tokotoko

Essay the 1st, 09A

2009-10-19T00:56:00.001+09:00

Intercultural Communication

Takuro IROHIRA, BB, 131111

In homogeneous society like Japan, it is not too much to say that Japanese people have to pay less attention to the Intercultural Communication than other nations' people, because they are not to encounter with other people from other cultures, but now in the age of Globalism, it cannot be avoidable even in Japan to be faced with that in this current at any time soon as a real matter of theirs. As McDaniel rose up as an example in his article the communication method of Japanese (McDaniel, p1-10) would be quite different from others, represented by the 11 presuppositions, and it seems to be difficult to change its in-ward direction to good out-ward one for Intercultural Communication. Now, it is helpful to think about what in Japan communication is, and how to change, or adapt its way to the Intercultural one so that it would be better with this age, on the basis of articles by McDaniel, Barna, Fisher. McDaniel says "Comprehension must go beyond a topical awareness of another culture's practices and behaviors." (McDaniel, p1), then, it never be possible for Japanese people to comprehend others from different cultures without communication with them, and without comprehension, also never to adapt themselves to Globalism as a real matter around them; otherwise Japan would be isolated in the world. Now have a consideration of what Japanese people should notice here to accomplish a cross-cultural communication for better comprehension, mentioning the ideas of Barna’s and Fisher’s.

First, of six Stumbling blocks in Intercultural Communication by　Barna, the forth "Preconception and Stereotype" (Barna, p7) would be the most influential one in thinking about "Obstacle" in Communication, let alone the Intercultural Communication of Japanese people, because, as mentioned before Japan is a homogeneous society, they seem to have had less demand to change its own attitude to other cultures from theirs, and then it could be said that they can probably be, not to say so much but a little, stubborn that they have some difficulties to adapt themselves to communicate with others from different cultures. In this statement, this block is the most influential one for Japanese to be paid more attention to deal with. Otherwise, it would be the most difficult one to solve, because it easily becomes the basement of limitation in Communication.

Second, about how Japanese people tend to perceive others to communicate with, let alone in the case of foreigners. Fisher says that there are 5 natures in perception; Experiential, Selective, Inferential, Inaccurate, and Evaluative. Different from Barna's case, in this case it is difficult to say that what characteristic is more urgent for their better Intercultural Communication, because these 5 natures are overlapped with each other, and cannot be divided into 5 separated ones. It, however, can be said that the ‘’Evaluative” and ‘’Selective” ones are more important than others. As ideas of Fisher’s, “Evaluative” and “Selective” are each explained that the former is an aspect of perception that is not only to be an intrapersonal process but also to be a reflection of personal attitudes, values, and beliefs that people use to assign meaning to the object of perception (Fisher, p9), and the later is an aspect of it whose capacity to process and give information is quite limited both psychologically and physiologically (Fisher, p3). The reason why these two are more important for Japanese than others is that the problems in Intercultural Communication in Japan are often results of "Evaluative" or "Selective" aspects of perception. In communication, people have to speak to others, and as Birks mentioned in his article, when speaks in words, it cannot be avoidable for it to be "Selective" to some degree and “cannot be sure that the facts that sift in to our minds through language are representative and relevant and true” (Birk and Birk, p5), and it is also true of the case of “Evaluative,” while the rest are, in comparison, often dealt with well, or not mattered so much in communication with others; the rest are often mattered in self-perception. If think about the following specific case of Japanese, it is easier to understand this statement; it is often that, if meet foreigner, they often “evaluate” them different from them, for their living society is usually homogeneous.

An example for explanation as a whole; the case of　employment of foreign helper. Now in Japan, more and more foreign people come to Japan to work, and especially in medical care of the elderly, a lots people from the Philippines are now employed. The 8th volume of manga “Helpman” by Riju Kusaka picked up this timely issue for its subject. In this manga, a woman from the Philippines is to work as a helper of dementia elderly, and be faced to “Japan.” As she is not “Japanese,” the family of the elderly is at first resist to employment of her as a helper, because of their assumption that the foreigner cannot understand the needs or demand of Japanese, let alone of the elderly demented, but in fact, although it is just a story, she can understand more about the elderly than anyone of their family, and then she says that it is because the Philippines cherish their family so much, and help each other, never exclude them. In this, both “Preconception and Stereotype,” and “Evaluative” or “Selective” perception of the others, now of foreigners, are all founded. The reason Japanese people assume that foreigners cannot fulfill understand Japanese’ need just because they are foreigners does not make sense. Although it is true that it is not always the case, but at the same time, no reason there to say such, because it is now a real matter in their neighborhood. This story is just a story in manga with happy end, but in actual world, it is never, so serious that if do mistake, they are easily likely to fall to the hell. This means that without understanding they might kill people even without knowing it; but on the other hand, with understanding, maybe just knowing it enough, they could help people.

Finally, as a simple conclusion, in order to achieve comprehension across cultures for Globalism with as a small number of misunderstanding as possible, it is required for Japanese people never to live in just their own society, and realize the necessity to pay more attention to the outside, then it will be possible to know where to be, or what is required now. Without trying to realize it, it would never be possible to be an Intercultural Communicator who can let themselves understood across cultures, and understand others in soon coming age as a real matter of their “world.”

Works Cited

From the ELP Reader

1; Barna, LaRay. Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication from Intercultural Communication: A Reader (Seventh Edition). Belmont. CA. 1994.

2; Fisher, Aubrey. Perception of Self from Interpersonal Communication: Pragmatics of Human Relationships. McGraw Hill Book Company. N.Y.. 1987.

3; Birk, Newman, and Genevieve Birk. Selection, Slanting, and Charged Language from Speaking of Words: A Language Reader (Second Edition). Holt, Rinehart and Winston. N.Y.. 1982.

