Yuka Kitayama is an associate professor at Osaka University. She was a Japan-Norway Researcher Mobility Programme postdoctoral fellow at University of Southeastern Norway from 2014 to 2018. Her research addresses equity issues of multicultural education and socio-cultural context in policies and practices of citizenship education. She has conducted her research in Japan, Philippines, England and Norway on educational challenges for social inclusion.
Identities, Practices and Education of Evolving Multicultural Families in Asia-Pacific, 2022
ccess to post-secondary and tertiary education is one of the key factors for integration and upwa... more ccess to post-secondary and tertiary education is one of the key factors for integration and upward social mobility of immigrant youth in the host society. In Japan, however, the enrolment rates of immigrant youth have been significantly lower than the national average, while their dropout rates are higher. Their underachievement and underrepresentation in higher education have been typically portrayed from a deficit viewpoint, suggesting the causes lie within minority families and communities. Drawing from Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model, we examine first-generation immigrant students’ experiences in high schools, and their academic and career trajectories. Findings suggest that high schools with special admission quotas for minority students have functioned as part of a formal system to promote access to education and as a place for minority students to utilize and accumulate the cultural and social capital required to navigate their academic and career pathways. We also highlight tensions between social justice oriented approaches in schools and the current trends of neoliberal educational reform.
Key words: newcomer immigrants, Community Cultural Wealth, quota system, cultural capital
Japan has transformed its self-image from an intentionally multicultural state to a homogeneous n... more Japan has transformed its self-image from an intentionally multicultural state to a homogeneous nation since its defeat in the Second World War and the end of its colonial occupation (Oguma, 2002). Today, it is known as a country with a tightly restricted immigration policy though the number of registered foreigners has been growing and a political shift has been made toward more open immigration and integration. The number of minority teachers in government schools is also steadily growing. Currently, however, they are still considerably underrepresented both in the teaching force and management positions.
This chapter is based on data from interviews with minority teachers who reflected on their lived experiences in schools where structural inequalities were observed and challenged, highlighting the power struggles in a multicultural society. Despite the growing diversity within Japan’s national borders, school education, especially the Civics, History, and Moral Education curricula, to a large extent, has been national in its focus thereby posing the potential danger of marginalising minority children. Thus, teachers from minority backgrounds can play an important role in promoting social justice in multicultural classrooms. This role also involves presenting an alternative curricular perspective reflecting on their personal experiences of being part of a minority, teaching in a multicultural context, and being a role model, not only to minority children but all children. This process involves constructing ‘minority narratives’ which provide an alternative perspective to nationally focused hegemonic narratives and promote a sense of solidarity that extends beyond the national borders to enhance the learning of diversity and equality in schools (Osler, 2018).
In the chapter, I examine the political shifts in Japan’s integration policies, drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theorisation of justice. I also explore the transcultural identities of minority teachers and consider how they confront, navigate, and negotiate structural inequalities throughout their teaching careers. Using data from interviews with minority teachers reflecting their individual and collective identity and the history of minoritised people, I highlight their perspectives that are an alternative to hegemonic discourses about Japan’s self-image and propose a transcultural possibility for schools.
As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis... more As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis on teacher education for social justice. To make schools inclusive for everyone, it is vital to encourage not only minority and/or marginalised pupils but also to develop respect for diversity and a disposition to social justice among powerful majority groups. Thus, teachers need to be capable of cultivating classrooms as inclusive and culturally sensitive learning communities. The role of teachers as agents of social justice can be considered an extension of professionalism that should be addressed in initial teacher education. Arguing for different approaches to educate justice-oriented teachers, this paper scrutinises how educators’ beliefs are reflected in their practices and what curricula and teaching approaches are employed to help student teachers prepare for culturally diverse classrooms. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s conceptualisation of justice, this paper examines narratives of ...
Both education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (HRE) tend to emphasise poli... more Both education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (HRE) tend to emphasise political and legal learning. In both HRE and moral education in Japan, however, there has been a tendency to give particular attention to interpersonal elements of learning such as kindness and sympathy. This article draws on feminist thinking and on Nel Noddings' concept of the ethics of care to propose a learning framework that combines emotional and socio-political elements, arguing that since motivation is an important element in acting for social justice, learning for social justice must be cognisant of emotional learning. The authors then present the case of a university teacher in a gender studies classroom to consider how these two elements, the emotional and the political, might be combined to enhance students' commitment to social justice when the topic under consideration is LGTBQ+ rights.
