Who Should Do the Dishes?: Japanese University Studentsʼ Perceptions of Gender and Household Tasks

Kamata, Suzanne - Naruto University of Education; Kita, Yoko - Notre Dame University

Japanese working women who are married with children still bear the brunt of childcare, housekeeping, and caring for elderly relatives. Furthermore, they are left with little time for career development activities which might lead to advancement. In this session, we would like to share the results of a survey conducted to investigate the attitudes of current Japanese university students toward domestic tasks and determine whether there has been a generational shift in attitude toward who is responsible for domestic work, and how we might adjust our teaching in response to these findings.

Gender-Neutral Pronouns: Japanese University Students’ Attitudes toward and Exposure to Singular They

Smith, Cynthia - Niigata University of International and Information Studies; Thukral, Lily - Shirayuri University

Singular they (ST) is a generic third-person singular pronoun, as in the sentence “If a student comes, give them a handout.” ST is endorsed by many dictionaries, style guides, and universities, and is the generic pronoun of choice by native English speakers in many contexts (rather than generic he or he/she). However, in Japan ST is often omitted from textbooks and English lessons, putting students at a disadvantage both linguistically and socio-culturally. This study examined the exposure to and attitudes toward ST by 55 Japanese university students. Results indicate that although participants believed ST was useful and could reduce gender bias, they also held negative perceptions of it, stemming mainly from lack of exposure and from grammatical beliefs that conflicted with ST. Despite this, 74% said they wanted to try using ST more. We will discuss the implications of the results and the need to incorporate ST instruction in classes and materials.

Modeling Allyship in a Japanese University Classroom

O'Donnell, David Patrick - Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Initiating and maintaining meaningful and frank discussions on LGBTQ+ issues can be challenging for straight CIS instructors. Despite increased queer representation in media, heteronormativity still pervades most mainstream culture, and the vast preponderance of EFL textbooks are “straight” by default. This situation can inadvertently make classrooms uncomfortably biased and hostile places for LGBTQ+ students. On the other hand, attempts to introduce LGBTQ+ units, if done without sensitivity and thought, might cause equal or even greater discomfort, if queer students are made to feel overly or inappropriately focused on, or if someone is outed in the class. This presentation will explore one straight CIS instructor's cautious attempt to include LGBTQ+ awareness and allyship exercises and activities in a university classroom in Japan. This presentation will be pre-recorded with a real-time Zoom Q&A.

The above presentations will be followed by the GALE SIG Annual General Meeting. Current and prospective members are invited to remain and discuss topics related to current and future GALE endeavors, including our upcoming officer nominations and elections.