4; McDaniel, Edwin. Japanese Nonverbal Communication (A Reflection of Cultural Themes) from Intercultural Communication: A Reader (Eleventh Edition by Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel). Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning. 2006.

Other Works

5; Kusaka, Riju. The eighth volume of manga, Helpman. Kodansha. 2007.

ARW on the 17th June 09

2009-06-17T19:14:00.002+09:00

Today's class was the last class by Rab.

On reflection, Rab has been tough teacher~~~, but given us much more than expected before starting our ELP. Although I could not participate in the discussion in the class, it has been so amazing for me to listen to you and talking of section-mates.

I really felt it that my English is so poor that I cannot say what I want to, and has been annoyed, in fact, of lack of it.
I can write it, but cannot speak it aloud. Then, I often wish I could write down what I wanted to say in the discussions, but have no time~~.

Your lecture was always interesting for me to be attracted to your topic despite of myself.

I now like Google Docs. and often use it, as well as the USB, to reserve my report or important documents.
Really thank you for teaching me in this term.

Now, I invent a verb "rab," which means
1)"think and think critically, and have reasons"
2)"use a Mac,"
3)"use Firefox, never use such a crap Internet Explore."

Have good holidays!!!

ARW on the 15th June 09S

2009-06-15T22:45:00.002+09:00

On the skiff alone in the sea, Santiago is going to fight the big fish, and then he recalls the scene in the past, fight with big guy of negro in the room whose wall was bright blue. It would be constraction. He probably predicts that fight with that fish is like that in the past~~.

ARW on the 12th June 09

2009-06-13T16:43:00.002+09:00

We swapped our essays at lunch time, and checked it each other.
And submitted it in the class.

Meatrix was so fun that I involuntarily felt bad~~
The topic of the next one was that the film of 'The Blood Diamond' treated.

I updated my essay on the blog so that everyone could read and make comments.

My essay was terrible~~

The 2nd Essay ELP ARW 09S

2009-06-13T16:40:00.001+09:00

What A True History Is:
Given the case of YasukuniShrine

Takuro IROHIRA (ID#; 131111, sec.; BB)

In all over the world, how to teach the national history is always controversial issue and cannot reach an absolutely exact answer, but even if there cannot be an absolutely exact one, there must be many ones that are absolutely No. It is also true of the case of Japan. And then, in considering what the history education should be, and what it was, it is indispensable to think about the tight connection between the Education of the national history and the Nationalism, because without the history, nobody can be the nation of the state, without the state , there would not be the Nationalism, and in the first place, how to acknowledge the history is the Education. In this context, it can be said that the Education makes much part of the Nationalism.
Especially in Japan, it would be some duty rather than just be necessity to know what the Education should be to teach and learn, and think about it as the real matter around them, because if it should be an wrong one, it could be a bleeding ground for people to justify the Nationalism which once invaded neighbor Asian countries in the age of Imperialism. As a result of this example, it would be clear of the great importance to think about it.
The demand to study the national history expanded in the Industrialization Age for the ambitious of the middle classes to develop, and it could be said that it was by the major political currents of that day. Where the need to study the national history increased and fulfilled its purpose, the Nationalism would always develop[1]. It can be true of the case of the Empire of Japan. That Nationalism in the age of Imperial System in Japan was born with good reasons, because it was one of the by-product of the Western powers Imperialism. Given the age the Empire of Japan was born in, or the Meiji Era, the late of nineteenth century, it could be said that every country in Asia was in urgent danger of being invaded by the Western Powers, or becoming their colony, and in fact, much part of the Asia had been. Then the main goal of the newborn country such as the Empire of Japan would get to be free from the fear of being invaded, and in the end, gain the power to become one of such strong powers, and to do so, the government took the policy of increasing wealth and military power(hukoku-kyohei-saku). In taking that policy, the government needed to industrialize the country, and used the way of the History Study to achieve the one goal to increase wealth, and needed to unify the mind of the nation to mobilize all of them, and used the way of the Education to achieve the other goal to increase military power, as such other Imperial countries had done.
Basically, when going to unify people ideologically, it is easier to find an ancient and deeply rooted belief in common among them, and in the case of Japan, it was the Imperial System, or the Emperor. This was why, in the Meiji Era, the government manipulated the Emperor for the success of their enterprise, and made it legitimated in the Restoration of Imperial Rule(Osei-hukko)[2], although in fact, that was not so much revival of an ancient belief common among them as a new and skillful exploitation of it for the government; the Emperor for the Government. By using the seeming common sense among the nation, the government was going to unify them, and to make their mind more stable, they embraced the universal conscription and compulsory Education, and succeeded in creating a religious foundation of state Shinto as a moral principle of the people in Japan, then unified the entire social structure ideologically, which was called national polity(Kokutai)[2]; the new Religion to the Emperor but for the Government(Ethical Camouflage). Here, the Emperor was educated to be the most fundamental existing of Japan and god in human form(Arahito-gami) by using materials such as Imperial Rescript on Education(Kyoikuchokugo), and then, it would be reasonable that the theory which regarded the Emperor as one of the Agencys of the state by the Prof. Minobe was never allowed by those who had been educated so radically. That Education made the unconscious but deliberate mind that the Japanese people had responsibility directly to the Emperor; the strong bond between the people and the ruler. However, this new religion essentially needed a combination of ruthless repression at home with jingoistic expansion abroad to make it work[2], because all these had been done for the development of Japan to one of the modern industrialized states.[1]
Although the state Shinto had problem, the Yasukuni Shrine developed as the national institution that justify the war of invasion as holy war under the name of justice of the Emperor, and enshrine the war dead as heroes to the state or Asian countries survival from the threat of Western Imperialism, and its justice. This was the reason why the Yasukuni Shrine is often called the War Shrine in English-speaking sphere. Now that, it is necessary to know that the state Shinto, which believes in the Unbroken from Eternity(Banseikkei) of the Emperor and transferred the war dead into the notable heroes of the state who deserve the veneration is far from the traditional form of Shinto, which thinks that kami, god, is everywhere as multitudinous gods(Yaoyorozunokami), because it means that the origin of the reason to justify the war itself is not originally traditional and reasonable from the viewpoint of the Shinto's historical facts, and then the validity of the reason of its justice is lost, but even though it had no good reason, it was possible by the Education, and the Yasukuni could assume its job well to support the aggressive ideology in wartime.
As a conclusion, it could be said that the Education, or the Indoctrination with the political will or needs made the bleeding ground for the Nationalism in Japan, represented by the case of the Yasukuni Shrine, and the Emperor System.
The reason why recognition of the history matters today is the necessity to find mistakes and never to fall in the tricks hidden from people by the power. In other words, without recognizing the history, it would be more easier to make the same mistakes again, or fall into the tricks by the power. Now, the movement to change the Constitution of Japan, and the Fundamental Law of Education is active, and the reasons raised to support those demand are like that they are short of the “Japanese spirit” and the “value to the traditional culture”, and so on. However, they look like just excuses, and having another reasons or will hidden by power. Prof. Takahashi of the University of Tokyo raises an example a politician said that "Japanese spirit here is nothing less than the Yasukuni spirit which has its root in the deep traditional mind of Japan" in his book of kyoiku-to-kokka(The Education and the Nation)[3]. It is one of the hidden politic will here, and its purpose is likely to justify the past of the Empire of Japan, for the traditional Yasukuni spirit mentioned here is an absolute lie historically. This is also the case of Prof. Ienaga, focusing on the system of government authorization of textbook(Kyokasho-kentei-seido). It would reflect that the Emperor is not just the symbol of the nation, but still the indispensable core for some to realize "the Japan", and an authority which cannot be missed in Japan.
Here are two types of the national history now to argue; one is the History(Education) to make the Future, and the other is the History(Education) to justify the Past. The former one would likely to be preferred to the later one, because the history is not the subject of the past but the guideline to the Future for people to learn from to enjoy their lives. The History the Meiji government made up was the History to make "their" Future, not the Future for the people, and made a lot of tragedies. Learning these tragedies is not useless but much useful to realize what a true history is as a real matter to be faced to now. Given the case of Yasukuni Shrine, the Education or the History at that time was an authority, and that was all, but in fact, much more involves in the real history as a matter of facts, leading to the Future.
Today, living in the global society, the neo-nationalism is developing all over the world, because being face to the globalization, people are forced to face to the necessity to find their identity, contrasting themselves to those in the other countries. In this trend, it cannot be denied for the ultra Nationalism to develop. All the more, it is necessary for each individual to bring home to one that What the History Education should be should never be assumed but be being asked.