As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis... more As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis on teacher education for social justice. To make schools inclusive for everyone, it is vital to encourage not only minority and/or marginalised pupils but also to develop respect for diversity and a disposition to social justice among powerful majority groups. Thus, teachers need to be capable of cultivating classrooms as inclusive and culturally sensitive learning communities. The role of teachers as agents of social justice can be considered an extension of professionalism that should be addressed in initial teacher education. Arguing for different approaches to educate justice-oriented teachers, this paper scrutinises how educators’ beliefs are reflected in their practices and what curricula and teaching approaches are employed to help student teachers prepare for culturally diverse classrooms. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s conceptualisation of justice, this paper examines narratives of teacher educators and their curricula using a framework of three concepts of justice: redistribution, recognition, and representation. In order to make suggestions for effective teacher education for social justice in a society where cultural diversity has not been well recognised until recently, we examine experiences from teacher educators who prepare their students to teach English in Japan and Norway.
T his paper explores learning approaches for human rights education focusing on the ethics of car... more T his paper explores learning approaches for human rights education focusing on the ethics of care. Human rights education is primarily aimed at understanding principles of human rights as a core to support democracy, and to provide a basis to societies that promote justice and peace in the world (Osler & Starkey, 1999). In human rights education , it is vital to understand human rights in the context of politics and everyday realities, that might be different from the ideals of human rights, and to explore human rights as a tool for change and transformation (Osler & Starkey, 2010). Hence, human rights education may involve not only an endorsement of human rights principles, but also emotional engagements such as imagination, empathy, and support to encourage students to commit to human rights issues. With regard to emotional engagements, this paper argues that pity and compassion are different sentiments. Drawing on Nel Noddings' conception of the ethics of care, it discusses theories and practices of compassionate learning of human rights education which would provide more inclusive approaches for social justice than the liberal theories of justice (Okano, 2016). It examines a case study of human rights education at a junior secondary school in Japan which aims to promote caring attitude of students and encourage them to learn from others' struggles by taking their perspectives. It investigates the care approaches for human rights education which connect stories of particular individuals to the universality of human rights, and argue how they foster a sense of solidarity with common humanity.
This paper examines emerging far-right movements and xenophobia, and the challenges they pose for... more This paper examines emerging far-right movements and xenophobia, and the challenges they pose for justice in education in Japan. It illustrates discourses on nationalism and cultural diversity in both education and wider society from the perspective of critical race theory. It explores the voice of educators, particularly about their concerns and uncertainties regarding xenophobia, and examines their perceptions and reactions. By focusing on the narratives of interviewees from different ethnic backgrounds, this paper investigates far-right extremism and its challenges to education from different viewpoints. Data from interviews reveals different perceptions among both majority and minority teachers regarding the culturalization and personalization of problems in the classroom. This data also suggests that due to the absence of collective strategies and visions to challenge racism, approaches to combating racism depend largely on individual teachers. Drawing from these findings, this paper argues that culturally focused discourses among teachers and politicians may conceal problems beyond culture, such as structural inequality and the legacy of colonialism.
Identities, Practices and Education of Evolving Multicultural Families in Asia-Pacific, 2022
ccess to post-secondary and tertiary education is one of the key factors for integration and upwa... more ccess to post-secondary and tertiary education is one of the key factors for integration and upward social mobility of immigrant youth in the host society. In Japan, however, the enrolment rates of immigrant youth have been significantly lower than the national average, while their dropout rates are higher. Their underachievement and underrepresentation in higher education have been typically portrayed from a deficit viewpoint, suggesting the causes lie within minority families and communities. Drawing from Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model, we examine first-generation immigrant students’ experiences in high schools, and their academic and career trajectories. Findings suggest that high schools with special admission quotas for minority students have functioned as part of a formal system to promote access to education and as a place for minority students to utilize and accumulate the cultural and social capital required to navigate their academic and career pathways. We also highlight tensions between social justice oriented approaches in schools and the current trends of neoliberal educational reform.
