Japanese Schooling and Identity Investment Overseas: Exploring the Cultural Politics of "Japaneseness" in Singapore

This book explores the lives of Japanese white-collar elites in Singapore, examining how they live as a closed and self-referential in-group despite the multicultural ethos of their home. It focuses on issues such as schooling, unity, diversity, and community based on grounded anthropological observations. The study views education as an ideological domain and powerful discursive platform, providing insights into the role of education and ideology in reproducing asymmetry and the value of sociohistorical analyses in revealing hidden power relations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intricate realm of education, ideology, power, and identity investment, focusing on an influential East Asian expatriate community residing in Singapore. It aims to unravel the fascinating ways in which the Japanese white-collar elite navigate their lives as a tightly-knit and self-referential in-group, despite the evident multicultural ethos of their home. Through meticulous and grounded anthropological observations, the study explores various aspects related to schooling, unity, diversity, and community.

Specifically, it sheds light on the unique characteristics of Japanese nation-state schooling practices in the cosmopolitan context of Singapore, a setting that contrasts sharply with Japan's cultural heritage. By viewing education as an ideological domain and a powerful discursive platform, the book offers insightful perspectives on cultural and identity-related practices. It dynamically appreciates these practices for their ability to fluidly reflect identity praxes, providing readers with a fresh understanding of the role of education and ideology in perpetuating asymmetry.

This book is of immense value to researchers, educators, and decision-makers alike. It provides a transparent account of grounded ethnographic observation, yielding valuable insights into practices that intertwine inclusion-exclusion and privilege-marginalization debates within the framework of a neoliberal hegemony. Students specializing in the social politics of education and the cultural politics of language, ideology, and identity will find this book particularly provocative and enriching.

In conclusion, this book offers a profound exploration of education, ideology, power, and identity within an East Asian expatriate community. Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, it sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape these aspects of life, providing valuable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

Weight: 388g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367538668