Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's Jet Program

By David L. McConnell

Book Overview

In 1987, the Japanese government inaugurated the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program in response to global pressure to "internationalize" its society. This ambitious program has grown to be a major government operation, with an annual budget of $400 million (greater than the United States NEA and NEH combined) and more than six thousand foreign nationals employed each year in public schools all over Japan.

How does a relatively homogeneous and insular society react when a buzzword is suddenly turned into a reality? How did the arrival of so many foreigners affect Japan's educational bureaucracy? How did the foreigners themselves feel upon discovering that English teaching was not the primary goal of the program? In this balanced study of the JET program, David L. McConnell draws on ten years of ethnographic research to explore the cultural and political dynamics of internationalization in Japan. Through vignettes and firsthand accounts, he highlights and interprets the misunderstandings of the early years of the program, traces the culture clashes at all levels of the bureaucracy, and speculates on what lessons the JET program holds for other multicultural initiatives.

This fascinating book's jargon-free style and interdisciplinary approach will make it appealing to educators, policy analysts, students of Japan, and prospective and former JET participants.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520216369
• ISBN13: 9780520216365
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 346 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Straight, unbiased talk about the origins of the JET program

This is NOT a book that is supposed to teach you how to apply for a job teaching English, or what exactly your contract and job duties will be. It never claims to be! Rather, this work is a study of the formative years of Japan's JET program, focusing on the position of the ALT, assistant language teacher. It is a deep and detailed anthropological study of an organization. The author clearly devoted much time to research. I predict many people interested in quick sure-fire tips on how to get accepted an ALT position will start reading this book and go "Aw, man, this is boring, it's about the 80's or something, what does it have to do with me getting a job, dude?" There are some VERY good reasons why an interested JET should read the book, however, history and all. Here's why: #1. The book explains why the JET program was started in the first place and what exactly the goal of the program is. This will assist you in writing your application, essay, and help you in answering questions at your interview. #2. The book explains what kind of people the JET program is looking for and why. This will help you best present yourself when you apply. There are a few examples of problems that JET participants have caused while in the program, and how the Japanese organization is trying in its own way to avoid these same types of problems from occuring again. The people who have let the program down with unprofessional conduct or breaking contracts have caused embarrassment and inconvenience to their hosts. Any potential JET should read these examples and carefully consider the full import of their decision to represent their nation in another country, as well as be aware of the effects their actions while in Japan can have on the host institution. This book definitely tells you a lot about what NOT to do while in Japan. Concerned about how to fulfill your job description or avoiding embarrassing yourself or others? You should be. Reading this book will help you understand how well-meaning idealism can sometimes come across as rude or insensitive to your host institution, and hopefully you can garner some wisdom here as far as how to avoid making the same mistakes. #3. The book describes difficulties that ALT's encounter while in Japan. Are you ready and willing to deal with such problems, should they arise? This is, again, a big issue to consider. There are no easy answers given but an objective view as given here (the author is very careful to portray all sides of the issues described, an amazing feat when dealing with such touchy issues as obedience to authority and human rights) does help one to see both sides of issues a little more easily. People who don't know much about Japanese culture or business practices are given kind of an insider's eye view of how the Japanese in the situation feel about things that arise, and views that they would not feel free to express face-to-face with the ALT are confided to the author (and subsequently, to us) in p

not just for JETs

I arrived in Japan as a JET in 1992 (-->1995), which from what I gather from Importing Divesrity is just after The JET Program's major wrinkles were ironed out. <p>Every so often while reading I'd wonder aloud, "Why doesn't McConnell mention..." only to find that in almost every case my questions were answered. Overall the book is not only informative, but well written using both careful research and some humor. (5000 College graduates heading off to teach English in Japan would make a good comedy.) The minor problems with the book are not really significant but should be mentioned:<p>1) While it makes sense to focus on the English teaching aspect, a few more pages could have examined the role of the CIR. <p>2) There is a brief but solid section on the JET experience in the teacher's room. I would have liked more pages on this topic. (Though Japanse teacher-ALT relations are discussed at length -- just usually within the context of the classroom.)<p>3) There are some interesting tables in the book, yet considering how many surveys are out there about the JET experience, "Importing Diversity" really needs an appendix for more survey data. I hope an updated version in a few years will include this.<p>If you have more than a passing interest in Japan, read this book.

