Japan and the Pursuit of a New American Identity: Work and Education in a Multicultural Age (Critical Social Thought)

Japan and the Pursuit of a New American Identity is a fascinating account of America's obsession with Japanese education and industry and the effects of this obsession on American schools, work, and national identity. By assessing the limits of American individualism and Japanese collectivism in an increasingly multicultural age, Walter Feinberg explodes the popular notion that Japan can serve as a proper model for American society and, more specifically, the American educational system. He then goes on to articulate some of the challenges and possibilities that multiculturalism presents for American education. He concludes that the role of education in renewing the the ideals of democracy is pivotal if America is to reestablish its identity and chart a course for educational reform in a multicultural age.