Interpreting Japan

<p>Written by an experienced teacher and scholar this book offers university students a handy how to guide for interpreting Japanese society and conducting their own research. Stressing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach Brian McVeigh lays out practical and understandable research approaches in a systematic fashion to demonstrate how with the right conceptual tools and enough bibliographical sources Japanese society can be productively analyzed from a distance.</p><p>In concise chapters these approaches are applied to a whole range of topics: from the aesthetics of street culture; the philosophical import of sci-fi anime; how the state distributes wealth; welfare policies; the impact of official policies on gender relations; updated spiritual traditions; why manners are so important; kinship structures; corporate culture; class; schooling; self-presentation; visual culture; to the subtleties of Japanese grammar. Examples from popular culture daily life and historical events are used to illustrate and highlight the color dynamism and diversity of Japanese society. </p><p>Designed for both beginning and more advanced students this book is intended not just for Japanese studies but for cross-cultural comparison and to demonstrate how social scientists craft their scholarship. </p>