Concept Of National Character Research Articles

Concept <i>Japanese National Character</i> through the Prism of Migration Policy

The strategy and tactics of Japan's contemporary migration policy are determined by the ethnocultural characteristics of the Japanese nation, recognized as the concept of national character (国民性 kokuminsei), which is both a political and scientific entity. The rapid changes in migration policy today expose the practical need to study the causes, consequences, and specifics of related social and political concepts such as national character and the factors that shape it. The accurate knowledge helps predict cultural, political, and socioeconomic changes and future agendas. This concept is a subject of paramount importance for international relations studies, as it is rooted in the Japanese nation's self-consciousness and represents core elements of national history within its interrelation with present policy. The study suggests that the Japanese national character, described and conceptualized in the late Edo period (1603–1868) and the Meiji period (1868–1912), still influences the attitudes of the Japanese towards migration and foreigners in general. The representatives of kokugaku (国学 national study) that originated at that time and nihonjin-ron (日本人論 theories about the Japanese) that developed further sought to assert the authenticity of Japanese culture and its history and construct a national identity. Assumingly, it would become an instrument of protecting the country from the influence of China and later the West. Today, researchers of Japanese culture, both in Japan and abroad, continue to refer to post-war nihonjin-ron, criticizing, rethinking, or adding to its major provisions. Content analysis of the vocabulary used in connection with the concept of national character in official documents regulating the relevant area of social policy, as well as in the media and social networks, has revealed some features of the modern interpretation of this concept. In particular, there are attempts to identify socially significant features of a member of Japanese society. Certain acculturation efforts required from migrants imply the development of the skills that are socially important from the point of view of Japanese society. The comprehensive analysis of measures for the integration and adaptation of migrants implemented by the local governments of Japan has shown that communicative phenomena associated with the concepts of meiwaku (迷惑 causing trouble), omoiyari (思いやり considerate caring for others), as well as the culture of gift-giving and apologizing play an important role in the relationships between Japanese and foreigners. In addition, the analysis of migration policy allows concluding that the concept of coexistence between Japanese and foreigners (多文化共生 tabunka kyousei) currently pursued by the government, despite its promising title, does not quite correspond to multiculturalism in its classical sense, in other words — does not imply deliberate government action to preserve and develop cultural differences within one society.

Polska i Polacy w czasach „wielkiego zmierzchu”. Problem patriotyzmu w pamiętniku Cezarego Jellenty

In my article I describe how the concept of ‘patriotism’ functions in the literary works of CezaryJellenta. I believe that in the historical period following the recreation of the independent Polishstate many important problems and doubts arose. In this article the subject of my interpretation isJellenta’s diary Wielki zmierzch [The Great Twilight] (1925) about the times of the First World War.I begin with an account of Jellenta’s revolutionary activity in 1905 (he was the editor-in-chief of“Ateneum” at that time). In the main, analytical, part I present his critical view of Poland and Poleson the eve of Independence Day. I distinguish three main groups of problems: the future Polish stateas an idea and a political conception, the Polish nation, and the concept of patriotism. I show howJellenta himself understood the notion of patriotism at that particular time. I refer to the19th-centurypatriotic traditions and political myths as well as the concept of national character. In the last part ofmy article I confront Jellenta’s diary Wielki zmierzch with his study about Josef Pilsudski.

PSYCHOHISTORIC CODE OF JOSEPH BOYDEN’S “THREE DAY ROAD”

The article discusses peculiarities of Joseph Boyden‘s novel «ThreeDay Road» psychohistoric code. Psychohistory of the novel is analyzed underthe concept of national character and the history of its formation. Paperexplores the psychohistory as an organizing construct for examining theories ofhuman development in the text of «Three Day Road». Various aspects ofimperialistic models of thinking represented in the novel are discussed alongwith the aspects of knowledge about human development from two points –mainstream Eurocentric paradigm, that is dominant in the society, as well asfrom First Nations‘ of Canada worldview. Perspectives on indigenous wisdomand ways of knowing are presented from national psychocode linking humandevelopment concerns to a holistic view of human development. The articlehighlights modern aspects of the First Nations‘ literary traditions which deepenunderstanding of parallels in Cree national character development throughsynthesis of national conscientious and un-conscientious. For the first time thepsychoanalytical theory is combined with actualization of Cree nationalcharacter evolution problems in the text analysis of Joseph Boyden‘s ―ThreeDay Road‖. The article focuses on determination of imperialistic and nationalentity codes in the text of the novel which are demonstrated upon differentlevels such as psychological, language, world outlook as well as religionperspectives. Theories about different stages of human development represented in maternal and parental codes and knowledge about assets thatfacilitate positive development of national subject at each stage of positivedevelopment in the novel are presented. Idea of national character formation inthe novel supports development that maintains positive adaptation to achanging world, and can provide a description of human development theoryfrom the perspective of traditional Aboriginal knowledge.

The Concept of National Character and the Problem of Humanity (in Kazimierz Dąbrowski’s Perspective)

The Concept of National Character and the Problem of Humanity (in Kazimierz Dąbrowski’s Perspective)

In Defense of National Character

The concept of national character has a long and disputed history, serving at one time as a meeting point for anthropology and psychology, later as a signpost for the parting of the ways. Cultural anthropology has traditionally given ontological priority to culture over the individual and to values as relative over universal; psychology has increasingly pursued the reverse. Current trends in cross-cultural psychology—employing a biological trait ontology assessed via English language constructs at the individual level, and aggregated questionnaire responses at the cultural level—have furthered this universalist tradition, unlike research linking national character with sociocultural conditions. These data sources remain frozen in their respective tracks, related only by `undynamic' correlations. Their (premature) message has heralded the demise of national character, inadvertently paving the way for international character, mirroring methods, models, concepts, and values overwhelmingly Western in orientation, and nicely paralleling on-going economic globalization.

