Difference as privilege: identity,citizenship and the recontextualisation of human rights in Japan’s social studies curriculum

ABSTRACT

While global human rights knowledge has become a central facet of curricula used to shape multicultural societies and develop cosmopolitan citizenry, such knowledge is shaped by sociopolitical context. Japan has a long history of incorporating human rights concepts into its citizenship curriculum; however, this curriculum is produced in a political context where there is resistance to extending rights to minorities and the disadvantaged, and where there are renewed attempts to emphasise traditional Japanese cultural values through education. Potential tensions have been recognised, yet little has been written about educational knowledge as end product. Based partially on Basil Bernstein’s concepts, a mixed-method approach utilising computer-based analytical techniques was used to examine the structure and content of human rights knowledge within upper-secondary Contemporary Social Studies textbooks representing Japan’s official curriculum. This article will argue that the curriculum establishes an inconsistent standard toward rights that undermines respect for individuals.     

社会科课程中的公民教育新取向及其教学策略

公民资质传递的观点蕴涵着对\"公民\"概念的基本理解。分别强调社会科学的学习、决策能力的培养和批判思考的养成等三种公民教育取向,在社会科课程中占据了越来越重要的位置。在全球化的背景下,公民资格已经演绎成为一个多维度的概念,公民资格逐步从民族国家拓展到全球社会,从单一的宪政意义上的法律概念演变成为一个以法律、政治为核心的多维度概念;公民权责作为公民资格的核心逐步从单一强调公民责任发展成为强调公民权责的平衡。     

Implementing Citizenship in the English Secondary School Curriculum: A Follow-Up Study

This article represents a follow-up snapshot of a group of state secondary schools in the North of England. It examines the progress of the schools in the second year of the statutory inclusion of citizenship in the revised National Curriculum. The writers use the same modus operandi as in the previous article (Calvert and Clemitshaw, 2003) to present a picture of both the management and curriculum aspects of the changes. The article draws on data from interviews with the citizenship co-ordinators (CCs) of each school, and there is an overview in the form of a grid. Readers are encouraged to look back at the previous article to track the changes that have taken place since September 2002.

The study reveals that there are some common patterns and difficulties emerging, particularly with regard to assessment and reporting and some of the problems that have always beset PSHE and pastoral care. These same issues are predictably affecting the progress of the initiative. Principally, the status of the subject, resourcing and levels of understanding, training and commitment of staff are ongoing problems. A leitmotiv running through the interviews is the constant pressure of other initiatives and their effects on change at a time of internal turbulence for a number of the schools. Some progress is being made and it would have been unrealistic to expect all schools to adopt the subject without difficulty but, in spite of the CCs' best efforts, there are still issues that might give cause for concern and that are graphically highlighted by individual cases.     

Implementing Citizenship in the English Secondary School Curriculum: A Follow-Up Study

This article represents a follow-up snapshot of a group of state secondary schools in the North of England. It examines the progress of the schools in the second year of the statutory inclusion of citizenship in the revised National Curriculum. The writers use the same modus operandi as in the previous article (Calvert and Clemitshaw, 2003) to present a picture of both the management and curriculum aspects of the changes. The article draws on data from interviews with the citizenship co-ordinators (CCs) of each school, and there is an overview in the form of a grid. Readers are encouraged to look back at the previous article to track the changes that have taken place since September 2002.
The study reveals that there are some common patterns and difficulties emerging, particularly with regard to assessment and reporting and some of the problems that have always beset PSHE and pastoral care. These same issues are predictably affecting the progress of the initiative. Principally, the status of the subject, resourcing and levels of understanding, training and commitment of staff are ongoing problems. A leitmotiv running through the interviews is the constant pressure of other initiatives and their effects on change at a time of internal turbulence for a number of the schools. Some progress is being made and it would have been unrealistic to expect all schools to adopt the subject without difficulty but, in spite of the CCs' best efforts, there are still issues that might give cause for concern and that are graphically highlighted by individual cases.     

A three-tier citizenship: Can the state in Tanzania guarantee linguistic human rights?

This paper explores how the concept of linguistic citizenship can be applied to the Tanzanian situation in terms of the delivery of bilingual education as well as addressing issues of equity and quality in education. It starts by a brief overview of how the concepts ‘linguistic human rights’ and ‘linguistic citizenship’ are theorized. It then goes on to show that in the Tanzanian context the ‘linguistic human rights’ paradigm cannot adequately address the concerns of speakers of marginalized languages. The paper argues that all efforts to guarantee linguistic human rights in Tanzania have so far been top-down and have to a large extent failed. The paper further argues that it is the people who can empower themselves by giving value to their marginalized languages. This valorisation will make education meaningful in people's struggle towards socio-economic development. The paper discusses in particular the role which African languages play in raising achievement in African education and highlights the importance of research into educational language use and persuasive communication of this research in increasing this role. Finally the paper emphasises the role of advocacy and the increasing status of African languages in society in the development of mother-tongue medium education.     

