What I learned from ARW autumn

ARW Autumn was very short for me and I wanted to work harder in some points about my homework, essay, or preparation of the presentation. However, I enjoyed ARW Autumn very much and I learned a lot things.

First, I could learn how our perception and thinking which we think natural are arbitrary through the contents of, for example, the definition of race. I could be more critical about topics of this term.

Second, I think 20x20 presentation is one of the most valuable things because I could notice my weak points of presentation such as not speaking smoothly or making less eye contacts.

Third, I could also learn some useful skill for learning, using computer. For instance, I learned how to making blog, effective presentation style of 20x20, and the existence of some useful web site for effective study. Especially, blogging is good opportunity to arrange clearly what I thought through ARW class.  

In the future terms, I want to make use of what I learned in this term and develop my learning more.

Reaction to Diamond

Diamond thinks race which divide human as white or black is objective because there are many possible classifications which have equally valid procedure. Thus, he seeks more objective classifications.

However, when we focus on some traits to divide one species, we notice the presence of 1) problems of concordance and, 2) problems of hierarchy. When we divide a certain species into two groups with focusing on one trait, other traits of the two groups also divide concordantly. However, there are some traits ranging between plural races or being different among one race. Thus, if people classify one species into races based on one trait, it can be entirely different classification, depending on which trait they chose. Another problem is how detailed people divide human as race. It is depend on them and it can be arbitrary.

After that, he explains possible function of geographically variable human traits with 1) natural selection, 2) sexual selection, 3) no function at all, and tries to divide human objectively by other ways, using other traits reflecting on these function. He concludes that we need not continue to have concept of race in modern world where people meet many people of varied appearance.

I felt strange when I read the classifications by Resistance, Digestion, or Fingerprints which are, theoretically, divide human clearly. From it, I think our concept of race is stranger because it is more ambiguous and arbitrary. In modern society, the concept of race becomes more complex because internationalization spreads and people meet many people who have different traits. I think we fundamentally have to try to know the difference of other people, not limited between races.

Final Edited Essay

How Should Japan Face Elderly Care in House?

Outline

Research Question:

How should Japanese family cope with stress of taking care of elderly?

Thesis Statement:

Japan should set more effective system for elderly care-givers in house

1) Specialists should give family care-givers skills of effective care and stress coping etc.

2) Government should show more effective nursing-care insurance system.

3) Local community should make more friendly relationship.

Introduction 

  A. Incident from stress of caring parents―A son killed his bedridden mother　

  B. Aging society

  C. Thesis

Ⅰ. The cause of the problem

A. Japanese cultural concepts

Filial piety

Inside and Outside

B. Social change

Decrease of children’s number ― Increase of burden

Lack of communication with relatives, neighbors or local community

Ⅱ. Possible solutions

― Importance of support system of family elderly care-givers

  A. Role of specialists

  B. Role of government

  C. Role of local community

Conclusion

   A. Repeat thesis and main points

                                                                

How Should Japan Face Elderly Care in House?

On December, 2010, an incident occurred at home in Akita prefecture. A son killed his mother, who had suffered from dementia and had been taken care of by him for 10 years (“Koukoumusukoga”). The son was 66 years old and his mother was 92 years old (“Koukoumusukoga”). His stress for long nursing care made him murder his mother. According to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan, the rate of the Japanese population had become highest in the world in 2000 (Japan, MHLW). Accordingly, some serious problems about the elderly occurred more and more such as decrease of rate of working population, pension problems and dying solitary. As shown above, family care-giver’s stress for caring an elderly person is one of them. Because of aging society, the age of the family care-givers, who support the elderly who need help has also increased (Tsuno and Homa 10). In other words, taking care of the elderly can be harder things as care-givers themselves can be physically weak because of age. To reduce family care-givers stress, people around them should help them to try to decrease care-givers stress.  For this problem, government, local community and specialists play important roles. This essay will argue that Japan should establish more effective systems for elderly care-givers in house with following perspectives: 1) Specialists should give family care-givers skills of effective care and stress coping, 2) Government should show more effective nursing-care insurance system, and 3) Local community should make more friendly relationship.

Ⅰ. The Cause of the Problem 

The causes of stress of family care-givers in Japan seem to be related to both Japanese cultural concepts and change of society in addition to fundamental characteristics of elderly care in house.

First of all, as fundamental characteristics of elderly care in house, proximity as family and possibility of hopeless of care are different points from other stress. Taking care of family does not have a break because a caregiver has to be always with elderly in house (Nohara 12). However, it is regarded as natural for people to take care of their family (Nohara 10). In addition, taking care of elderly is sometimes hopeless because the death of elderly is waiting. This is the big difference from child care in house. Thus, elderly care in house is more stressful than other care.

