Isolating Knowledge of the Unpleasant

The Rape of Nanking in Japanese high-school textbooks

Bibliographic Data

ID11166124
AuthorsChristopher Barnard (corresponding author)
Year2001
Volume22
Issue4
Pages519-530
Publication date2001-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Sociology of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0142-5692 • E-ISSN: 1465-3346
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01425690120094467
OpenAlexW2009001592
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited20

This paper investigates how the Rape of Nanking in December 1937 and January 1938 by the Imperial Japanese Army is reported in the 88 history textbooks used in Japanese high schools in 1995, and which had passed the compulsory authorisation system of the Japanese Ministry of Education. An analysis of the language of the textbooks shows that, although the textbooks do deal with the this atrocity in reasonable detail, there is a consistent pattern of language use that has the effect of isolating knowledge of the Rape of Nanking from Japan and Japanese people. One possible result of this is that pupils in Japan today have no basis from which they can critically respond in an informed manner to denials within modern Japanese society that this atrocity took place. This discussion is framed in terms of a critical discourse analysis informed by the systemic functional model of grammar

Authorization · Christian ministry · Computer security · Grammar · Grammar school · Linguistics · Media studies · Pedagogy · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Gender Studies · Law

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