“权利优先”抑或“责任优先”——对当代公民教育价值取向的反思

"权利优先"与"责任优先"的公民教育取向,各有一定程度的优越性,但同时又都有其局限性。当代公民教育有必要在"权利优先"与"责任优先"之间寻找到一种内在平衡。可能的解决路径是,基于天赋人权、自由平等的公民理念传统,也基于当代中国权利意识淡薄、责任压倒权利的现实状况,建构一种以"权利优先"为基础的公民教育体系,在保障公民基本权利的基础上培育负责任的公民。     

英国和谐社会建设中公民的权利与责任及其对教育政策的影响

建立公平、公正、和谐的社会是历届英国政府所追求的目标,但是福利国家造成了公共开支的负担,形成了依赖文化心理,而新自由主义在自由平等条件下的个人自救使个人价值超越了个体赖以生存的社会价值观与规范,从而造成了新的不平等和社会结构的不稳定。英国新工党试图以积极的福利社会、社群主义和社会资本理论为指导,平衡公民的权利与对社会发展责任之间的关系,促进和谐社会的发展。     

英、澳、美、加四国公民教育课程改革影响因素比较研究

世界各国面对全球一体化带来的公民身份认同危机,纷纷颁行关于公民教育课程的政策法规,以实现培养合格公民的目标。在这一进程中,英国、澳大利亚、美国、加拿大四国的公民教育课程改革较具代表性。课程目标制定的专业性及明确性、课程资源的可获取性、教师培训的有效性、资金支持的连续性以及课程研究、评估和监督的持续性,成为影响公民教育有效实施的几大决定性因素。     

试析社会行动取向公民教育课程的特色

社会行动取向公民教育课程是对社会科传递公民资质模式、社会科学模式与反思探究模式以往三种教学传统的超越。这一取向以理性正义,感性关怀为核心理念,体现出以下特色:课程内容上具有意义性与挑战性,课程组织上具有渐进性与统整性,课程实施上具有主体性与持续性,课程评价上具有反思性与整全性。     

当前高校人权教育的困境和出路

我国高校中人权教育问题近年来日渐引起关注。由于受到历史和现实诸多因素的影响,高校人权教育目前还处于理念束缚和制度空缺的双重困境,需要理念变革和制度创新的合力推进。     

美国国家历史课程标准述评

文章对美国国家历史学科课程标准的基本结构和内容特点做了重点评介,特别关注历史课程的教育功能、历史学习能力及其作用,以及课程标准的文本模式问题。能否恰当地处理这些问题,直接关系到学校历史教育的成效。     

促进社会和谐的英国公民教育

2007年1月25日,英国教育与技能部发表了题为《课程检视:多样性与公民权利和义务》的白皮书.白皮书根据过去公民教育的实施情况提出了改革建议,提出在公民教育的过程中更多听取学生的意见,在课程教学中对学生进行公民权利与义务的教育,并制定政策保证学校领导和教师有机会接受公民教育的相关培训,尤其强调要在公民教育中增加尊重多样性教育的内容,以促进社会朝更加和谐的方向发展.     

Citizenship education in civics textbooks in the Japanese junior high school curriculum

This article discusses the types of citizenship education that are included in a sample of Japanese junior high school civics textbooks. Seven civics textbooks that have been authorized by the Ministry of Education for use in junior high school from the 2012 academic year were analysed in the context of fundamental issues in citizenship education and the national curriculum guidelines in Japan. In contrast to some previously published research, it is argued that the textbooks encourage, to a limited extent, active, participatory approaches by students with exercises and practical tasks to help students develop skills and gain the understanding required to live in contemporary society. It is suggested that the textbooks place some limitations on active learning especially in relation to students' political participation and that they reflect the struggle Japan is experiencing in the search for an inclusive national identity. Further work may serve to clarify the nature of potential contributions to citizenship education including that associated with students' involvement in whole school issues.     

从权利公民到责任公民--当代西方公民教育理念的嬗变

公民既是权利承载者,更是责任承担者。公民资格(citizenship)是公民教育的核心概念,有什么样的公民资格观,就有什么样的公民教育。正统公民资格观是一种作为权利的公民资格观,这种培养“权利公民”的公民资格观过于强调权利而忽略了公民资格所蕴涵的责任。出于国家治理和全球治理的诉求,当代西方公民资格观呈现出一个共同的品质,即关注“责任”,注重“责任公民”的培养。随着由作为权利的公民资格观到作为责任的公民资格观的演进,培养“责任公民”成了当代西方各国公民教育的共同旨趣。