Education Reform and Social Class in Japan: The emerging incentive divide (Routledge/University of Tokyo Series)

Until the early 1990s, Japanese education was widely commended for achieving outstanding outcomes in global comparison. At the same time, it was frequently criticized for failing to cultivate'individuality'and'creativity'in students. Wide-ranging education reforms were enacted during the 1990s to remedy these perceived failings. However, as this book argues, the reforms produced a different outcome than intended, contributing to growing disparity in learning motivation and educational aspiration of students from different class backgrounds instead.Takehiko Kariya demonstrates by way of empirical sociological analysis that educational inequality in Japan has been expanding, and that a new mechanism of educational selection has begun to operate, which he calls the'incentive divide'. Casting light on recent changes in Japanese society to critically reassess educational policy choices, this book's quantitative and qualitative analyses of the'mass education society'in post-war Japan offer important insights also for understanding similar problems faced in other parts of the world at present.Translated into English for the first time, the Japanese language version of Education Reform and Social Class in Japan won the first Osaragi Jirō Prize for Commentary sponsored by the Asahi shinbun. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of Asian studies, Japanese studies, education, sociology and social policy. Until the early 1990s, Japanese education was widely commended for achieving outstanding outcomes in global comparison. At the same time, it was frequently criticized for failing to cultivate 'individuality' and 'creativity' in students. Wide-ranging education reforms were enacted during the 1990s to remedy these perceived failings. However, as this book argues, the reforms produced a different outcome than intended, contributing to growing disparity in learning motivation and educational aspiration of students from different class backgrounds instead. Takehiko Kariya demonstrates by This title demonstrates from a sociological point of view and by way of empirical analysis that educational reforms have caused profound changes in the society of post-war Japan. It focuses on the spread of inequality in Japanese society as an 'unintended outcome' to which the educational reforms ended up contributing Demonstrates from a sociological point of view and by way of empirical analysis, that educational reforms caused profound changes in the society of post-war Japan. This book focuses on the spread of inequality in Japanese society as an 'unintended outcome' to which the educational reforms ended up contributing.