References

[1]; Historians as Nationalists, Hubert C Johnson, Canadian Journal of History, Dec. 2005, http://proquest.uni.com/pqdweb?index=15&did=1032207631&Sr...

[2]; Yasukuni Jinja Hoan: Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan, Cyril Pwles, Trinity College, Toronto, May 1976, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2755500

[3]; Kyoiku-to-kokka（教育と国家; The Education and the Nation）, Tetsuya Takahashi, Kodansha-Gendai-Shinsho, Tokyo, Oct. 2004

Yasukuni-mondai（靖国問題; Problems of Yasukuni Shrine）, Tetsuya Takahashi, Chikuma-Shinsho, Tokyo, April 2005

The Constitution of Japan

Fundamental Law of Education（教育基本法; Kyoikukihonhou）

The Constitution of the Empire of Japan(大日本帝国憲法; Dai-nippon-teikoku-kenpo)

ARW on the 10th June 09

2009-06-11T05:16:00.002+09:00

At lunch time, I was studying at library, and fell aspeep by accident, then late for the class.

Todday's class on the PWT last week was difficult, and I could not express what I wanted to say in English logically enough, and then, got so exausted that I could not say any more. Annoying.

I am on the Essay assignment now.
I am getting the point to argue in the Essay, but it's tough:(

ARW on the 5th June 09

2009-06-05T17:09:00.003+09:00

The first time I read the work of Hemingway was 3 years ago, and then I read "A Farewell to Arms" in English, but then it was difficult for me to read it, and I thought that it embraced a message from Hemingway what he wanted to inform of the later generation. Next one was the "The Old Man and The Sea" in Japanese also 3 years ago. I have remembered what the novel structure was even if I had not read it until the recent ARW classes, because of some characteristics of this novel. I would like to interpret this work that is called as one of the best Literature work in the history by those, for interpretations introduced in the class did not make sense for me, but it was difficullt to express my way to make the interpretation in English and I could not do that.
Today, I often find myself to have nothing to express what I want to, and come up with an incledible discover I can be fell in in English.

ARW on the 3rd June 09

2009-06-04T12:59:00.001+09:00

Yesterday, in ARW class, I found how difficult to interpret the Literature.
Santiago could be Hemingway himself, Cuba, Communism, Jesus, America, and so on, but in my opinion, as Manami said, Santiago could be many character in this whole book, depending one the situation.
Then, if Santiago is the country Communism, the boy would be the partner country of theirs, because Santiago and the boy are not the family, and this is why they cannot be together by some forces, or big power, as described in the book, such as the parental power that a little boy cannot resist to, then even if the boy wants to follow Santiago, he cannot, I though that it had been true of many cases in the Cold War time.

