Panel 3: The Role of Cultural Perceptions in Conflict Prevention - Changing Identities... Symposium
The constant flow of goods, people and ideas means that for the multiplicity of cultures there are a like number of perceptions of conflict and negotiations. Networks that cross over cultural and national boundaries can facilitate negotiations whilst individuals who straddle cultures can also act as facilitators. Such individuals have the ability to understand multiple, culturally-influenced perceptions of a situation. However, at the same time, such individuals must also deal with the issue of identity as they navigate more than one culture. This panel will look at how the description of Japanese culture has influenced perceptions of Japan and also consider the relationship of culture (art and literature) and identity formation in Australia.
Abstracts of Presentations
Pauline Kent (Monash University):“Ruth Benedict’s Conception of Culture and its Role in a Socially Just Society”
Ruth Benedict played an instrumental part in disseminating information about the role and influence of culture on our lives. Patterns of Culture (1934) illustrates not only how culture can shape lives, but also that its plasticity can be an instrument for change. Benedict emphasised the relativity of culture but at the same time, attempted to identify cultural mechanisms that might facilitate change for a more socially just society. In her later work, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (1946), her depiction of Japanese society did much to smooth racist perceptions of the wartime enemy. She was able to do this by negotiating cultural perceptions through understanding stereotypical images of the Japanese and delicately change these through the use of radical cultural comparisons. By grasping the images of her audience and appealing to other images outside the wartime perceptions, her book played an instrumental part in changing wartime images as well as making Americans more aware of their own cultural perspectives. Benedict’s vision for an equitable and socially just world will be discussed in the context of her Japanese study.
Takeshi Hamashita (Ryukoku University): “How The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is Interpreted in China Today”
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword by Ruth Benedict, published in 1946, has been one of the best-selling books among university students in China in these past few years. It is interesting to find a new dimension of discussion on Japanese culture through American-European channels forged by Chinese intellectuals. Traditionally speaking, identification of Japanese culture by Chinese intellectuals has been under and/or a part of Chinese culture based on Chinese classics. So this is the first phenomena for Chinese intellectuals in the history of Sino-Japanese relation to examine Japanese culture through the other’s eye. There are several different versions of translation with photographs and paintings to emphasize the visible and invisible meaning ofThe Chrysanthemum and the Sword. The Chrysanthemum and the Swordis not the only book to discuss Japanese culture. Also of interest are: The Japanese by Dai Jidao (1928), Discussion on Japan by Jiang Baili (1939), and The Course of the Warrior by Nitobe Inazo. This paper will consider these new patterns of discussion on Japanese culture by Chinese intellectuals by examining different translations of The Chrysanthemum and the Sword.
Alison Tokita (Monash University): “Conflict, Popular Culture and Korea-Japan Relations: Changing Identities and Networks”
This paper asks whether a shared popular culture can contribute to a resolution of the conflict which characterizes Japan-Korea relations, and will consider in particular the potential of the Korean Wave to contribute towards improved relations. I will draw on four different kinds of data for analysis:
- the evidence of public opinion polls to establish the nature of the perceived conflict and to show the alarming perception gap on both sides;
- some of the images of Japan in popular Korean television dramas;
- images of Korea which are presented to Japanese viewers, in order to ask whether the experience of fictional romance can open the door to a realistic knowledge of Korea;
- the extension of the Korean Wave to the production of knowledge and the creation of knowledge networks in academic circles. First in Korea, then in Japan and Western countries, there have been a large number of conferences and publications on this phenomenon. The paper questions what the increased transnational networks growing out of this academic enthusiasm can contribute towards Japan-Korea relations.
Yasue Arimitsu (Doshisha University): “Transformation of Australian Identity: From theViewpoints of Literature and Art”
In this symposium, I will talk about the transformation of Australian identity from the colonial period to the present, focusing particularly on the question of identity in the multicultural society of Australia. When Europeans came to Australia, established a colony and founded a federation, they attempted to construct a nation as a unified identity, based on the supremacy of: white people, the English language, Anglo-Celtic culture and the Christian religion, etc. Later, Australians devoted themselves to constructing a special Australian identity that was distinct from the earlier British-derived one. However, after the concept of multiculturalism was introduced, Australian identity underwent far-reaching change. The features of Australian identity became diverse and fragmented; the new hybrid identity was born of the mixture of different races, cultures, languages and religions, and even the mixture of East and West. Although they can be said to belong to the same nation, present-day Australians are no longer unified racially or culturally. The very concept of a “nation”, an idea first established in 18th century Europe, has undergone a thoroughgoing change, which in turn has had an enormous impact on Australian literature. In my paper I would like to consider the extent to which multiculturalism has changed the concept of Australian literature; in particular, the relationship between various authors’ cultural identities and their literary values. I will also address the question of identity from the perspective of contemporary Australian painting.