2008/12/22

Debate topics (2)

Last week, discussion on possible debate topics ended up focusing on tobacco. 先週のディベートテーマに関するディスカッションは、最後にはたばこの話題で盛り上がりました。 We may debate one or more of the following aspects of that issue: tax rates, warnings, advertising (or display), government ownership of Japan Tobacco, age from which tobacco may be purchased, enforcement of age restrictions.タバコ関連の切り口については次のものが考えられます:税金、パックに印刷される警告の在り方、広告、政府による日本たばこ産業株式会社(JT)の所有、たばこが買える年齢およびその法律の徹底。

Here are some articles that may be relevant to the discussion: 下に関連のある記事(英文)を紹介しましす。

Tobacco tax hike bid easily snuffed out
This article says that raising the cost of a pack of cigarettes to 1,000 yen, three times the current price, had been proposed.

Japan’s Budget Hits Record as Aso Seeks for Recovery
The government owned 50 percent of Japan Tobacco Inc., the world’s third-largest publicly traded cigarette maker, as of March 31, according to Bloomberg data.

Tokyo train stations to ban smoking
Train stations in the Tokyo area will ban smoking from April 1, in another dent to Japan’s reputation as a smokers’ paradise, the railway company said Friday.
Insufficient Evidence to Justify Restrictions on Retail Displays of Tobacco Products
Responding to the announcement from the UK's Department of Health (DOH) that it is planning to implement a ban on retail displays of tobacco products, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) stated that no evidence has been provided which justifies such measures.

2008/12/15

Debate topics

Here are the days, after today, that we have to meet. 今日を除いて、残っているゼミの授業日は次のとおりです。

12/22
1/5
1/12
1/19

I would like to have a debate on a topic of your choice before the class ends. 授業が終わるまでに、皆さんが選ぶテーマでディベートを行いたいと思います。

Here are some possible topics. 次のようなテーマを提案できます。

Who should for college tuition? 大学生の授業料をだれが払うのか?
Should foreign language be part of the elementary school curriculum? 小学校で外国語を教えるべきか?

Should foreigners in Japan try to be more "Japanese" by being more reserved? 日本に来ている外国人はもっと「控え目」になるように努力すべきか?

Smoking 喫煙

Questionnaire regarding dependence

Last week I asked students to answer the following questions and we put the results up on the blackboard. 先週、参加者の皆さんに次の質問に答えてもらって、結果を黒板でまとめました。Each question is answered on a scale of 1 to 5 between to opposing answers. それぞれの質問に対しては2つの対立する答えの間に1から5までの尺度を置き、回答者は自分の間かえに一番近い数字を選ぶことになっていました。Here are the questions. 質問は次のとおりです。

1. If you are a guest in someone’s home, what kind of hospitality would you most appreciate? だれかの家の客になったときには、どのようなもてなしが一番ありがたいでしょうか? Would you prefer that the host ask you what you would like to eat or drink, or would you prefer that the host decide? もてなしてくれる人に飲み物や食べ物の好みについて聞かれるのがいいか、それとももてなしてくれる人がそういうことを適当に決めてもらえればいいでしょうか?

Host asks 1 2 3 4 5 Host decides

2. Which is closer to your ideal regarding the amount of choice you prefer in a restaurant? あなた自身が好きな選択の幅にもっとも近いには次のうちのどれか?In a Subway restaurant, you are asked many questions about how to make your sandwich. Subwayの店ではサンドイッチをどう作ったらあなたの好みに合うかについてたくさんの質問をうけることになります。In a 懐石料理 (kaiseki ryori) restaurant, the chef decides everything. 懐石料理ではほぼすべてを料理人に任せることになります。

Subway 1 2 3 4 5 懐石料理

3. Which is closer to your idea of how you would like to raise a child? あなたの子育ての理想により近いのはどれか? Would you be most interested in them becoming an independent thinker or a team player? 独自の考えをもった人になるのが一番いいか、それともチームの一員として力を合わせて頑張る人になってほしいか?

Independent 1 2 3 4 5 Team

4. If you were a parent with a child in college which would you consider to be better for you child: your paying tuition or your child paying? あなたが大学生の親なら、どちらがその子ども(大学生)のためになると思うか?あなたが学費を払うことか、その子が払うことか?

Parent pays 1 2 3 4 5 Student pays

5. If you were to participate in a club in your own country, which of the following would you consider to be preferable: Students who have been in the club longer taking care of newcomers in exchange for respect and help with various tasks or an atmosphere where everyone is equal and no distinctions (newcomer vs. experienced member) are made? あなたが自分の国でクラブに参加するなら次のどれがあなた自身の考えに近いでしょうか?前からクラブで活動している人が、新しくきて人の面倒などを見る代わりに、尊敬され、手伝ってもらうような関係、それとも新旧の区別なく、皆平等に参加するような感じ?

Experienced help inexperienced 1 2 3 4 5 All equal

In each case the choice on the right is the one that indicates affirmation of amae or dependence. いずれの質問においても、右側の選択肢は甘えを肯定するものです。I thought that the results would should more affirmation of amae among the Japanese student. 日本人学生の方が甘えを肯定することを予想していました。That tendency could be observed to some extent in the answers to 2 and 3. 2と3に対する回答結果にそのような傾向が見られました。Overall, however, the responses were more similar than different. しかし、全体としては、大きな差がなく、それぞれの回答は似ていました。