Language and Society in Japan

Contemporary Japanese Society

by Nanette Gottlieb

Nanette Gottlieb's comprehensive study considers the role of language in Japanese society, particularly in relation to the formation of national and personal identities. It covers important questions such as multilingualism, language and nationalism, language and technology, and literacy and reading habits. Written by a leading authority in this field, Gottlieb's work is essential reading for students and scholars wishing to know more about the Japanese language and the society in which it is spoken.

Genres: Japan, Sociology, Linguistics, Nonfiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2005

Reviews

[せみ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A through reflection on Japan’s domestic and international linguistic policies. Especially the chapters as to the Ainu, Korean and Chinese minorities (zainichi) and Burakumin and how they are represented/reflected in Japan through language policies were tremendously insightful and enlightening. However, a product of personal expectation, I would have been delighted to learn more about Japan’s cultural diplomatic executions in specific countries via its linguistic policies with an aim of constructing a cosmopolitan personal identity.

Overall, a worth reading piece.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting introduction to the state of language in Japan, although slightly out of date by now.

[Jaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required reading for schoolwork.

A well-written overview source for study of Japanese language politics. Specific examples abound, and the structure is easy to understand. While generally not going into depth, it makes it easy to get an idea of areas to investigate more with supplementary sources. Interesting topics, presented in manageably-sized chunks that prevents interest from flagging.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, specially where it says how is spoken Japanese easier compared to German, for example.

Molto interessante, specialmente dove racconta come il giapponese parlato sia piú semplice del tedesco, tanto per fare un esempio.

[Vittorio Ambrosetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times the stile is just a bit pompous and wordy, but overall this book is a very interesting and informative read for anyone interested in, well, the links between language and society in Japan.

[Wayward Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for an exam that`s in... less than 24 hours.

[Kimiko-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is your go to as a start to understanding the state of language in Japan. It talks about key issues like language for nationalism, minority languages, English in Japan etc.. However, I could only use this as an initial reference to get a feel of how language is perceived and treated in a socio-political sense, as it covers more breadth than depth.

Note: It did bring attention and introduced me to the existence of gyaru'moji, "gal characters," and prompted a research paper surrounding this late 20th century phenomenon.