Today we are going to talk about Gender and Culture. Look at the image on the left. This image represents Yin-Yang (陰陽). By understanding this symbol, we can understand part of the Taoist idea of gender. The white part, Yin, is considered feminine. The black part, Yang, is considered masculine. According to wikipedia, "They fit together as two parts of a whole. The male principle was equated with the sun: active, bright, and shining; the female principle corresponds to the moon: passive, shaded, and reflective. Male toughness was balanced by female gentleness, male action and initiative by female endurance and need for completion, and male leadership by female supportiveness."
Now let's pause in order to study some vocabulary. Please click the link: CE - Humanities A Vocabulary.
These ideas about gender are similar to ideas about gender in other cultures too. A culture's ideas about gender are also reflected in that culture's language. Can you think of ways Japanese is different for men and women? Please post a comment.
I think you can find clear Japanese difference for men and women when we see how Japanese sit.Japanese men put their hands on their kneel with grasping their hands ,and women put with opening their hands. I think it is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI think in japan, some differences between men and wemen are rarely exist today.
ReplyDeleteBut,long time ago,it seems that there ware many such differences.
For example, Japanese is 2 types,Kanji and Kanamoji.these ware drawn a line about the use between men and wemen.
Men used Kanji and wemen used Kanamoji.
I think the Japanese tend to distinguish between men and women by colour. For example,black satchel is boy and red satchel is girl. Generally speaking, warm colours(red,pink and so on) are girl,cool colours(blue,green etc.) are boy.Japanese parents usually make their children have this colour goods.Also in my high school,while boys wear white gym clothes,girls wear dark blue gym cloths.
ReplyDeleteI think there are now few differences between men and women in respect of language, compared with the past.
ReplyDeleteRecently, many women use masculine words.
For example, "sugee" that is "sugoi" ---"it is great" in English.
I think Japanese is different for men and women.
ReplyDeleteFor example, a lot of trains have rolling stocks for women.
Moreover there is lady's day which is a low price for women at theater.
So I think Japanese is distinguished between men and women.
Heloo,my name is Shoko.
ReplyDeleteI think there are few differences between men and women recently.
But they differ not only in bodily features but also in a cerebral structure.
There is a book called the man who doesn't hear the talk,and the woman who can't read a map.
I think more men have a bump of locality than women.
I think there are some differences between men and women.
ReplyDeleteFor example, how to speak, sit, walk and so on.
But I think these are not disctiminations.
There are many differences between Japanese men and women.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest differences I think is their tendency to hobby.
Generally, men's hobbies are collection (cars, stamps, or anything), going fishing, playing sports or something else.
Women’s hobbies are cooking, knitting or something else.
The tendency is that women’s hobbies are more practical.
The reason may be related to Japanese old culture of gender, in which all of the housework is done by woman.
Japanese is a language which has clear gender difference.
ReplyDeleteWe can see this peculiarity in personal pronoun and end of the sentence.
For example, if a woman call herself “ORE” or “BOKU”, first person which is usually used by men, she is regarded as a vulgar or strange person.
On the other hand, ladylike final particle, “WANE” or “NOYO”, is called “OKAMA-KOTOBA” which means male homosexual’s words when a man speak them.
In other words, unremarkable speech, “I want to eat lunch.” or “It’s raining.”, can suggest speaker’s gender.
As I ’ve written, in Japanese, irrespective of what was said, way of talking is regarded as a very important indicator of one’s social gender.
I think there is no language which has more various expression depending on gender than Japanese around the world.
Lately, the differences of the language between male and female in Japan is becoming smalller. However, I think the difference of the first person (male call themselves "boku" or "ore", and female call themselves "watashi") will not vanish because it represent our gender identity.
ReplyDeleteI think the clearest difference between men and women is how to speak. There are some expressions that is peculiar to each sex. Japanese is the language which has so many expressions depending on gender.
ReplyDeleteI think, in Japanese, there are clear differences between men and women language.Typically, man is allowed rough speaking style but woman isn't.
ReplyDeleteBecause of this differences, Japanese with Gender Identity Disorder change their speaking style. So, we can say language differences between men and women are as important as their clothes or even their sexual differences in Japan.
I think there are few differences between men and women.
ReplyDeleteFor example, how to walk.
When women are walking with their friends, they walk slowly because they enjoy talking.
However, men walk fast during their taliking.
When I walk with men, I think they walk faster than me.
I think there are few differences of way of Japanese between men and women.
ReplyDeleteBut the first person is different.
Men use ‘ORE’or ‘BOKU’and so on.
Women use ‘WATASHI’ or own name.
When you see sports, the border of gender is disappearing in Japan.
ReplyDeleteSome years ago, many people thought that soccer is men's sport.
But now, because of "Nadeshiko Japan", it is recognized that soccer is a sport which men and women play.
In the near future, women's baseball may become famous.
There are some differences between men and women.
ReplyDeleteIt is a color that especially the difference is appearing notably.
Red is associated with women and blue is associated with men.
It may often be seen at a public place, such as a toilet.
I think that is must not be caught by a fixed idea.
Mr. Stout said that "equal is not same".
ReplyDeleteI agree it. Man or woman's role is important because men and women are different.
Based on it, men and women should be free and pursue free.
I think there are some differences between men and women.
ReplyDeleteIt is thought that the woman is easy to cry, and it is thought that the man does not cry very much.
Should not cry, and the man is said.
But,I have watched that man and woman did not matter whether it was easy to cry on TV.
I think it is a stereotype.
I think men and women are clearly considered different being in Japanese culture.Because Japanese culture has been affected by Confucianism, which emphasizes the differences of things.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I believe treatment of men and women should be equal but I can't behave perfectly so.
For example, the word "kikoku-shi-jo" means "returnee Japanese children" but, in Japanese, "shi" means "child" and "jo" means "girl": girls were not treated as child.
I think you should think without a stereotype.
There are many differences between men and women in Japan.
ReplyDeleteWe should try to realize "gender free", but men and women each have strong and weak points.
I think we should consider this point.
A few years ago, one book was published its name is "The man who doesn't hear a story, The woman who can't understand a map(hanasiwokikanaiotoko,tizugayomenaionnna)".
ReplyDeleteThis book treat the difference of men and women's brain.
Like this book,there are many books about sexual differences and I think many people are interested in this theme.
In Japan,there are many differences between men and women.
ReplyDeleteFor example,their lifestyle.
Many people have thought that men should work to make money and women should do housework.
But this thought is changing in these days.
Japanese language has gender differences.
ReplyDeleteFor example, first person.
In English, both men and women call himself or herself "I" .
On the other hand, In Japan, men call himself "ORE" or "BOKU" and women call herself "WATASHI".
So, Japanese is a language which has clear gender differences.