The interpretation of the sea, whinch reard the sea as the symbol of the woman was also so interesting for me to think about that I want to search.

Essay is so tough task!!

GEキリスト教概論レポート

2009-06-02T16:59:00.000+09:00

GEキリスト教概論レポート
　　　　　　　　『かのやうに』に着想を得た連想ゲームの一環として
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　色平卓郎
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　131111(ID)
　ここでハルナックは、ビスマルク時代が終焉を迎えて訪れたヴィルヘルムⅡの治世の、その内外の社会安定の立役者のひとりとして描かれているといえるだろう。そしてその君臣の間柄は、君主の信用と君国の用によって結びつけられていたと書かれている。それは、政治が「多数を相手にした仕事」であるということと、民衆を動かす際に、未だに影響力を持ち続けている宗教を用いるということの有用性とに関連する。
　当時のヨーロッパの状況というと、ビスマルク外交の終焉にともなって、ドイツ国内でもより拡大志向の帝国主義的な風潮が高まってきた時期であるといえる。実際、1905年には第一回のモロッコ事件が起きているし、それ以前からドイツ帝国によるいわゆる世界政策の一環として、海軍軍備の拡大などが進められていた。このような時代、一同に国民に働きかけ動員することができるか否かで、その国の生存競争の是非が決まることもあり得たということは想像に難くない。そんな中、宗教といういわば人々にとっての精神の基礎を以て内外を統治するということはとりわけ重要であったといえる。実際ここに挙げられているように、内政においては南北の宗教流派の違いがあり、南の旧教を抑えつつ、新教の精神を以て文化の進展を図らなければならなかったし、外交においては未だに影響力を持つ権威であるローマ法王をないがしろにするわけにはいかなかったという。これはおそらく旧教徒の多い南ドイツの支配に伴う正当性にも関わるのだろう。
　そして、その統治にあるべき基礎である宗教の基礎、それがハルナックに代表される新教神学であるという。しかしそれは決して政治向けにあつらえられた教義ではなく、むしろ彼が献身的態度を以て学術界に貢献した結果であり、その意味では非政治的に他ならないはずの神学が、ここではドイツの強みであると述べられている。
　その対照として文中に実際、この基礎を欠いた統治の例としてロシアのツァーリが挙げられているが、実際当時のロシア帝国というと、無政府主義やナロードニキといった主義が台頭し、皇帝の暗殺やその未遂事件も多々あったという時代で、ここに挙げられているような平穏なドイツ社会との違いは明らかである。では何が違うのか。
　神話と歴史、このふたつは切っても切れない関係にあるといえる。そしてここハルナックのくだりで、それぞれは信仰と学問とに言い換えられることができるだろう。ここでなぜ信仰と学問が問題となるのか、なぜならそれを考えることは同時に神学とは何なのかを浮き彫りにするということに他ならないからだ。ここで神学と信仰、学問について実際に挙げられていることを箇条書き的に書き出し、
1.宗教を信じるのに神学は要らない。また、信仰というものは知力の発展していない多数のためのもので、そこに神学は不要である。
3.信仰のないのに信仰のある真似をする危険思想と、宗教の必要性だけには譲歩するという穏健な思想。
というふたつの事柄について特に注目し、以下のように考えた。
　中世という神話と歴史が区別されていなかった時代にあって、人々は信仰と学問を区別するということもなく、そこにある種の真実を見出すことができていたといえるだろう。そしてそれこそが当時存在した宗教のひとつだけの形であった。同時にそこにおいて、神学は宗教と同義であったといえるだろう。しかし近代になって、その両者が区別されることを余儀なくされ、元来宗教に見出されていたはずの真実といわれるものが、形式的で内容のないものに思われるようになってしまう（しかしそれはいわゆる無知の民衆には無縁である）。そこに中世とは違う形での宗教として、別に神学と呼ばれる学問が生まれた。それはつまり、それまでの一元化モデルとして信じられていた宗教ではなく、神話と歴史とが区別されたことによって、今までのそういった宗教に回帰できなくなってしまったその枠組みを支えるものとしての宗教であり、それが神学である。まず第一にその意味において、信仰だけの元来の宗教を信じる上でここにおける神学は必要ないといえる。しかし同時に、後に述べた宗教は、その多くが元来型の宗教の信者であるいわゆる学問的素養のない民衆にはとうてい還元できないものである。ならば、先に述べた元来の宗教の必要性を認めなければ、民衆に還元できない形の宗教しか残らない。その点において、その元来モデルの宗教の必要性を認めるか否かでその思想の危険性が決まるのである。また、その新しく生まれた神学は、その前提となった元来モデルを内包しているともいえるだろう。その意味でもまた、宗教を信じる上では神学が必ず必要であるとは限らないといえるのである。
　以上が私論としてのドイツにおける神学に関する仮説である。そして、ここに考えられるロシア正教との違いはその政治的意図の有無である。この仮説上に、神学そのものの政治的意図というものを感じることはないと思う。なぜならこれは明らかに政治的ではなく、体系的な問題に他ならないからだ。しかしそれにも関わらず統治の基盤としての宗教の基礎に適用可能であるという一点でその有効性が認められ、根源的なドイツの強みとして発揮されるのである。なぜならこの神学という学問としての宗教は、一元化モデルの形態を内包しつつも、より現実や歴史に応用できるモデルとして発明され体系づけられたものであるはずだから。
　秀麿がなぜハルナックを手紙中にあのように取り上げたのか、それは秀麿自身が直面している神話と歴史との狭間の格闘における、ひとつの決着をハルナックが勝ち得ていたからだ。推測の域ではあるが、ハルナックはこの神学の体系化を通じて宗教という領域を以てそれを初めて成し遂げたひとりであったのではないか。そしてそれはまた同時に、秀麿の、ハルナックの純粋な学問的事業と矛盾しない君国の用への賞賛の気持ちの表れに違いない。これこそがまさに、秀麿をしてヴィルヘルムⅡとハルナックとの間柄を模範的であるといわせるゆえんである。
　1912年、森鴎外の著したこの小説『かのやうに』は、学問がいかなるものかということについて教えてくれると同時に、その根底に息づくものの捉えがたさを絶妙に言い切っているという印象を受けた。それがもっとも端的に表されていると感じたくだりは、最後の最後の文章だ。
「山の手の日曜日の寂しさが、二人の周囲を以前支配している。」
ここで秀麿と綾小路のふたりは静かに暖炉の前に立っている。暖炉から漏れる火の光に照らされて、彼らの足元から長く伸びて浮かび上がるシルエット。そしてそこで彼らをとりまく孤独性が、まるで捉えがたい雲、もしくは捉えがたい怪物のように表現され、そんな諸々の想像にふと憂鬱というかやりどころのない気持ちを想起させられた。

