Re: Ouran High School Host Club Question


"Phil Yff" <phil.yff@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:7wqhe5adsart.10h468bp0vz73$.dlg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 15:11:20 GMT, elsie wrote:

[snip]

I believe the
university prefers the visiting professor to have some type of Asian
interest, but they do make exceptions. I believe they are also
interested
in people who can improve Japan's approach to the study of languages and
literatures that are foreign to the Japanese.

Okay, my primary field is the teaching of writing (and the teaching
teachers
of writing) in English. My secondary field is Cultural Studies and
Literary/Rhetorical theory. Are those fields they would be interested in?
My research area is fan discourse, and one of my motivations for going to
Japan is to develop Cultural Studies scholarship on the growing influence
of
Japanese pop culture on global popular culture.

I would say that would certainly qualify. I imagined that your
contribution would not be in one of the mainstream areas. That's why I
suggested you talk to your director of international studies so that you
might decide on the best approach. In the real world one of the things I
do is align business needs with technology investments. The most
important
thing is to make sure that one invests resources to produce added value.
In your case, you have to demonstrate value added to both Kansai Gaidai
and
your home institution.

Both as a writing teacher and as a cultural scholar?

Certainly culture is an instrument of national power, especially to Japan
whose constitution promotes world peace. The growing international
interest in Japanese culture benefits Japan. Japan is also a nation that
likes to study things in order to achieve continuous improvement and
growth. Your contribution is to articulate the nature of the phenomenon
and to provide some sort of qualitative and quantitative analysis to
delineate how and why its inlfluence is expanding. From an economic
perspective, Japan is facing competition in the manufacturing sphere that
it used to dominate. The expansion of the export of culture is important
from two perspectives. First, it contributes to the diversification of
services and products offered. Second, Japan is assuming a mentoring
role,
especially in Southeast Asia. The goodwill generated by the acceptance of
Japanese culture, popular and otherwise, translates into a more hospitable
reception by Japan's business partners.

Since I assume your host institution is paying your salary and foregoing
the benefits of your direct labors for a year, you must be able to
articulate what they are getting in return.

:-) I know my chair will panic when I'm ready to take a sabbatical, but
she's known for some time that I want to try for either something like this
or a Fulbright to Japan.

Since I know nothing about
your institution, I won't presume to provide an answer. Your director of
international studies should be able to say specifically why the
institution supports this type of program. However, your institution
probably also has some type of vision statement and strategy document(s).

We have a new provost who is very internationally minded. We're waiting to
see what that will mean in terms of support for faculty and similar
programs.

Since you specialize in language, I'm sure you'll have no difficulty in
finding just the right words to show that this endeavor pushes all their
hot buttons. I'm sure you've gone after grants, proposed theses, etc.
This shouldn't be that much different.

Yes, I can see that. It will be a matter of doing my homework to provide
sufficient evidence.

The question is should you apply? If it were me, it would be a
no-brainer.
I'd be filling out the application right now. In your case, you either
have the desire to go to Japan or not. If it were the latter, you
wouldn't
be asking the question. I assume, then, that it is the former and you
just
want to overcome reticence about living conditions, professional
satisfaction, and so on.

Yes, and also my own insecurities.

I guess here is where the pep talk should go, but I'm sure you've heard it
all before. The real truth is it's not about you, it's about your work.
If you feel that your area of research has value, and you've given me no
reason to believe otherwise, focus on it and it will give you the resolve
to persevere.

Oh, I believe in my work, but I still have a fair amount of Hinata in my
soul.

Additionally, you will find out that you have a built-in support group.
Once you're selected, everyone wants you to succeed. You are not going
into an antagonistic environment. The Japanese, especially, are
culturally
attuned to cooperative effort. Whatever roadbump you encounter, or
whatever insecurity you might experience, just ask for help. The key to
enjoying your stay in Japan is by becoming part of the ingroups rather
than
the outgroups (another cultural thing). It's not difficult. All it
entails is being interested in the things other people are interested in
and you will be arriving in Japan with the deck already stacked in your
favor.

If your director of international education has any influence, talk to
her
or him on Monday. I am sure you will find this an enriching experience
and
you should not let this opportunity slip by without exploring it fully.

His motivation in pushing me is that it's an exchange. The more people
(students and faculty) we send, the more they will send to us.

Great. I'm sure you'll articulate why you are the best ambassador to
send.

Mata ato de,

Phil Yff

Thanks for your advice,

laurie


.

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