The Acceptance of the 'Myth of Black Athleticism' in Japanese Society: The Process of How the Japanese Encountered and Acquired the Terms/Concepts of 'Race' and 'Blacks' as a Focus

DOI HANDLE Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 日本社会における「黒人身体能力神話」の受容 : 「人種」/「黒人」という言葉・概念との遭遇とその習得を中心に
  • ニホン シャカイ ニ オケル コクジン シンタイ ノウリョク シンワ ノ ジュヨウ ジンシュ コクジン ト イウ コトバ ガイネン ト ノ ソウグウ ト ソノ シュウトク オ チュウシン ニ

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Abstract

The image of the African American as a genetically-advantaged athlete prevails in Japanese society even today. According to a preliminary survey done at several universities in Japan, more than 90% of respondents (all Japanese university students) answered that African Americans are better athletes than European Americans-let alone the Japanese-and attributed the reason to biology or genetics. In other words, they still cling to the old stereotype of the innateness of African American athleticism. These results may surprise participants in the American intellectual community, where the problematics of such stereotypes have long been the subject of study and intervention. They are an unfortunate indication that in terms of knowledge and experience. Japanese attitudes toward the sensitive issue of racial differences are well behind those of their American counterparts, calling to mind racial attitudes in the era of Jesse Owens and Joe Louis. Following a summary of American/Japanese major differences in the respondents' attitudes toward race, this presentation analyzes why the Japanese answered in the way they did, and drawing on information derived from the replies of their American counterparts, searches for ways in which such attitudes can be shifted toward a more balanced perspective.

Journal

  • 人文學報

    人文學報 100 77-112, 2011-03

    THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES, KYOTO UNIVERSITY

Keywords

Details

  • CRID
    1390853649773932416
  • NII Article ID
    40019020462
  • NII Book ID
    AN00122934
  • DOI
    10.14989/148032
  • HANDLE
    2433/148032
  • NDL BIB ID
    11266183
  • ISSN
    04490274
  • Text Lang
    ja
  • Data Source
    • JaLC
    • IRDB
    • NDL
    • CiNii Articles
  • Abstract License Flag
    Disallowed

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