High School Baseball and the Socialization of Japanese Boys
June 2, 2009 6:00 PM (finished)
Tom Blackwood, Ph.D.
(Associate Professor at Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo)
| Date/Time | June 2, 2009 6:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Location | Room 549 5th floor, Akamon Sogo Kenkyuto Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo [map] |
| Abstract | Extracurricular clubs are an important activity for the majority of Japanese high school students, and are considered an important part of education by teachers, parents, students, and Japanese society in general. Through studying high school baseball, my research enhances our understanding of what is taught and learned in Japanese school clubs, and the meanings that participation in such clubs holds for the participants. My research thus far has been largely qualitative in nature: through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and surveys, I have explored the subjective meanings that participation in high school baseball holds for Japanese high school students (and graduates) in forming their identities and worldviews, in addition to helping them develop interpersonal skills and certain qualities of character. My next goal is to try to assess how players and former players are evaluated by greater society, to see whether the participants’ subjective beliefs regarding what they learn are matched by the impressions of others. In particular, I am interested in discovering what positive or negative ramifications their experiences hold for their lives after high school, especially regarding their careers or social mobility. In the first part of my talk I will present some of my findings from my previous research, and in the second part I would like to discuss my current research and future plans, as well as potential problems. |
| Bio | Tom Blackwood (Ph.D., Sociology) is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Social Science, the University of Tokyo, and the Managing Editor of the Social Science Japan Journal, a peer-reviewed journal published by Oxford University Press. His research focuses on the sociology of education (broadly conceived). His publications include “Bushidō Baseball? Three ‘Fathers’ and the Invention of a Tradition,” Social Science Japan Journal 11(2) (2008) and “Playing baseball/playing ‘house’: the reproduction and naturalization of ‘separate spheres’ in Japanese high school baseball,” Sport, Education and Society (forthcoming, 2010). |