ARW on the 1st June 09

2009-06-01T17:18:00.003+09:00

In today's discussion at the ARW class, we have discussed what a hero is, and found it difficult to define that. Then it occured to me that why the old man and the boy are not family in the book, because I doubted that even if they are family, as the old man cheers the boy and the boy respects the old man, it is not different so much, but in fact, they are not.
Is there some secret,or intention? Or just the suspicion?
I do not know.

I have watched the DVD of the Manufacturing Consent holidays, and is reading another kinds of books regarding the thesis, and making the outline to write it, but find it difficult for the vagueness of that history.

ARW on the 29th May 09

2009-05-29T17:35:00.002+09:00

Today, we have discussed what Hemingway's bias is at first, but as I could not research the 3Bs enough, it was a pity that I could not participate the discussion well.
Later, the topic was fallacies, and found that there are some of them in my essay thesis statement.

Thank you for your kindness, Rab!

I will read the theory of the "manufacturing consent", and make it useful for my essay.

自然の化学的基礎（GE）レポート２nd

2009-05-27T19:16:00.001+09:00

自然の化学的基礎レポート2nd
　　　　　　　　　　行政の責任の始点と終点、二点間の幅
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　色平卓郎
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　131111(ID)
　問題となるべきなのは問題をただ単に知ることだけではなく、それをいかに料理して消化不可能な食材を消化可能なものにするかというその「実戦」とその方法である。そしてその食材はここに示されているように我々の生存を脅かすほどの毒素をもっていることもある。その場合、その毒素を取り除きながら、または無毒化して、いかに料理するべきなのかということが課題となる。これはまるで、ふぐを捌くがごとく資格を要するプロの仕事のように思われるがそれをあえて、強いてともいえるだろうが、「情報を得た市民」や「責任ある市民の参加」という形の上で実現しようというのが、民主主義とよばれるものであり、これが行政の基礎となるのである。しかしこれは食材を知らずしてすることのできないことである。
　行政は一般に民衆に対して最も影響力を持つ機関のひとつだが、だからこそ民衆の参加が不可欠なものである。実際この問題に関しても、市民の行政への参加不足がその責任の一端とされている。では行政はいかにしてその責任を試行するのか。そのあるべき序章、始点に関しては示されている通りだが、その終着点としての終点とよべるものははたして存在するのか。
　それはその始点の在り方次第であると考える。
　民衆が行政に対して影響力を持つということは、その始点と方向（成分）を決めることができるということである。つまりいま民衆に求められているのは、その確固たる始点を定め、そこからベクトルの方向を決定するという作業であろう。そしてこのベクトルの成分は、我々の一般的に住む社会と同様の、４次元で規定されるべきである。その４つの次元とは、民衆の意志を基盤とした、合理性、実現性、弊害、時間である。しかし実際は、ある特定者の利益、という次元が加えられる。それはひとつの次元として機能し、その次元は強力な影響力を以て民衆が４次元的に規定する始点とそのベクトルの方向とをゆがめ、そこにあるべき方向性は見いだされなくなってしまうのである。実際、このようなゆがみは、本来規定されたはずの始点と終点との間の幅を捉えようもないほどに拡げてしまった。その証拠に、行政の取り組みがすべて後手になっているという現状がある。それはy=1/x→x=0が成立してしまうほどゆがんだ世界にも見える。それは捉えるべき次元を見失って、見るべき方向でないところからその世界を切り取り、正射影として見てしまうがゆえの帰結である。我々は適切な方向からその世界を切り取り、積分することでその全貌を明らかにしなくてはならないし、その繰り返しこそが民衆の義務である。そうすることで初めてその帰結として行き着く場所、終点を規定することができる。
　しかしこれがあくまでも民衆の参加が規定となっていることを忘れがちである今、なお一層、その「硬い」壁に風穴を空け、その「向こう側」に新風を吹かせるヴィジョンを見る原動力、動機そのものが我々に求められているといえるだろう。ろくな調理もされずに出されることになる料理、そんなものを食されることになるのはどこの誰なのか、それを考えればそれだけでも動機としては十分なのではないだろうか。我々は目の前にある食材を知り、それからレシピ作りに取りかかるべきなのである。

ARW　on the 27th May 09

2009-05-27T18:28:00.004+09:00

Today's class was so interesting!
I know what searching the 3Bs is in the class.

I found it more interesting to read the text as you had.
Literature not just is the entertainment but embraces many metaphors hidden deliberately, and I want to find them.
Motivated by today's class, I would like to study the history, and read the literature.