Second, Japanese cultural concepts make family care-givers more nervous. In particular, in Japan, filial piety is thought much of and border of inside and outside is clear. Jeff Kingston is a professor of the Temple University in Japan and he is the expert of “the political economy and social history of modern Japan” (Temple). According to him, Japanese have the assumption that people have to take care of their elderly family because “the Confucian principle of filial piety and the respect accorded the elderly” (Kingston 291). They think it is responsibility as well as virtue to take care of their parents. In addition, in Japan, people have the view of inside and outside (McDaniel 2). People have the thinking of self-sacrifice and sustain harmony especially in outside (McDaniel 2, 5). As a result, people think it is important not to show their personal problem or stress and moreover, it is rude for outsiders to ask their private thing. As a result, people hesitate and avoid talking about domestic matters such as the specific situation of their mother or difficulties of caring of their parents, their stress of caring their elderly family in outside and pile up burdens alone because they do not have opportunities to express their feeling.

Third, Japanese society is changing in terms of decrease of children and decrease of social relationships. In the current society, children’s number is decreasing. As a result, children have more burden of taking care of their parents. For example, if there are three children in one family, they can take care of their parents, sharing the burdens. However, if there is only one child in a family, the case more common currently, he or she has to have all burdens alone. Moreover, communication with neighbors or local society is decreasing. In 2010, the Cabinet Office (CO) in Japan conducted a survey to the elderly in 5 countries, America, Sweden, Korea, Germany and Japan, by Japanese government. According to it, the rate of the elderly, who have friends or neighbors, who they can depend on is the lowest in 5 countries (Japan, CO). In addition, the rate of the elderly who have few opportunities to associate with neighbors in a week is the highest (Japan, CO). For this, the elderly tend to be limited in house unless they can get other support such as day service of nursing house and have fewer opportunities to communicate with people besides their family members. As a result, the family tends to feel more serious stress when thinking of problems alone and relationships between the elderly and care-givers are likely to become worse.

From these reasons, care-givers in families in Japan have big stress.

Ⅱ. Possible Solutions

Key solutions for reduce stress of family care-givers stress are 1) technological skill given by specialist, 2) more effective nursing-care insurance system of Japanese government and 3) more friendly relationship in local community. It is sure that the solution which care-givers want to have is different among each person. However, there are two main approaches for relief of care-givers’ stress: reducing physical burden and reducing mental burden. For example, physical stress is made by the stress of helping the elderly taking a bath or eating meals. Mental stress is, for example, anxiety about future or costs of support.

First, specialists who have technological knowledge of taking care of elderly should give stress-coping strategy for care-givers. According to Tabei, the head of Oyanoie, nursing home of nursing-care insurance of government in Musashino-shi, who I interviewed, 1) to completely leave the elderly in nursing home or 2) to leave them for a certain time as day service is one solution to reduce stress (Tabei). It is the physical approach to respite care-givers, giving time apart from their elderly. However, as actual case, according to Tabei, there are 300 hundred people who is waiting care by Oyanoie though the capacity of the elderly is only 40 people and the elderly cannot get support from Oyanoie except the elderly in worst health condition. Thus, as specific solution, especially for family whose elderly cannot get enough physical support from institutions, specialists such as NPO or local care managers have to give actual strategy of how to care for elderly well thorough training course for family care-givers. For example, inefficiency of taking bath or doing exercise can be extra physical stress for both care-givers and the elderly. However, these stresses can be reduced by learning rope of it from specialists.

Second, government should show more effective nursing-care insurance system government should set a large-scale system of support for care-givers. For example, Gold Plan, which shows “direction of health and welfare policies for the elderly over the next five years”, was made by Japanese government in 2000 (Japan, MHLW). Though theoretical system has been well-appointed, the reality that the elderly have to wait for a few years to enter nursing house in Tokyo exists (Jenike 182). To improve nursing house situation such as Oyanoie case, government should set more practical approach, making use of their large-scale as one nation. For example, more specific aim for solution such as guideline which shows proper action of the local communities should be established.

Finally, local community should make more friendly relationship. Local communities can do mental supports for care-givers which the government cannot fill because the local communities are the closest with family. Using merits of proximity, local community should do grass-roots effort to support family care-givers. For example, community centers or nursing home have some events, such as free markets or tea parties to communicate with the family and try to set an air which care-givers can talk their problem or worries.

Thus, these three parts, which have possibility of improvement of the problem, should take action more.

Conclusion

    As shown above, there are some reasons elderly care in house is stressful especially in Japan. In addition to fundamental physical stress such as helping the elderly to take bath, cultural background and social change of Japan are important factors to be considered. As solutions, the roles of specialists, government and local community should be thought much of. In particular, as more effective systems for helping care-givers in house, specialists should give skills of effective care and stress coping, government should show more effective nursing-care insurance system and local community should make more friendly relationships. As the first step, it is important not to think this problem as only family problems and improve support systems of the elderly and their family members.

