| Summary |
The purpose of this thesis was to obtain insights into the reasons for the establishment and subsequent development of counseling services for students in Japanese universities. The underlying aim was to reveal how certain cultural values and established patterns of education have served to influence and define the life-style of Japanese students and thus have affected the development of counseling in Japan. A descriptive method of research was utilized to present the study. The writer acquired much of the data while visiting Japan during the Summer of 1970. Interviews were conducted with individuals in attendance at a three-day seminar on student counseling in Japan as well as with counseling personnel and university students at various universities in Japan. Other information was obtained from published and unpublished materials related to the topic. The thesis sketches the basic conflict between traditional Japanese culture, grounded in authoritarian ideals and rules of behavior and the highly individualized value orientation on which much of present-day education has set its standards. This conflict, is brought to light in the guidance and counseling of university students in Japan The methodology and philosophy of counseling in Japan has been almost totally borrowed from the United States. The fact that the American model does not reflect the lack of individual freedom and the inherent social responsibility which governs the behavior of Japanese students, presents a major issue for the study. The educational structure is historically explored in Chapter II in order to gain further insight into the philosophical bases which have influenced the modern educational structure. Conclusions are given concerning the extent to which the Japanese educational structure has progressed toward a democratic system of education. Thus, some determination may be made as to the strength of the educational foundation in Japan and its ability to support, a system of counseling which has been mainly developed in the United States. Freedom of choice has been stated to be the foundation of counseling. Values which are upheld in a given society determine, to a large degree, the amount of freedom given to individuals in their decision making. With this premise in mind, Chapter III offers an historical exploration of the development of modern Japanese society and of the value systems which have been emphasized. In order to determine the degree to which individuals in present-day society have emulated the inherent values that have been characteristic of democratic societies, a review of recent literature is made which compares Japanese values and psychological traits with similar values and traits of Americans. In Chapter IV, the focus is on the student as one prepares for and enters higher education. Also, a brief discussion on the procurement of employment is given. Comparisons are made between conditions faced by both American and Japanese students in higher education. The use of entrance examinations, the importance given to the select or elite universities, and the importance of joining a well-established firm following graduation, are seen as factors which limit the implementation of a system of counseling based on American value orientations. The final chapter gives a summary of the planning and development stages of counseling services in Japanese universities. Emphasis is given to difficulties inherent in the adoption of an American system of counseling into the Japanese system. In conclusion, it was maintained that counseling, as a helping profession, has not yet attained a level of importance in Japanese universities. However, there appears to be possibilities for the continued development of counseling as a profession due mainly to the needs and problems of students in the rapidly changing society of Japan. There is a need for counseling personnel to create their own models based upon the value system in Japan rather than continuing to rely upon foreign methods and practices. |