And then, I will have had to be faced to my own biases to notice.

Well, would you borrow me the book of "the Manufacturing Consent" on Friday??
I want to use it for my essay as one of the notes.
I am also going to use its DVD that will be sent to my home from my house in Nagano.

I will be careful of the Facebook.
Thank you for your caution.

As I have to write my essay on the Google Doc. to do my homework, I decided to have the access to the Internet at home(in fact, I do not have yet), and I called the NTT, but I do not even know what the provider is so far :(
Of course, I know now. That's so funny～
No, I am funny～～
haha

ARW on the 22nd and 25th May 09

2009-05-25T17:00:00.002+09:00

On the 22nd, I skipped the PWT, because, as I had stayed at midnight and studied, I overslept. Lol～。～

In the class on the 22nd, I learned what the good assumption is, and the questions were difficult, but it was a good practice for me to make a new essay and the outline.

I do not think my assumption on my page of Google is good so far, then I want to make it better in the process of learning what good assumption is.

Today's class was on the way to use the Google Groups more.
Sorry for being late for class. I found it that my bike was out of order.

In today's class, I have found that, as I have not been familiar with these kinds of the IT, it is tough for me to use it at first. I doubt that it is really useful.

I will know the conclusion later.

At all, I find it necessary to have the access to the Internet at home immediately.

ARW on the 20th May 09

2009-05-20T19:57:00.002+09:00

As I was absent yesterday of the cold and even today's morning it was not so good, I skipped the second and third period class.

I had the first tutorial today in lunch time.
I received my essay,and the grade was B－.
Thank you for your kindness, Rab.
I will checka my mistakes on this sheat and try to extinguish them.

ARW on the 18th May 09

2009-05-18T20:15:00.002+09:00

C-week.
Today's class is for the PWT I will have this Friday.
I felt it hard to fill the paper on time and in fact I could not do that.
I chose the 2nd question at first, but finally, in the last 10 minutes, I changed it to the 1st one, because I could not write it.
It is difficult to write the argument or my own opinion on the good reasons regarding the content of the article.
I was often lost what to write in today's class.

ARW on the 13th May 09

2009-05-13T18:21:00.003+09:00

Meiland is over.
Yesterday, it was so hard to read the article told to, because I forgot its content and had to read again from the Chapter6.

In today's class, I could not give my opinion enough, because, although I have read, I could not make my thoughts ordered to say it.

Today's discussion was very difficult, but very important to remember not just now but also in the future as one of the learners.

I am looking forward to receiving my essay on Monday and talking with you.

The 1st Essay(Final) handed in on the 11th May 09

2009-05-12T17:25:00.003+09:00

ID＃; 131111

Sec.; BB

Name; Takuro IROHIRA

Life or Death; For which the water flow away.

　Given The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the most fundamental materials for everyone to live should be the most fundamental Human Rights to be protected and enjoyed forever. However, one of the most important ones has recently been lost at an alarming rate for the great capacity for destruction, which could be said to be the potential of human beings, under the name of the development, or the globalization; freshwater. In Japan, there are few opportunities to be aware of this fact that the clean freshwater is lost forever because there seems to be much water around, but looking at the world, even now, nearly 2 billion people live in water stressed regions blind for developed countriesⁱ. Today, this issue is as urgent and impending to deal with as climate change, but has very little attention paid to it in comparisonⁱⁱ. In the near future, all the world will no doubt face to “the water crisis”, even in the developed countries, including Japan, because its influence would seriously be wide-spreading around the world. Now, it comes to the phase to have to consider it for this era to survive this difficulty.

　There are three main causes for the water crisis according to a documentⁱⁱⁱ. The first one is polluting, diverting, and depleting the finite water resources. The document says that ninety percent of wastewater produced in the Third World is discharged, untreated, into local rivers, streams, and coastal waters^iv. For example, wells poisoned by arsenic in Bangladesh, and rivers poisoned by heavy metals and wastewater from industry in China have caused serious health problems of the inhabitants^v, and in irrigation, much water evaporate in vain before reaching the goal, what is worse, to harvest just 1 kg of the rice, flour, or meat, much more than ten to one thousand kg of water is required. These examples show that how much water is used in vain, and how little the developed countries have attention to it. Furthermore, polluting water also means that it would devastate the clean freshwater available, or the watershed itself^vi, which is nothing less than to destroy the foundation of the hydrology cycle itself which should be for the next generations.

　The second one is climate change, which has a lot to do with the water crisis^vii. Of the changes caused by climate change, the rise in the sea level is thought to be one of the most serious ones, because it will bring more damage from salt to the soil for cultivation, which will lead to the reduction in the production of food; especially in the poorest countries where there is not enough food for the people to eat regularly even now, or in the countries whose most food depends on foreign countries, the damage cannot be expected.

　Added to the above, as water is not only involved in food, but in the sanitation, once the waterborne epidemic prevails in the countries with poor infrastructure, the number of people who die of the epidemic cannot be small, and then, the water will be divided between the rich and the poor, which make the injustice. That is not only the case of epidemics, but other diseases, such as cancer caused by some carcinogen or heavy metals melting in the wastewater as mentioned before. In fact, the number of people killed by the problems of water is more than by war, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and traffic accidents combined^viii.

　The third one is surging population growth of unprecedented magnitude. A statistics^ix shows that, at the growing rate these days, by 2025 two-thirds of the world's population will face water scarcity, and by 2050, after added another 3 billion to the global population today, 80 percent increase in water supplies will be required just to feed the whole population. Under such circumstance these days, without any change, enough freshwater would never be supplied.