                                                Works Cited

Japan. Cabinet Office (CO). Heisei 22 nendo Dai 7 kai

Koureisya no seikatsu to ishiki nikansuru ishikichosa kekka [2010 7^th Result of International Survey about Life and Sense of the Elderly ]. www8.cao.go.jp.2 Jun. 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.

Japan. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). Direction of Health and Welfare

Policies for the Elderly over the Next Five Years －Gold Plan 21－.www.mhlw.go.jp. Jul. 2002. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.

Jenike, Brenda. “Parent Care and Shifting Family Obligation in

              Urban Japan.” Demographic Change and the Family in Japan's Aging Society.

Ed. Traphagan, John and Knight, John.Albany:State University of New York, 2003. 177-201. Print.

Kingston, Jeff. Japan's Quiet Transformation : Social Change and Civil Society in the

Twenty-first Century. London : RoutledgeCurzon, 2004. Print.

“Koukoumusuko ga hahaoya wo koroshita wake ha…Akita rouroukaigo satsuzin”[The

reason dutiful son killed his mother…the murder because of the stress of elderly care by the elderly in Akita]. Iza! 4 Sep.2011.Sankei Degital Inc.Web.31 Oct.2011.

McDaniel, Edwin. Japanese Nonverbal Communication A Reflection of Cultural

Themes.Belmont, CA : Wadsworth, 2006. (in The ELP Reader, 2011. 8-1 to 14).

Nohara, Sumire. Seiseidoudou ganbaranai kaigo [Sporting Unhardworking Nursing Care].

Tokyo : Umi to tsuki sha, 2005. Google books. Web. 22

Oct. 2011.

                                                                                          

Temple University. “About the program.” Undergraduate Program－Temple University,

              Japan Campus. Temple University. www.tuj.ac.jp.n.d.Web. 10 Nov. 2011.

Tsuno, Norifumi and Homma, Akira. “Ageing in Asia—The Japan Experience” Ageing

International 34.1-2(2009):1-14. Academic Research Library, ProQuest. Web.

22 Oct. 2011.

Tabei, Toshiaki. Personal Interview. 18 Oct. 2011.

Reaction to Shreeve

In this text, some supposed benefits using the term of race by scientists are mentioned. In particular, when the police have to identify the body as who is he or she, racial judgment is useful to narrow possible area. For this, the opposite main two arguments exist. One is that biological race exists and the other is biological race does not exists.

I could not agree totally with both idea because I think the concept of biological race itself is arbitrary. When people define race such as this race have these characteristics, there must be limitations or exceptions even though they tend to think biological lines are apparent. It is sure that biological reality that there are biological different characteristics between people. However, it should not lead to say that “scientists should use the term of race”. I agree the conclusion of Shreeve that show the line of race is a matter of perspective. I think as we could not reduce the term of race, we have to notice its subjectiveness.

Reaction to Gould

     This text argue about real meaning and implication for our histry of Blumenbach's theory of 5 classification of human. The change from Linnaeus'  4 classification to Blumenbach's 5 classification is not just addition of one classification. However, many scientists did not notice that order of human by criteria of virtue. Blumenbach himself thought this classification is token of his deep understanding but it is influenced on by the contect of the cultural speriority of  European ways.

    I thought what is Gould mainly trying to say through Blumenbach's example is that our perception is arbitrary and what we thinks  objective theory cannot fail to be sujective and influenced on by our mental factors or social background in some extent. 

    Gould refferd to Blumenbach's theory's influence on human society. He thought Blumenbach's theory encourage much social great sorrow. In other words, his theory promote racial problems. I thought this part is a little weak and specific fact that this theory influence on the historical events should be mentioned . I think it is sure Blumenbach's theory can be one evidence to show people's superiority. However, as Blumenbach's theory itself reflect previous widespread thinking that people in Europe is superior than other and his theory was result of such thinking. Thus, I think it is hard to think his theory was one cause of racial problems but I think it should be seen as one result of European's superior thought.    

My Experience of Creating and Delivering the 20×20 Presentation

What I felt most is that I had to do more practice. I feel I am not good at presentation but if I did more practice I could have lessened my tensions and have more confidence in my presentation. I got advice about more eye contacts and not reading drafts by classmates. I should have more persuade listeners by smooth speaking and enough eye contacts. In the future, I want to do enough preparation and do presentation more actively.
About slide, I used simple slide. I thought I could make listeners understand my contents easily. For interesting presentation, I should more pictures or graphs so that listners could image what I explain.

Through 20x20 presentation, I could learned lot of things for good presentation!