Individualism and Individuality in American and Japanese Early Education: A Review and Critique

Abstract

Comparisons of Japanese and American early education frequently rely on a contrast between so-called Japanese groupism and American individualism. This article suggests that this simplistic contrast leaves unexamined the different cultural understandings of the individual that underlie Japanese and American educational practices. Drawing on and integrating existing literature on early education and the self in Japan, this article suggests that a distinction needs to be made between individualism and individuality, with Japanese education tending toward a focus on individuality and American education toward individualism. The article explores the implications of this distinction for educational practices and for cultural self-critique among American educators.