1 too proud/stubborn/lacking information to admit any problems...

[Tsian]

That is certainly an interesting point. Of course it is problematic that the English translation of the report in question did not faithfully reproduce the Japanese text (specifically, the initial English release clearly find fault with Japanese culture, as you say, whereas the Japanese report does not)

But I think that raises an interesting question:

If you were in charge of a committee tasked with designing legislation to "fix" Japan, in what ways would you want laws or conventions to change in order to improve the situation?

[Cool Teacher]

[timothypfox]

This discussion got me thinking about differences between my teaching life at public in New York City and in Japan at a private high school.

New York:
Short work day

Big benefits such as super pension

Harassment from administration (occassional witch hunts and vendettas are the norm)

Expected to deliver data driven results

Expected to "differentiate" every level for every single student for disabilities and non-readers

Expected to change your approach to teacher and lesson style at the whim of the principle or the current teaching methology that is in vogue (expect huge changes every few years as the pendulum swings back and forth

No support in the classroom for troubled children (the dean's office and counsellor's room are already filled to capacity)

It's often the teacher's classroom - and teachers spend miserable amounts of time preparing for a dog and pony show to present great work to the prinicipal when she does her far too frequent walkthroughs

Write cleverly nuanced lesson plans that can be viewed at the whim of an administrator at a moments notice.

Whoever is the loudest and most bombastic will have a voice at meetings (expect free-for-alls sometimes and union administration wrangling)

Intelligent and innovative people will be held down as they are a threat to the heirarchy of the assistant principals and principals

Dissemination of information is piece meal - and inefficient

Students are often a nightmare to work with (and calls home to broken homes ineffective)

Staff can be great friends - and really know how to enjoy their free time with friends and family (be careful of who gossips to the administrators however! In the US, they are not on the same team as you!)


Japan:

Long work day including half day saturdays

Limited benefits

Great cooperation from administration

Expected to do your best

Expected to be professional

Lesson plans are up to you as long as you use the textbook
Issues with children will be discussed at great length - and solutions will be developed through consensus

The children are responsible for the appearance and upkeep of their classroom.

Quiet people can have a voice that is heard at meetings (but expect more top-down decisions to be made)

Teacher's will receive calendar of events that is clearly organized

Students are well-behaved and disciplined

Staff has tunnel vision and does not know how to have a good time or really make friends (party are nerve-wracking obligations)

The administrators work in the same room with you and assistant prinicipals tend to have a full teaching load - meaning you really have a lot in common with each other.

[timothypfox]

This discussion got me thinking about differences between my teaching life at public in New York City and in Japan at a private high school.

New York:
Short work day

Big benefits such as super pension

Harassment from administration (occassional witch hunts and vendettas are the norm)

Expected to deliver data driven results

Expected to "differentiate" every level for every single student for disabilities and non-readers

Expected to change your approach to teacher and lesson style at the whim of the principle or the current teaching methology that is in vogue (expect huge changes every few years as the pendulum swings back and forth

No support in the classroom for troubled children (the dean's office and counsellor's room are already filled to capacity)

It's often the teacher's classroom - and teachers spend miserable amounts of time preparing for a dog and pony show to present great work to the prinicipal when she does her far too frequent walkthroughs

Write cleverly nuanced lesson plans that can be viewed at the whim of an administrator at a moments notice.

Whoever is the loudest and most bombastic will have a voice at meetings (expect free-for-alls sometimes and union administration wrangling)

Intelligent and innovative people will be held down as they are a threat to the heirarchy of the assistant principals and principals

Dissemination of information is piece meal - and inefficient

Students are often a nightmare to work with (and calls home to broken homes ineffective)

Staff can be great friends - and really know how to enjoy their free time with friends and family (be careful of who gossips to the administrators however! In the US, they are not on the same team as you!)


Japan:

Long work day including half day saturdays

Limited benefits

Great cooperation from administration

Expected to do your best

Expected to be professional

Lesson plans are up to you as long as you use the textbook
Issues with children will be discussed at great length - and solutions will be developed through consensus

The children are responsible for the appearance and upkeep of their classroom.

