Week 1 Family/Gender Issues April 4-10

Conference Call: The time for the call will be arranged so that the participants will all be able to get acquainted.

Watch:

• • Ann Crescini’s TED Talk in Japanese, “Understanding Worldview Changes Us“

Reading: 1. The Japanese Mind: Family/Gender Issues

• • • Ch. 22, Pg 179-186 “Good Wives and Wise Mother: The Social Expectations of Women in Japan,” Ryosaikenbo 良妻賢母
    • Ch. 7, Pg 61-70 “Male and Female Relationships in Japan,” Danjyo Kankei　男女関係
    • Ch. 16, Pg 135-142 “Childrearing Practices in Japan,” Ikuji　育児
    • Ch. 14, Pg 119-126 The Japanese Ie　家 System

    Watch:

    • Anne Crescini’s weekly blog. The title is 女性だから or Because I’m a Girl

    Writing: Weekly Paper: “Impressions and Points from Your Reading”

    • • • 1. From Anne’s TED talk, how do you think that taking a deep interest in the Japanese people and their culture/country as opposed to obtaining a shallow understanding of Japan might impact your ministry to Japanese people?
        • 1.b What can we do to take a deeper than average interest in Japanese people and culture (and what is important to them?)
      • • 2. How do you think that the Japanese structure of homes/ie, childbearing, male and female relationships and the expectations of women potentially impact how we approach ministry to Japanese? (Should our outreach to men and women be different?
        • 2.b How do these structures impact how we approach ministry to Japanese?
        • 3.  Read as many of the other students’ writings and comment on at least two of them.
        • Optional: Read the discussion questions at the end of the chapter. Are there any that you think highlights a key point that merits further discussion by the class, specifically as it relates to how we think about and approach ministry to the Japanese?

    Pray:

    • • • Pray daily for Japan and Japanese, using the Prayer Calendar schedule within Operation Japan which outlines the readings for each day. In addition, read and pray through the following sections from Operation Japan  which correlate to this week’s learning topics. Make a note in your blog concerning the information and/or your prayer to share with others.
        • Topics related to this week’s learning:
          • Family – The Word for The Family (May 3-5)
          • Family – (April 21st)
          • Ministry to Children – Child sex victim rate skyrockets

    Extra Suggestions:

    • • Read daily a Japanese newspaper Japan Times and Japan Today

    Questions