　These are raised as the causes of the water crisis, but it is obvious that the globalization (or just industry) is no less than the factor, which makes this matter more serious. The freshwater companies can produce the great benefit for them, and the consumers of their commodities never died out, but it also means that whether we live or not depends on them, because they have an actual monopoly right to sell it; if they do not sell, no one can buy. Everyone will be at the mercy of their market strategy to live themselves. The companies must be convicted of the abuse of Human Rights. However, under the market based principle, the conviction of them seems to bear no fruit, making it worse.

　As a result of these arguments, what the water crisis is can more or less be understood, and the problem would be remembered to be not only the scarcity of water but also the inequity for the access to the clean freshwater between the rich and the poor; it is needed to discuss the water conservation and the water justice. Unfortunately, they are, however, apparently like an inconclusive impasse.

　Without the political will, the purpose to achieve the sustainable development for the future cannot be come true in the end^x. In the time water is becoming the just commodity for sale, not regarded as one of the Human Rights, nothing less than the responsible political will is dispensable for the blighting future. As French poet, Saint-Exupery wrote about his experience when lost in the desert in his famous work "Wind, Sand, and Stars", the water is nothing less than the life itself. Such heritage of the water should be taken over by the next generations, and to do so, it is necessary to do some responsible actions for the lives, the water, to flow to the next era. This is the very thing to be known here. It should be focused on this matter to solve them by the responsible and informed citizens, and must be known that what the world is to be if nothing would have been done to solve this matter. It is not too much to say that the cost to pay no attention may be much higher than that to pay for the future. In other word, it could be said that for which, Life or Death, the lives flow away depends on the decision and the following actions.

i　 Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?, The American Prospect, Princeton, Jun.2008.(http:/proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=9&did=1489711261&Src...)

ii　 Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

iii　Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

iv　Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

v　 Daily Asahi evening paper, 12^th May, 2008, 04.

vi　Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

vii Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

viii Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

ix　Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

x　 Maude Barlow, Where Has All the Water Gone?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 NOTES

　 Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke, Blue Gold, Stoddart Publishing, Toronto, 2002.

　 Maude Barlow, Blue Covenant: The Alternative Water Future, Monthly Review, New York, Jul/Aug, 2008.

　 Brita Belli, WHO OWNS THE WATER?, E: Environmental Magazine, Norwalk, Jan/Feb 2009, 59.

ARW on the 8th-11th May 09

2009-05-12T16:56:00.002+09:00

In the class on the 8th, I had my essay be checked again and revise it.
After all, my essay is on the freshwater, and read some articles and a book on this topic. On Saturday, and Sunday, I have rewritten some parts of it, and made the reference, but I could not find how to make it because I am not used to using the Open Office org. or the Word in the end.

How is my essay?

In fact, I am not fully satisfied with it, because this problem I raise as my essay topic is the very subject which I wanted to major in when I was a high school student.

When I was a highschool student, I wanted to go to anotheruniversity to study it, but when I knew this is the problem which involves in a lot of acitivities such as the NGOs, I found that in Japan I cannot do this, because there is no the NGOs and so on that have this kind of activity. Then I decided to enter to this university to study the management for these kind of activities.

I would like to raise this topic again and again, because it is my life study, then I cannot fully be satisfied with today's essay, although I have done my best.

This is the one of my 3Bs; background.

I enjoyed your psychological tests in yesterday's class. Thank you.

ARW on the 28th April 09

2009-04-29T21:48:00.002+09:00

I've changed my essay's topic in today's class.

ARW on the 27th April 09

2009-04-28T16:35:00.002+09:00

The topic for my first essay is to consider how the community as the place we people live in should be. In this situation that big communities are collapsing, such as cities or farms, I find it important to think of this topic. I think it necessary for community to have strong conjunctions between people that make them into the body, combination. I will begin my essay with this statement for introduction.

Today's problem is what and where I should quote from.

自然の化学的基礎レポート「ヒトはいったいどこへ行くのか、という問いに関して」

2009-04-23T15:24:00.005+09:00

ヒトはいったいどこへ行くのか、という問いに関して

　どこへ行くのか、という問いを考える際は、その考えられる対象が、どこからどのようにしていまの場所、状況の下にやって来て、そしていまどうしているのかという点を考えなくてはならないが、そのためにも、ヒトが他に比して特有にもっている文明について考える必要があると思う。
　文明は耕すことから生じるというが、耕すということが文明の基礎をなす労働であるならば、ヒトを人たらしめる根本は耕作だと考えられる。では耕作とは本来どのような営みか。それは、自然とどのように関わっていくべきか、ということを常に問い続けながら実践していく、そんな営みであるのではないか。それは耕地を広げるという意味だけではなしに、どのように水を引いてくるか、それにはどのような道具が必要となるか、などということを自然と折り合いをつけながらヒトが試行錯誤するプロセスの中でこそ培われ、そしてそうあってしかるべきものであったに違いない。だからこそ自然の大地はヒトを育て人にした母、人類の母であり、幼子が学ぶべきものすべてを教えくれるテキストとして描かれることが多いのではないか。
　そしてその自然の大地とはただ広くて平らなところというものではなく、さまざまなものが育まれ生存を許容される、多様性の空間そのものを指すにほかならない。
　つまり本来の文明とはあるべき空間のなかで根を張って存在するものであるべきものである。しかし利害や欲求といった別次元の要素が、その本来のあるべき空間的許容範囲に許容できる範疇を超えてしまったとき、イースター島での例のような悲劇が起こるだけでなく、そこに根付いていたはずの文明が失われると同時に、まるで強く根の張った草をひき抜いたときに土が根にくっついていてそのまま捨てられてしまうのと同じように、それを育んできた空間的要素までもが失われてしまうこともあるのである。
　今、文明という言葉はその育まれる空間が物理的にも心理的にも狭くなりつつあるなかで、イースター島のときと同じように、その本来の意味や在り方を十分に体現しきれていないような気がしてならない。
　空間的次元の狭まりは、精神的次元にも影響を与える。というのも、目に見えるところですらゆとりがないところに精神的なゆとりが生まれるとはとうてい思えないからだ。　だからこそ現在の急速すぎる空間的狭まりに恐怖を覚えずに入られない。
　「人間の土地」（サンテグジュペリ著）の冒頭にあることを踏まえれば、いまの文明がまず直視するべき障害は、どのようにして土地を耕せばよかったのかを忘れてしまっているか見失ってしまっているということ、そもそもその育まれるべき土地や土壌というそのものを知らないという根本的なものに他ならない。
　新たに土地を耕すための道具が、ヒトのこれから行くべき道を照らすといっても過言ではないだろう。

