Language Culture and Curriculum
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: Eoghan Mac Aogain (St Patrick's College)
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Volume: 14 Number: 1 Page: 76–89
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Detraditionalisation: Japanese Students in the USA
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Junko Ueno
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The paper deals with the identity formation of Japanese students temporarily living in the USA. They were enrolled jointly in 'Japanese Saturday School' and in American public schools while their parents
conducted business in the USA. Thus they were immersed in a new culture while maintaining links with their own. Data gathered by interview from eleven students reveal a mixture of Japanese and American
characteristics. Three major differences between Japanese and American cultural traditions are introduced, and the notion of 'detraditionalization' (Heelas et al ., 1996a, b) is used in an attempt to understand
the results. They suggest that the students do not reject either culture, Japanese or American, but that both coexist as independent value systems in their minds.
© Multilingual Matters 2001
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