Key words: newcomer immigrants, Community Cultural Wealth, quota system, cultural capital
Japan has transformed its self-image from an intentionally multicultural state to a homogeneous n... more Japan has transformed its self-image from an intentionally multicultural state to a homogeneous nation since its defeat in the Second World War and the end of its colonial occupation (Oguma, 2002). Today, it is known as a country with a tightly restricted immigration policy though the number of registered foreigners has been growing and a political shift has been made toward more open immigration and integration. The number of minority teachers in government schools is also steadily growing. Currently, however, they are still considerably underrepresented both in the teaching force and management positions.
This chapter is based on data from interviews with minority teachers who reflected on their lived experiences in schools where structural inequalities were observed and challenged, highlighting the power struggles in a multicultural society. Despite the growing diversity within Japan’s national borders, school education, especially the Civics, History, and Moral Education curricula, to a large extent, has been national in its focus thereby posing the potential danger of marginalising minority children. Thus, teachers from minority backgrounds can play an important role in promoting social justice in multicultural classrooms. This role also involves presenting an alternative curricular perspective reflecting on their personal experiences of being part of a minority, teaching in a multicultural context, and being a role model, not only to minority children but all children. This process involves constructing ‘minority narratives’ which provide an alternative perspective to nationally focused hegemonic narratives and promote a sense of solidarity that extends beyond the national borders to enhance the learning of diversity and equality in schools (Osler, 2018).
In the chapter, I examine the political shifts in Japan’s integration policies, drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theorisation of justice. I also explore the transcultural identities of minority teachers and consider how they confront, navigate, and negotiate structural inequalities throughout their teaching careers. Using data from interviews with minority teachers reflecting their individual and collective identity and the history of minoritised people, I highlight their perspectives that are an alternative to hegemonic discourses about Japan’s self-image and propose a transcultural possibility for schools.
As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis... more As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis on teacher education for social justice. To make schools inclusive for everyone, it is vital to encourage not only minority and/or marginalised pupils but also to develop respect for diversity and a disposition to social justice among powerful majority groups. Thus, teachers need to be capable of cultivating classrooms as inclusive and culturally sensitive learning communities. The role of teachers as agents of social justice can be considered an extension of professionalism that should be addressed in initial teacher education. Arguing for different approaches to educate justice-oriented teachers, this paper scrutinises how educators’ beliefs are reflected in their practices and what curricula and teaching approaches are employed to help student teachers prepare for culturally diverse classrooms. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s conceptualisation of justice, this paper examines narratives of ...
Both education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (HRE) tend to emphasise poli... more Both education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (HRE) tend to emphasise political and legal learning. In both HRE and moral education in Japan, however, there has been a tendency to give particular attention to interpersonal elements of learning such as kindness and sympathy. This article draws on feminist thinking and on Nel Noddings' concept of the ethics of care to propose a learning framework that combines emotional and socio-political elements, arguing that since motivation is an important element in acting for social justice, learning for social justice must be cognisant of emotional learning. The authors then present the case of a university teacher in a gender studies classroom to consider how these two elements, the emotional and the political, might be combined to enhance students' commitment to social justice when the topic under consideration is LGTBQ+ rights.
As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis... more As a counter-reaction to the neoliberal trend in education, there has been an increasing emphasis on teacher education for social justice. To make schools inclusive for everyone, it is vital to encourage not only minority and/or marginalised pupils but also to develop respect for diversity and a disposition to social justice among powerful majority groups. Thus, teachers need to be capable of cultivating classrooms as inclusive and culturally sensitive learning communities. The role of teachers as agents of social justice can be considered an extension of professionalism that should be addressed in initial teacher education. Arguing for different approaches to educate justice-oriented teachers, this paper scrutinises how educators’ beliefs are reflected in their practices and what curricula and teaching approaches are employed to help student teachers prepare for culturally diverse classrooms. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s conceptualisation of justice, this paper examines narratives of teacher educators and their curricula using a framework of three concepts of justice: redistribution, recognition, and representation. In order to make suggestions for effective teacher education for social justice in a society where cultural diversity has not been well recognised until recently, we examine experiences from teacher educators who prepare their students to teach English in Japan and Norway.