ARW on the 22nd April 09

2009-04-23T15:04:00.003+09:00

Unity is the keyword of the first half of yesterday's class.

How to write essays we have learned in ARW classes is very difficult for us to think practically and it is also difficult for us to put it into practice.

I join the WG, and write the first article for it now.
When write the article, I always find how difficult it is to write something for others who do not know the subject I've written on, and, when receive the article checked by friends and editors, I cannnot write its new version without how difficult it is to write.

Even if in Japanese, it is so difficult that I can be nervous, how it would be in English??
So terrible~。~

I could not join the discussion yesterday so much.
I am not used to discussing in English yet, but as talking and talking, I would like to be used, even a little bit, better and beter.

ARW on the 20th April 09

2009-04-20T20:13:00.003+09:00

After today's ARW class, I rewrote my paragraph and arranged its title.

We had discussion chapter1＆2 of Meiland in today's class, and I most gave my attention to the terms, such as ways of thinking, how to think, or think critically etc.
We talked over these terms, and in the end, I came to think that what we should learn in or from the Liberal Arts College.
Information from just the chapter1＆2 is not enough for me to answer this question.

In reading this article, I want to talk more about this issue in the ARW classes.

the IT on the 16th April 09 (revised twice version)

2009-04-20T20:07:00.003+09:00

the IT: the Intellectual Textbook to Introduce one's Thoughts

Every freshman of the Liberal Arts College needs to be educated on the Information Technology(the IT). First of all, when write the paper, they need to choose proper information from much information from many sources, such as the Internet, papers, or books. They, however, must be careful of the reliability of the information, or sources, which means we have to know how to have the access to the information sources, and this is the very reason they should be taught about it at the first stage as the student of the university; freshman. Secondly, without knowing how to get the access to the proper information, they will not be able to be the genuine student of the Liberal Arts College, where Critical Thinking is required; the ICU. Furthermore, they must be warned of the danger of information technology now. In conclusion, the IT gives us so much information that we can often quote some of it in the wrong way, or context, from the wrong sources, which should be considered by everybody in order not to fall into the trap of the information without knowing its danger, not to mention by freshmen of the Liberal Arts College.

the IT on the 16th April 09 (revised once version)

2009-04-17T17:28:00.006+09:00

the IT

Every freshman of the Liberal Arts College needs to be educated on the IT. First of all, when write the paper, they need to choose proper information from much information from many sources, such as the Internet, papers, or books. They, however, must be careful of the reliability of the information, or sources, which means we have to know how to have the access to the information sources, and this is the very reason they should be taught about it at the first stage as the student of the university; freshman. Secondly, without knowing how to get the access to the proper information, they will not be able to be the genuine student of the Liberal Arts College, where Critical Thinking is required; the ICU. Furthermore, they must be warned of the danger of information technology now. In conclusion, the IT gives us so much information that we can often quote some of it in the wrong way, or context, from the wrong sources, which should be considered by everybody in order not to fall into the trap of the information without knowing its danger, not to mention to by freshmen of the Liberal Arts College.

ARW on the 17th April 09

2009-04-17T17:13:00.002+09:00

Today's class was on how to make the concluding sentence better, and the kinds of the concluding sentence; paraphrase and summary.

I was charged of making the paraphrase from just the first sentence of the paragraph.
It was so tough job to imagine from that limited information, but fun:)

Homework, to revise yesterday's homework, also seems so hard.

the IT on the 16th April 09

2009-04-16T16:08:00.009+09:00

the IT

I learned about the IT from the note of one of my sectionmates on the tutorial class yesterday, and think of the reason why Rab took the trouble to teach us on this topic, which leads to the conclusion that it is because we are freshmen. First of all, when we write papers, we have to choose proper information from much information from many sources, such as the Internet, papers, or books. We, however, must be careful of the reliability of the information, or sources, which means we have to know how to have access to the information sources, and this is the very reason why we are taught about it at the first stage as the student of the university, freshman. Second, without knowing how to get the access to the proper information, we will not be able to be the genuine student of the ICU, where critical thinking is required. Furthermore, we must be warned of the danger of information technology now. The IT gives us so much information that we can often quote some of it in the wrong way, or context, from the wrong sources, which should be considered by every student in order not to fall into the trap of the information without knowing its danger.

ARW on the 15th April 09

2009-04-16T15:13:00.005+09:00

I am sorry to have been absent from the first period class yesterday.

I asked friends to tell what they learned in the class, and I made the account of gmail(takuro.i.g0707.q0314@gmail.com) and this blog today.
Also I had access to the clusty, google trends, and Google scholar.

I learned what the paragraph is, how to write academic essays, and how to use conjunction words in the paragraph yesterday.
I have not been aware of how to use these conjunction, and not used to using such words properly in the context.

To make my writing clear, I will try to use these words properly.