Living in Japan for quite some time, I noticed interesting conversational points from Japanese people and Americans alike. For some Japanese people, I would hear statements such as “We Japanese…” then it would be a general statement or fact. On the other hand, some of the American people I’ve met do the same thing, saying that “Japanese people like to do ____” or “Japanese people think like _____”.
For me, it seems weird to categorize people under such broad terms. I read a book awhile ago about human nature, and because they way brains have evolved, people tend to like labels, lists, and categories. For me, it seems silly to think in such a way, but nevertheless, you often see this type of thinking exhibited from people. In the case of Japan, while there maybe some foundational truths, labeling people as “they behave like this” or “they think like that” is stereotyping, which leaves out some details as to how different people think.
Questions:
1) Have you ever used the phrase “We Japanese…” when describing Japanese people? What were you talking about?
2) What is your opinion on stereotypes? Why do you think people like to stereotype things?
3) What stereotypes and generalizations have you heard from others about Japanese people?
4) What stereotypes and generalizations have you heard from others about American people?
5) Why do you think some people like to stereotype things?
Key Words and Phrases:
statements / broad terms / way / silly / exhibited
foundational / labeling / stereotype
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