READING RESPONSE

Reading Response: Japanese Science and Western Hegemonies & Japanese Physicists' Strategies for Moving into the International Political Economy of Science

Reading Response: Japanese Science and Western Hegemonies & Japanese Physicists' Strategies for Moving into the International Political Economy of Science

Introduction

The scientific study of monkey and apes is called Primatology. It is a diverse field of research, and covered by various disciplines such as zoology, biology, veterinary science, anthropology, medicine, and psychology. The study of Primatology covers both extinct and living primates, and studied the aspects of their evolution and behavior by conducting field studies and experiments.

The Japanese approach of Primatology was developed from animal ecology. Kinji Imanishi, Junichiro Itani and Junichiro studied primate. Japanese discipline of Primatology focuses on social aspects of primates. Anthropology and social evolution are prime aspects of Japanese Primatology approach. They studied primates to get insight of human nature duality, explicitly social self vs. individual self. Japanese Primatology thought that accurate data comes through identification with the subject, which reflects the setting of observation was casual. In Japanese Primatology, the subject was generally numbered and named. This approach is more interested in complex interaction among primates. Japanese Primatology is a collective and group approach (Fedigan & Asquith, 1991).

Western Primatology focused on the study of primates under medical research. Later on, several experiments were made on chimpanzees to observe intelligence and limitations of primate's brainpower. Western study of primates focuses on psychological and biological aspects of non-human primates, and ties to find similarities between primates and humans. Western approach believes that the nature of observation must be controlled or either extremely limited. Western approach of Primatology employed three mythologies that are realistic approach, field study and laboratory study.

Discussion

The Western study of Primatology argued about the outcome of provisioning on processes and behavior of population; while, Japanese debated about the human relationship with monkeys they were providing food and how it permitted experimentation to be done.

Japanese idea of experimentation based on long-term observations that provided them advantage to study the behavioral aspect of primates in terms of culture or subculture; whereas, Western studies were restricted to few weeks to months that resulted in disadvantage, as they were unable to encounter current variability among groups as well as change in groups and individuals over time.

Japanese methodology of observation was subjective in nature. Due to subjectivity in methodology, increase probability that primate's behavior were influenced by the researcher. Therefore, did not allow conducting objective assessment and resulted in biased analysis of subject behavior by the researcher. Western Primatology employed objective methodology thereby had an advantage to observe the behavior of primates accurately. Hence, the assessment of Western researchers was strictly neutral in the study of animals that was thought to be unique. On the other hand, Japanese made contact with the monkeys.

Western researchers used controlled mechanism to study the behavior of monkeys and ape. They observe non human group of primates under controlled mechanism of norms and rules in order to observe the dominance behavior of ...