Quiet people can have a voice that is heard at meetings (but expect more top-down decisions to be made)

Teacher's will receive calendar of events that is clearly organized

Students are well-behaved and disciplined

Staff has tunnel vision and does not know how to have a good time or really make friends (party are nerve-wracking obligations)

The administrators work in the same room with you and assistant prinicipals tend to have a full teaching load - meaning you really have a lot in common with each other.

[timothypfox]

This discussion got me thinking about differences between my teaching life at public school in New York City and in Japan at a private high school.

New York:
Short work day

Big benefits such as super pension

Harassment from administration (occassional witch hunts and vendettas are the norm)

Expected to deliver data driven results

Expected to "differentiate" every level for every single student for disabilities and non-readers

Expected to change your approach to teacher and lesson style at the whim of the principal or the current teaching methology that is in vogue (expect huge changes every few years as the pendulum swings back and forth

No support in the classroom for troubled children (the dean's office and counsellor's room are already filled to capacity)

It's often the teacher's classroom - and teachers spend miserable amounts of time preparing for a dog and pony show to present great work to the prinicipal when she does her far too frequent walkthroughs

Write cleverly nuanced lesson plans that can be viewed at the whim of an administrator at a moments notice.

Whoever is the loudest and most bombastic will have a voice at meetings (expect free-for-alls sometimes and union administration wrangling)

Intelligent and innovative people will be held down as they are a threat to the heirarchy of the assistant principals and principals

Dissemination of information is piece meal - and inefficient

Students are often a nightmare to work with (and calls home to broken homes ineffective)

Staff can be great friends - and really know how to enjoy their free time with friends and family (be careful of who gossips to the administrators however! In the US, they are not on the same team as you!)


Japan:

Long work day including half day saturdays

Limited benefits

Great cooperation from administration

Expected to do your best

Expected to be professional

Lesson plans are up to you as long as you use the textbook
Issues with children will be discussed at great length - and solutions will be developed through consensus

The children are responsible for the appearance and upkeep of their classroom.

Quiet people can have a voice that is heard at meetings (but expect more top-down decisions to be made)

Teacher's will receive calendar of events that is clearly organized

Students are well-behaved and disciplined

Staff has tunnel vision and does not know how to have a good time or really make friends (party are nerve-wracking obligations)

The administrators work in the same room with you and assistant prinicipals tend to have a full teaching load - meaning you really have a lot in common with each other.

[stumptowny]

the problem needs recognition for working standards in general. this recognition is for an emergency/disaster in the form of an independent investigation commission.

similar communication problems have been confirmed in other disasters in japan. in 1985 a JAL flight flew into the mountains and while an american helicopter hovered over the crash site, offering assistance, they were told not to intervene and to leave the crash site. many survivors were reported after the crash but divided/contentious japanese authorities waited too long to get to the crash site so many people perished over night. it's ironic that a country with so much advanced warning (for earthquakes) bungles it up later with 'social harmony'. harmonious for those talking about what to do at the time and deadly for those experiencing the disaster.

not sure what the japanese would suggest as a solution. it is their problem so they need to address it in ways they deem culturally suitable. as outsiders we get whatever secondary blow back comes our way from the populace at large and, again, hopefully it won't kill us in a disaster situation.

I did mention to my co-worker, why not just leave work at a reasonable time, everyday? he said he would be isolated by the others. I said why doesn't your department or the whole school do it together or the entire district so there is some collective movement. he said nothing. I think bringing that up openly, amongst his peers and colleagues would be social suicide. penetrating these ideas into a subservient, group think school culture, and making them stick, without any threat is the trick. it is here the jte uses the word 'cowards' to describe japanese people not willing to speak up or do anything to create change. maybe he is a coward as well for just complaining to me and not his own. I understand his dilemma.

labor laws exist, he told me, but they are a joke... always overlooked.

[marley'sghost]

[Pitarou]