Episode 56: Career Education Needed "Now" and "Here" (May 16, 2020)
Teruyuki Fujita, University of Tsukuba
On the 4th of this month, the government decided to extend the duration of the State of Emergency until the end of the month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Then on May 14, it was confirmed that the declaration of the State of Emergency will be withdrawn in 39 prefectures where the spread of the infection has been halted to a certain extent. The difference becomes apparent from the remaining 8 prefectures where the declaration will be continued until the end of the month.
This decision is the result of the search for a balance between curbing the spread of infection and revitalizing the economy. There will be complaints and doubts about the difference in the measures taken by each prefecture, and small clusters of infections will inevitably emerge all over the country. Also, critics claim that it is only a matter of time before a second or third wave of infections spreads, given the current lack of a vaccine or a specific medicine. Nevertheless, we must find a way to reinvigorate our economy to continue our daily lives and avoid an economic crisis comparable to the Great Depression. In such circumstances, there is probably no one who is not worried.
Earlier this month, an online commencement was held at a university in
Ohio, USA, and Tom Hanks, invited as a guest of honor, delivered a congratulatory
address to the graduates. In the speech, he expressed the impact of the
global outbreak of the new coronavirus as follows:
You started in the olden times, in the world back before the great pandemic of 2020. You will talk of those earlier years in your lives just that way, "Well, that was back before the COVID-19. That was before the great pandemic." Part of your lives will forever be identified as "before" in the same way other generations tell time like, "Well, that was before the war. That was before the internet. That was before Beyonce." The word "before" is going to carry great weight with you.
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/education/tom-hanks-wright-state-university-ohio-commencement-speech/95-d11c51ce-b893-4a72-b935-2637d32e2b99
Tom Hanks pointed out that the global spread of the new coronavirus, comparable
to World War II and the dissemination of the Internet, will be the dividing
line between "before" and "after," not only for us
individually but also for society itself.
So, what will society be like after the COVID-19? ...... No one knows yet.
Still, there are some things we are beginning to discover. For example, the fact that a patient with a mild to the moderate condition can suddenly become severely ill and put his or her life in danger has become a common understanding worldwide. Also, we now know that not only the elderly, but even the young are not completely immune from the risk. Moreover, in Japan, the central government and some local governments have started to announce that they will closely monitor the infection situation and request people to refrain from social and economic activities again if the infection exceeds a certain level.
In short, many of us want to be more careful in our daily lives, to avoid
threatening the lives of our families, and to prevent ourselves from returning
to a life of extreme self-restraint in all aspects.
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Many schools are now groping their way through and trying to resume their educational activities. In this difficult situation, what worries me the most is that criticism against infected patients ascribing liability for the disease, or those who behave in a way that possibly can spread the viruses, could evolve into exclusion, bullying, and violence. I am also very concerned that this could cause social divides. Each school needs to closely observe the daily lives of the students, understand their needs that they may not be aware of, and then implement carefully deliberated career education.
"I have been taking great precaution in my daily life and making efforts to avoid infection, but those infected must have neglected to do so. This kind of slackness and laziness deserves to be criticized." "We need to reduce the chance of droplet infection, but in that restaurant, people are talking loud to each other. This is outrageous."…These are just a few examples of what many of us may have in mind today, but the distance between ourselves and the following phenomena is not so far.
I hear the sound of sneezing coming from that house frequently. The "new corona cases in this town" reported on the TV news yesterday must be the residents of that house. ...This is just speculation based on skepticism. However, this speculation is sent out on social networking sites, and in the process of spreading the information, it somehow ends up being treated as a definite fact. The next morning, graffiti will be painted on the walls of the house, saying "Corona patients, Get out!" This is a reality already happening all over this country.
The names, family members, workplaces, and employment histories of people treated as infected by such speculation are searched and exposed on the Internet, leading to even worse slander. This has already happened in many places. It is not uncommon for medical personnel who take a stand for the treatment of coronavirus-infected patients to become the target of such slander.
Individuals and groups slandered and criticized in this way are then ostracized by their communities. What used to be a good relationship between "neighbors" is turned upside down, and distrust and hatred prevail.