Interior and Internal Spain: Visions of the Primitive at the Cultural Interface

Abstract This essay sets out to examine the underlying agendas between different but related visions of the rural in Spain in the 1930s, and to consider dynamics of conservation and disruption that characterize the reception and promotion of these visions. It argues that there are two predominant tropes of rural Spain in the early twentieth century: 'internal' or 'inner' Spain, a concept of national character and tradition, and 'interior Spain', a reality, the geographical interior that could be visited and known in material and scientific terms. The complexities involved in discerning these distinctions surface in two contrasting depictions of rural Spain in the 1930s: Bunuel's film, Tierra sin pan (1933), and the reporting of the Misiones Pedagogicas in the early 1930s. Contemporaneous in both the travelling and the reporting, they can be read as cultural endeavours linked to cultural imaginaries, or resistance against such imaginaries.Using Bourdieu's idea of the habitus, and of the formation of groups...

Interior and Internal Spain: Visions of the Primitive at the Cultural Interface

This essay sets out to examine the underlying agendas between different but related visions of the rural in Spain in the 1930s, and to consider dynamics of conservation and disruption that characterize the reception and promotion of these visions. It argues that there are two predominant tropes of rural Spain in the early twentieth century: 'internal' or 'inner' Spain, a concept of national character and tradition, and 'interior Spain', a reality, the geographical interior that could be visited and known in material and scientific terms. The complexities involved in discerning these distinctions surface in two contrasting depictions of rural Spain in the 1930s: Buñuel's film, Tierra sin pan (1933), and the reporting of the Misiones Pedagógicas in the early 1930s. Contemporaneous in both the travelling and the reporting, they can be read as cultural endeavours linked to cultural imaginaries, or resistance against such imaginaries.Using Bourdieu's idea of the habitus, and of the formation of groups in contra-position to one another, this paper explores how these journeys of cultural mission viewed those visited as exotic and unfortunate foreigners, and yet simultaneously as the traditional repository of a lost history. While on the surface the depiction of rural Spain in the examples taken is clearly distinct, an unexplored commonality is also present, indicative of the complexity of cultural attitudes in 1930s Spain.

The Aftermath of the 1848 Revolution

Zsigmond Kemeny, the Transylvanian-born author, in his 1850 pamphlet, After the Revolution, questioned the Romantic concept of national character, and characterized tradition as ambivalent: both a sine qua non of culture and a system of dated conventions. Kemeny drew on Bentham's utilitarianism, considering the right to property to be the basis of society. Liberalism and nationalism were in conflict during the Revolution, and the fate of the Revolution showed that extremes may lead to failure.

The concept of national character in 18th century France

The concept of national character in 18th century France

Ecological modernisation, environmental knowledge and national character: A preliminary analysis of the Netherlands

Comparative research regarding the varying capabilities of the advanced countries to pursue strategies consistent with ecological modernisation has typically focused on institutional and economic capacity. Though these features certainly shape preparedness for this policy programme in important ways, they do not provide sufficient insight into the ability of individual nations to meet the rigorous requirements of ecological modernisation. More specifically, this policy programme is dependent upon a firm commitment to science and a preference to address environmental problems in technological terms. However, environmental decision‐making, particularly among members of the lay public, is predicated upon numerous epistemologies and countries exhibit considerable variation in their propensity to align their policies with strict rational reasoning. This study introduces a typology that identifies four archetypal environmental knowledge orientations: rational ecologism, Prometheanism, Arcadianism, and ecocidal mysticism. The concept of national character offers one approach for operationalising this typology for empirical application and a case study of the Netherlands suggests that the Dutch style of interpreting indeterminate environmental data is broadly consistent with the principles of ecological modernisation.

Applying the concept of national character to states within a nation: an extension of Lynn's methodology

Eleven social characteristics of the states of America in 1990 were used to derive factor scores which, following Lynn, appear to measure extraversion and neuroticism.

Free Trade, Economic Integration and Nationhood

The ability to achieve 'national economic targets, including such considerations as the amount of redistribution of product by means of the central government actions, the establishment of time preference in terms of resource exploitation and other collective decisions, is de fined as nationhood. The effect of increasing degrees of international economic involvement are considered in terms of their costs of nationhood renounced : these costs need to be set against the gains from more efficient resource allocation in determining the desired degree of international economic involvement or integration. The arguments for free trade and economic integration are set out purely in terms of economic efficiency (better global resource allocation and particularly so in the pres ence of substantial economies of scale) and pay no heed to any aspects of life which cannot be resolved efficiently by a system of (static) competitive decentralized markets. Free trade eliminates barriers to the exchange of goods (and, potentially, to services) while economic integration eliminates boundaries as impediments to a broader range of economic activities including international movement of factors of production.1 In a world in which some concept of national character or identity exists (i.e. there is a distinctive set of collective values with respect to economic policies which enter into

Authority Patterns and Subordinate Behavior in Indian Organizations

This paper reviews the literature on authority patterns in Indian organizations in a comparative framework. These patterns are found to be dominated by the parental ideology of authority relations. On the basis of an empirical study, the paper suggests that this ideology, though legitimized by social-cultural factors, may be dysfunctional in having a negative effect on subordinate performance and satisfaction. The results of the empirical study suggest the hypothesis that the effect of social-cultural factors on organizational behavior is better understood through the concept of psychosocial identity, in which the effect of occupational identity is an extremely important factor, rather than through the concept of national character with its implications of cultural relativism in work behavior.