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Survey: your adaptation to Japanese culture

kubicle

後輩
18 Sep 2007
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Hello,

A Japanese friend is doing her master thesis about foreigners working in Japan.
She is looking for voluntaries to fill up a questionnaire (anonymous).
Broadly speaking, the theme is about adaptation to Japanese culture in relation to a few characteristics of your personality.

www .geocities.com/kubicle/survey

(note that you have to be living and working in Japan)

I'd like to say that the first part of the survey uses "control questions" which will give you the impression of being asked several times the same thing. Please do not let yourself get discouraged too fast; the following sections are much quicker and even fun to fill up!
Actually, when doing it myself, I had the feeling that these questions where a good occasion for me to reflect on my experience here in Japan.

After analysis, a summary of the results of this survey will be posted on the same website, so it might also be worth bookmarking it for later.

Many thanks for checking it out! 🙂
 
I did the survey.

I feel that some of the questions on the first couple of pages were not very well constructed, showed your friends presumptions, and left no good answer. Some had two parts to them which would require different answers.

Page 5 I didn't like at all, especially as she seems to assume that foreigners have to have somebody to read/translate Japanese for them. And that we can all take two week vacations.

And what is up with her fixation on home furnishings?
 
Mike, thanks a lot for doing the survey!

Like I wrote, the first part used control questions that ask the same thing in different ways. Actually, this part was "reused" with the authorization of its original author, and modifying it would have made it more complex to ask. Maybe this would have been the right choice.

As for page 5, these are examples; the point was just to see if you know people close enough to pick your mail for you - this is not the case for everybody (in Japan or elsewhere).

My friend still needs input - and has no presumptions, believe me.
 
Glad to help, but the presumptions are self-evident in some of the questions.
 
Exactly where is this survey? I entered that web address but no matter what I do or what links I follow, all I get is French discussion groups, no survey.
 
Yes, it works.

Sadly, though, I find I cannot complete this survey. The questions are not worded well enough. I often can make an answer for the first part of a question, but the second part negates that or confuses it with something unrelated (IMO). Or, the reason for giving the answer is not clear enough.

Sorry. I suggest reworking and rewording this survey.
 
Excellent survey! I took the time to fill "up" this questionnaire for the benefit of your friend's research and found it most rewarding. The questions on furniture were most pertinent since I, as a DIY man, have created my own line of Intercultural furniture using bamboo, rattan and Sheffield oak. My only criticism is that it is anonymous because I would like to know if I won or not. Best of luck to your "friend" and well done!
 
Yes, it works.
Sadly, though, I find I cannot complete this survey. The questions are not worded well enough. I often can make an answer for the first part of a question, but the second part negates that or confuses it with something unrelated (IMO). Or, the reason for giving the answer is not clear enough.
Sorry. I suggest reworking and rewording this survey.

I agree, right off the bat, the very first question;
I value having close friends from my country, but I do not value having Japanese friends.
Why is there an assumption that I can not value both? It comes across right from the beginning as biased against valuing a Japanese friend(s).

When it comes to furnishing a room, if possible I would want to fill the room with beautiful furniture from my own country, Japanese furniture is not attractive.
Again an assumption and bias against Japanese furniture.

Because I live in Japan, I am always pressured to conform to Japanese lifestyle. Thus I must emphasize my distinct identity and restrict my association with Japanese society.
Huh! :eek:

When I have to furnish a room, I would not buy any furniture made in my country because they look so out-of-place, and also because there are so many beautiful Japanese furniture.

Why spread the questions apart? You saw my comment on the first one about furniture, this is the reverse, why cant I enjoy both?

Realistically speaking, people from my country must stick together and help each other to be successful rather than conforming to Japanese society
Realistically? Well how about on Fantasy Island?:eek::eek:

That's enough.....what's with the furniture fetish?:eek:

I stopped in the middle of the first page, I am not going to be answering a survey like that anytime soon. Personally it's a waste of time.
 
I completed it as well. I gave the poller the benefit of a doubt and took the questions at face value. They were difficult to answer honestly. though, with the choices given.
 
Thank you all. The ones who filled it, and the ones who spent the time to give constructive comments (yes, some of them were constructive).
 
They were all constructive. That you may not have liked some of them doesn't make them any less constructive.
 
Most of the questions can not be answered by that answer choice, there are most of them 2 questions, and I can answer yes to one of them and noi to the second one. Try to separate "questions" one by one,
I answered "in between" when I could not answer else... yes and no answer in the same question..
What can you understand from this pool if all of the people that answeered had answered like me ?
 
I continue now

Example:
Question
I have no interest in Japanese TV. I prefer watching programs from my own country.
My answer:
Yes, I have not much interest in Japanese TV,
No, I don't prefer to watch programs from my own country.

how to answer this "double question" ?

Another example:
Question:
Present day television program reflects the society's sickness; all you see is sex and violence.
My Answer:
Yes, Present day television program reflects the society's sickness;
No, "all you see is sex and violence" only if you watch programs that are doing this. You can choose and change to another program if you don't like what you see. I don't think in Japan there are places where only 1 single TV program exist... and if nothing is to see yhen you can take a book to read or borrow a DVD.

This are examples of some double questions that I can not answwer how I wish to answer them..
 
lia has just shown 2 perfect examples of the problem I wrote about briefly on Sept. 20. Solution? Rewrite the survey.
 
What can you understand from this pool if all of the people that answeered had answered like me ?

thanks Lia. You replied "in between" and this was quite what was expected in your case.

I already explained why this part was not ideal.
 
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