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Notes from a language learner and cultural contrarian
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Wisdom from a 25-year learner:
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Wisdom from a 25-year learner:
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For lack of a better word, "culturology" is what I label a particular brand of fascination with, and practice of, "cross-cultural comparison". (Suggestions for a better name are welcome!)
Not cultural comparison as it can be in theory: an objective, even interesting, examination of different cultures. Rather, I use "culturology" to mean cultural comparison as it too often appears in practice: subjective and unscientific nonsense, with a good story taking precedence over facts.
Or, for a pithier definition: Culturology is the dogged effort to dig up and exhibit "cultural differences" whether they exist or not.
The uncritical practitioners of culturology, whether academics, writers, or just general fans of "cultural difference" tales not hampered by critical examination.
This has a general meaning of "the study of things Japanese"; here I use it to mean culturology as applied to Japan. It's closely tied to Nihonjinron, with all negative connotations intact.
The uncritical believers – Japanese or otherwise – of elements of Japanology.
With a friendly nod to Japander.com, which has long applied the word to the commercial appearances of Hollywood stars in Japan, I use the verb in a way closer to the original "pander": to Japander is to tell the Japanologists the silliness they love to hear. "I think Japanese developed as the world's most complex language, thanks to Japan's unique four seasons" – that's Japandering.
"Any exposition pointing out 'cultural contrasts' must contain at least one bit of unsupported silliness."
"Any statement beginning with 'the Japanese' (or 'the French', 'Ghanaians', 'Asians', 'Westerners', whatever) is 99% certain to be a dumb statement."
Words like "Westerner" and "the East" may appear in quotes to emphasize their inherent silliness. A claim that "the Japanese" are baffled by some "Western mindset" regarding a "cultural difference" that doesn't even exist, is deserving of all those mocking quotes.
Hello! Regarding tone of the article, I'm tempted to suggest that you're responding with a tad more sensitivity than...
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You asked if any "anime fans" had a response for your efforts to clarify the words "anime" and "manga". I'm not a...
This was informative but I can't help but be offended at the tone. It was pretty condescending, like the reader...
Hey, nothing else than that you wrote some very interresting stuff, and also thanks for the various links. Take care...
I'll have to leave it to experts to chime in on whether cursive alphabets constitute additional character sets or...
Very well argued post. I wanted to point out a few character sets that you glaringly omitted from English: cursive...
Great job debunking this!I love the number comparison of Japan vs. the US. Very salient.
Yet, if you compare the Japanese mentality to the Western European one, there is a very obvious...
I am also not convinced to read much into proverbs in general, especially dated ones.Yet, if you compare the...
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