Discursive Formations of "Good" and "Bad": The Genealogy of Japanese Schooling

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Abstract

This paper applies historical and theoretical methodologies to explore how Japanese post-war schooling engendered the “problem” student, and how the production of such notions arose alongside the construction of the “good” student which simultaneously gave rise to the “bad” student. The application of both historical and linguistic lenses give visibility to how the body is inscribed with particular qualities that differentiate youth from unspoken norms of civility. The discursive formation of such normative standards of “good” and “bad” constructed not only the “problem” student, but also the particular psychologies of this language. Thus, by applying Foucault’s notion of genealogy, this paper draws attention to the different historical assemblies and connections through which cultural distinctions are materialized as differences and divisions.

Authors

• Jie Qi, Utsunomiya University

• Sheng Ping Zhang, Meijo University