2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Investigating student perceptions of multiculturalism and developing their intercultural communication competence
| Project/Area Number |
20K00899
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| Research Institution | Hosei University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | Multiculturalism / ethnocultural identities / Nationalism / Japan / Korea |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Based on the foundation study in 2021, it found that Japanese youth clearly showed a nationalistic ethnocultural homogeneous tendency by emphasising cultural and ethnic uniqueness; this tendency also affected their assimilationist attitudes towards immigrants in their society. Meanwhile, Korean students have also shown a similar reaction towards multiculturalism in Korean society. The results of the Korean Identity Survey in 2010 and 2015 revealed the groups aged between 20-30 years unexpectedly showed the most decreased support for multiculturalism and those aged in their 20s were also most readily adopting a culturally exclusive attitude. With these results, it is pointed out that the relative drop-in support for multiculturalism is not because of fear of crime or unemployment caused by immigrants but does mark “the beginning of the cultural exclusion of others in society.” Considering these situations in Japan and Korea, this study tried to understand Japanese and Korean students’ perceptions and attitudes towards multiculturalism in their respective societies. Accordingly, this study measured their national pride along with the students’ nationalist attitudes and their perception of globalization. In addition, this study paid attention to the youths’ perceived prerequisites for accepting immigrants as full members of society and evaluate their perceptions and attitudes towards multiculturalism in Japan and Korea. This study eventually investigated any relationships between the result of these measurements and their national identities and cultural traits.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
In 2022 academic years, I obtained the answers for the following questions through the students’ opinion survey: Why do Korean students show the most decreased support for multiculturalism? Why do Japanese students have an assimilationist attitude towards immigrants in their society? Considering Japan and Korea are relatively homogeneous nations with strong national identity and pride, do these tendencies relate to their national identities, pride, and cultural traits? Fundamentally how do Japanese and Korean students perceive multiculturalism? What factors determine whether these students consider the immigrants as fully-participating members of Japanese and Korean society?
Overall, it can find out that the Japanese and Korean students have antithetical attitudes towards immigrants and multiculturalism in their societies. On one hand, they understand cultural diversity and its benefits, and have positive and respectful attitudes towards immigrants’ traditions, cultures, and customs. They also understand immigrants’ rights and equality, and support their participation in society. However, such respectful understanding and supporting attitudes appear to be only in principle. On the other hand, the students’ responses clearly show that their deep-rooted cultural and national homogeneity; uniquely-characterised nationalism; and strong cultural and national pride strongly affect their attitudes and perceptions towards immigrants in their societies in practice., both ethnically and culturally in practice. It also impacted their attitudes towards globalisation.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Based on the results of the study conducted in the 2022 academic year, I would like to investigate:①Japanese and Korean deep-rooted ethno-cultural identities, nationalism and cultural traits that affected their attitudes towards immigrants and multiculturalism. ②the transition of multiculturalism policies (diversity, inclusion, social equity) in Europe. ③how the recognition and acceptance of cultural and ethnic minorities are applied to diversity management policies in Europe.
Britain, France, and Germany accepted foreign workers after the WWII, but their governments have failed to recognise the need to build a social atmosphere permitting diverse groups to live side-by-side and participate equally in their mainstream society. Moreover, the situation in European societies, where national identity is built around a dominant culture that forms the majority in the nation, is quite similar to Japan and Korea. Since many countries in Western Europe have been trying to alter their multicultural policies from a historic assimilationist approach to integration and equity, investigating the transition of multiculturalism policies in Europe would be a great reference to Japan and Korea, two of the emerging multicultural countries embracing the assimilationist approach. For these research tasks, I will stay and research at the University of Oxford to obtain a deeper and more accurate analysis sharing opinions with professors and expertise. I have already arranged meeting with them while I stay at the University of Oxford. Their knowledge and experiences will deepen this study.
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| Causes of Carryover |
From 2020 to 2021, under the COVID-19 circumstance, there were many limitations to practising research activities. Even though eventually, in 2022, I could participate and present my paper at an international conference, still there were some limitation conducting the study. There is remaining for use in the next fiscal year. I can use it for researching at the University of Oxford in the 2023 academic year. At the University of Oxford, I will deeply analyze the respective histories, cultural characteristics, and historical forms of nationalism in Japan and Korea. I will also investigate the current socio and economic structure for immigrants in Japanese and Korean societies using rich resources in the University of Oxford. Additionally, I will investigate the history of multiculturalism policies and education programs in Europe while I stay at the University of Oxford. I surely believe that investigating the transition of multiculturalism policies and education programs in Europe would be a great reference to Japan and Korea, the emerging multicultural countries embracing an assimilationist approach. I am sure that it will be a truly valuable time for this study.
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