T his paper explores learning approaches for human rights education focusing on the ethics of car... more T his paper explores learning approaches for human rights education focusing on the ethics of care. Human rights education is primarily aimed at understanding principles of human rights as a core to support democracy, and to provide a basis to societies that promote justice and peace in the world (Osler & Starkey, 1999). In human rights education , it is vital to understand human rights in the context of politics and everyday realities, that might be different from the ideals of human rights, and to explore human rights as a tool for change and transformation (Osler & Starkey, 2010). Hence, human rights education may involve not only an endorsement of human rights principles, but also emotional engagements such as imagination, empathy, and support to encourage students to commit to human rights issues. With regard to emotional engagements, this paper argues that pity and compassion are different sentiments. Drawing on Nel Noddings' conception of the ethics of care, it discusses theories and practices of compassionate learning of human rights education which would provide more inclusive approaches for social justice than the liberal theories of justice (Okano, 2016). It examines a case study of human rights education at a junior secondary school in Japan which aims to promote caring attitude of students and encourage them to learn from others' struggles by taking their perspectives. It investigates the care approaches for human rights education which connect stories of particular individuals to the universality of human rights, and argue how they foster a sense of solidarity with common humanity.
This paper examines emerging far-right movements and xenophobia, and the challenges they pose for... more This paper examines emerging far-right movements and xenophobia, and the challenges they pose for justice in education in Japan. It illustrates discourses on nationalism and cultural diversity in both education and wider society from the perspective of critical race theory. It explores the voice of educators, particularly about their concerns and uncertainties regarding xenophobia, and examines their perceptions and reactions. By focusing on the narratives of interviewees from different ethnic backgrounds, this paper investigates far-right extremism and its challenges to education from different viewpoints. Data from interviews reveals different perceptions among both majority and minority teachers regarding the culturalization and personalization of problems in the classroom. This data also suggests that due to the absence of collective strategies and visions to challenge racism, approaches to combating racism depend largely on individual teachers. Drawing from these findings, this paper argues that culturally focused discourses among teachers and politicians may conceal problems beyond culture, such as structural inequality and the legacy of colonialism.
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Key words: newcomer immigrants, Community Cultural Wealth, quota system, cultural capital
This chapter is based on data from interviews with minority teachers who reflected on their lived experiences in schools where structural inequalities were observed and challenged, highlighting the power struggles in a multicultural society. Despite the growing diversity within Japan’s national borders, school education, especially the Civics, History, and Moral Education curricula, to a large extent, has been national in its focus thereby posing the potential danger of marginalising minority children. Thus, teachers from minority backgrounds can play an important role in promoting social justice in multicultural classrooms. This role also involves presenting an alternative curricular perspective reflecting on their personal experiences of being part of a minority, teaching in a multicultural context, and being a role model, not only to minority children but all children. This process involves constructing ‘minority narratives’ which provide an alternative perspective to nationally focused hegemonic narratives and promote a sense of solidarity that extends beyond the national borders to enhance the learning of diversity and equality in schools (Osler, 2018).
In the chapter, I examine the political shifts in Japan’s integration policies, drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theorisation of justice. I also explore the transcultural identities of minority teachers and consider how they confront, navigate, and negotiate structural inequalities throughout their teaching careers. Using data from interviews with minority teachers reflecting their individual and collective identity and the history of minoritised people, I highlight their perspectives that are an alternative to hegemonic discourses about Japan’s self-image and propose a transcultural possibility for schools.
Key words: newcomer immigrants, Community Cultural Wealth, quota system, cultural capital
This chapter is based on data from interviews with minority teachers who reflected on their lived experiences in schools where structural inequalities were observed and challenged, highlighting the power struggles in a multicultural society. Despite the growing diversity within Japan’s national borders, school education, especially the Civics, History, and Moral Education curricula, to a large extent, has been national in its focus thereby posing the potential danger of marginalising minority children. Thus, teachers from minority backgrounds can play an important role in promoting social justice in multicultural classrooms. This role also involves presenting an alternative curricular perspective reflecting on their personal experiences of being part of a minority, teaching in a multicultural context, and being a role model, not only to minority children but all children. This process involves constructing ‘minority narratives’ which provide an alternative perspective to nationally focused hegemonic narratives and promote a sense of solidarity that extends beyond the national borders to enhance the learning of diversity and equality in schools (Osler, 2018).
In the chapter, I examine the political shifts in Japan’s integration policies, drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theorisation of justice. I also explore the transcultural identities of minority teachers and consider how they confront, navigate, and negotiate structural inequalities throughout their teaching careers. Using data from interviews with minority teachers reflecting their individual and collective identity and the history of minoritised people, I highlight their perspectives that are an alternative to hegemonic discourses about Japan’s self-image and propose a transcultural possibility for schools.