Moreover, the important thing to remember is that anyone can be the target of such exclusion at any time. Since we are facing a virus that cannot be caught by the human eye and cannot yet be controlled by the human hand, there is always a non-zero chance that we will be infected. People live with the fear that if they were to become infected, they might suffer the same terrible consequences. If this happens, we will probably try not to let others know about our condition, even if we feel sick. From this point on, serious impetuses for the spread of infection will be everywhere.
In such a situation, people become even more fearful of infection and sharply
criticize the actions of others that may lead to it. Why aren't you wearing
a mask? Why are you sitting next to me? Why are you letting your children
play outside? Why are you eating out? ...This is a society where everyone
is watching and criticizing everyone else. And if these personal voices
of refuge are sent out on social networking sites..., I don't need to repeat
myself here anymore.
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When we are forced to live with anxiety, we tend to become overwhelmed by the weight of our feeling and turn to easy solutions. Even though the anxiety cannot be attributed to anyone, and there is no way to solve it, if we identify a scapegoat and attack that target, we will feel as if we are attacking anxiety itself. This illusion is what provides a fleeting sense of relief. This is what we should be concerned about. Even though it is only a momentary reliever due to the hallucination, it is still a feeling of ease. So, we seek it out.
And the scapegoats can be anyone, as long as they can be reasoned with. For example, "The guy who went to karaoke even though I was living a life of self-restraint" ...... is a good reason. "Restaurants that are open for business in these times." ...... is also a good theory. The boss who scolded me before, the ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend, the guy who I don't like somehow. ...... These are all good theories. It's easy to find a justifiable reason. It is no wonder that anyone can become a target. Here, we need to recognize the fact that the accused will have deep scars that will never disappear. There will be a gulf between the accuser and the accused that will not be erased for a very long time.
These emotional responses are sometimes exploited by the people in power. The persecution of the Jews during the Nazi era is a typical example. The Nazis cleverly used the distortions of the human mind to manipulate people by giving them a sense of anxiety, fear, and relief at the same time.
What is important here is not only these "historical facts" but also the reality that we have been repeating these foolish behaviors up until today. A typical example is the exclusion of evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, claiming that "radiation" and "germs" would be transmitted from them. At the time, it was widely reported that not only ignorant children but also some adults were repeating such stupidity. And now, some people who cannot stand the anxiety of the coronavirus are looking for scapegoats and attacking them with a seemingly justifiable theory.
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Here, let's have a look at what "Competency to Form Relationships and Community" is among "The Basic and General Competencies" to be developed through career education.
Competency to Form Relationships and Community includes the capabilities/skills to understand the ideas and viewpoints of diverse individuals, to listen to the opinions of others, to communicate one's ideas accurately, to accept the situation that one is facing, and to participate in society by cooperating and collaborating with others while fulfilling one's role and responsibilities. These are necessary to participate in society and actively shape the future... Specific elements for this include, for example, the ability to understand the individuality of others, the ability to work with others, communication skills, teamwork, and leadership.
The capabilities/skills "to understand the ideas and viewpoints of
diverse individuals," "to participate in society by cooperating
and collaborating with others," and "to actively shape the future"
are the essential parts of the goal that career education aims to pursue.
This represents the complete opposite of a society where suspicion, distrust,
anxiety, and fear are widespread.
At a time when anxiety and fear about the COVID-19 are morphing into attacks and denunciations of others, we need to confront this reality and tell our students what they need to know.
It is natural for us to seek relief from anxiety and to want to escape from it immediately. However, when we try to cut off our fear momentarily, the possibility of hurting others and dividing our community appears inside of us. We should make sure that each student is aware that if he/she commits such a foolish act, it will one day come back as a blade against him/her.
At least, the post-COVID-19 society should not be a place where everyone is watching and criticizing each other. Of course, there would be no way to retrieve such a society if we were to create it before our children take over the main roles and responsibilities in society. It is we, adults, who should take action first.
(Translated and uploaded on September 28, 2021)
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