Not Just About JET...

David McConnell's book is a fascinating look at the JET Program. It is not only exhaustive and comprehensive, it is also the only real look at the JET Program in an academic light. However, that is not its only appeal. The book digs into serious questions of how Japan sees itself with regards to the outside world and how the Japanese bureacracy works. McConnell essentially takes the JET Program as a case study behind the inner workings of the Ministries in the first two chapters of the book and shows how decisions are made in a practical sense in Japan. He covers the formation of the program, the trobleshooting that was done, the improvements made and the reasons behind justifying the programs. He even delves (a little) into the give and take between the different Ministries when it comes to issues like funding, jurisdiction and accountability.McConnell also manages to establish an American viewpoint in his book, making it a useful work in the field of US-Japanese relations. He looks at the problems and the successes of the Program through American eyes and helps give depth to issues that Americans and Japanese see completely differently.So, yes, "Importing Diversity" is an incredibly useful tool for learning about the JET Program. Anyone who is applying to the program should read it. However, students and scholars of Japanese Politics, International Relations and Cutural Anthropology should read it as well. It is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in modern Japan.

Required Reading for Anyone Planning to Teach in Japan

Professor McConnell's coverage is thorough, well-researched, and fair. He takes us into the heads of the people on both sides of the various conflicts that have sprung up through the years in the JET Programme and continue to spring up throughout its various levels - from the inter-ministry feuds to the JTL/ALT clashes in the classroom - and in doing so, I believe he helps point the way to greater understanding and cooperation...at least on the local level... As a JET Prefectural Advisor* (my primary duties being to provide training, advice, and counseling for JETs in my prefecture on living in Japan and teaching in the Japanese school system) I believe that this book is a MUST HAVE for all JETs, past, present and future.One of the primary struggles that I think all of us JETs go through is that of contextualizing our experiences, figuring out where exactly we fit (if at all) in the larger scheme of things, wondering if what we do has any value or makes any type of difference. This book, with its decade and a half of perspective and examination of the various (and oftentimes contradictory) forces at work - all the way from the international to the national to the prefectural right down to the local school/community levels - provides an invaluable framework for understanding the JET Programme, warts and all, that I doubt any of us JETs would be able to construct on own. Tremendous change has been and is happening, though its movement may be too slow for most of us JETs (even those of us who stay for the full three years) to discern...and perhaps not in the directions that we might expect.Additionally, I agree with the writer of the previous review that _Importing Diversity_ has value not only to JETs but also to those seeking insight into the workings of Japanese government, education and society...but I shall leave the opining on that to the true scholars and less JET obsessed.To anybody thinking of or already teaching in a Japan school, I strongly recommend that you read this book (try also reading _Teaching and Learning in Japan_ (LeTendre & Rohlen, eds.)). I have recommmended this book to all of my JETs and I am basing a portion of the orientation training for this year's new batch of JETs on Chapter 5 of _Importing Diversity_. It is truly a shame that there is not yet a Japanese translation of this text for our Japanese counterpart teachers.* In no way does this review reflect the official views of or have any connection to the Shiga Prefectural Board of Education or the Shiga Prefectural Government. I take full responsibility for the content of this post.

Scholarly overview

Dr. David McConnell has written what will be the "bible" for the burgeoning JET Program. The work traces the JET Program from its inception to the mid-1990s, with much of the focus upon the Japanese culture and politics that both created and shaped it. The JET program is one of the most ambitious projects of the Japanese government, and one which has extremely long-term goals in mind: the changing of the very nature in which English is taught in Japan. A careful reader can, through the JET Program, see Japanese society at work. Although intended for an academic audience, the book should not be ignored by the general reader, as the successes and failures of the JET Program can be seen as a counter-balance to the more popular and currently trendy view of Japan as a dysfunctional, barely operating society. Although obviously of much interest for readers who wish to learn more about the JET Program, the book does have a wider appeal. For those readers interested in working or doing business in Japan, the book can provide valuable insight into how Japanese organizations function both within themselves and when dealing with other organizations. McConnell presents a balanced, well-articulated work that is well worth an examination.