The Historical and Sociocultural Influences on Rugby Coach Pedagogy
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Seishin and Power: The Historical and Sociocultural Influences on Rugby Coach Pedagogy in Japanese and New Zealand Secondary Schools Blake C. Bennett A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of Canterbury 2016 Acknowledgements There have been many people who have supported me over the past four-and-a-half years. Naturally there have been many ups and downs, but it was the compassion and understanding of the following people, and many others, that enabled me to complete this thesis. Professor Ian Culpan has been an especially patient and enabling supervisor and mentor. His guidance along the way has taught me much about the topics of sport coaching and physical education, and how to navigate various complex issues. Equally instrumental in my journey and the completion of this work was Associate Professor Jeanne Kentel. Jeanne’s passion for research was an inspiration, and her extensive input and guidance has been instrumental to my completion. I am eternally grateful to both of them. My thanks, of course, also extends to the staff in the School of Sport and Physical education at the University of Canterbury. Each had private and professional hurdles to overcome during 2015, yet no one was too busy to show me support and guidance when I sought it. Thank you all. I am grateful to Iriguchi Yutaka, the young scholars of the ‘Iriguchi kenkyū shitsu’, and Professor Akamatsu of Osaka Kyoiku University for warmly welcoming me into their research community. Likewise, I am grateful to Professor Ota, Amano san, Yamagami Gen, and Higashimura Ken from Osaka Kyoiku University Kendo Club for their assistance and encouragement during my time in Japan. I would also like to thank the Consular Office of Japan (Christchurch) – in particular Maureen Heffernan and Tamaki Yoshiyuki – for providing me with an opportunity to extend myself and improve my Japanese language. Thanks to Nakatani Ryuji and Sakata ‘Demi’ Yoshihiro of the Japan Rugby Football Union; and also Mark Ealey, Sean O’Connell, and Hugh Galvan. These men were kind enough to take the time to hear about my research and offer me guidance and direction. In a similar vein, I have consulted with many kind and brilliant people such as Clive Moon, Tammi Martin, and Robyn Johnston. These people offered words that helped me to forge on. Thank you. In the final stretch of my write up I was lucky to join a likeminded postgraduate community in the Kirkwood Avenue Campus of the University of Canterbury. Not only did these people become my colleagues, but also my friends. Nga mihi nui to Suzie Stevens, Joe Hall, Anna McCone, Mohammad Shah Razak, Sibi Boycott Walter, Ricardo Pimenta and Bianca Aguiar, for the laughs and shared knowledge throughout 2015. I hope to continue to learn from you all no matter where we are or what we are doing. To my friends and students at the Sei Tou Ken Yu Kai Canterbury Kendo Club, thank you for tolerating my late arrivals to training, and for joining me in the cathartic process of bopping one another around with bamboo swords. Also to Professor Alex Bennett and Professor Makoto Saito for their guidance and perspectives in all things coaching, culture, research, and kendo – you have been invaluable to my development as a kendōka and kenkyūsha. I would also like to thank the Kunugihara family, the Katou family, the White family, and the Kinashi family for their support; both moral and financial throughout. To my father Bruce, my mother Linda, my older siblings Alex, Rhondda, Yoko, and my nephew Oscar – thank you for worrying about me, and reminding me that family, not a PhD, is not the most important thing in life. Finally and most importantly, to my wife Reimi. For as long as we have been together I have been a ‘bum (postgraduate) student’. You have always been by my side, picked me up from school in the wee hours, made sure I was eating right, and encouraged me to push ahead. You have done it tough, especially in 2015, and your love and support has taught me more than any article or book could. I wish to dedicate this thesis to you, and commit to returning the favour forevermore. 本論文を作成するに当たりご協力下さいました皆様に、心から御礼申し上げます。 誠にありがとうございました。 ii Abstract The literature indicates that the values of, and justification for, rugby participation in Japan and New Zealand share many similarities including the development of young males’ character. Aside from a small number of studies, there appears to be a scarcity of research concerning the historical and sociocultural influences on pedagogies in Japanese high school rugby, and a similar sentiment could be made regarding New Zealand secondary school rugby contexts. Accordingly, the question guiding this research asked: What are the historical and sociocultural influences on pedagogical approaches in rugby from the perspectives of secondary school coaches and players in Japan and New Zealand? Conversations with four Japanese coaches and their players, five New Zealand coaches and their players, and researcher experiences as a bilingual athlete and coach were the main sources of data. A hermeneutic methodology, which seeks to understand and interpret, rather than explain and verify, was used in analysis. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory acts as a complimentary theoretical framework from which to make hermeneutic interpretations of the conversations with participants from each context. The mutual influences of historical, social, cultural, and individual factors on learning, development and a person’s vantage point (perspective) are underscored. Analysis utilised the whole-part-whole process of the hermeneutic circle, and revealed that the Japanese data highlighted the sociocultural influence of seishin ideology as an underpinning part of coaching practices. In a (bukatsudō) setting that often requires players to attend training up to six or seven days per week, it was suggested that the seishin ideology – aimed at the kitae (forging) of players’ kokoro (mind/spirit) and bodies – reinforced the encouragement of varying kinds of kimochi (feeling/attitude/vitality); and the objective of ningen keisei (character development or human cultivation). Findings were considered in light of Yuasa’s (1987) idea of Eastern understandings of harsh corporeal practices as a means to cultivate an achieved unity of body and mind. Further, the historical influence of budō (the Martial Arts) was also considered (Inoue, 1997). Pedagogy in Japan was characterized as coach centred and was framed as a Bushidō coach approach (Miller, 2011). Interpretation of New Zealand texts revealed a focus on developing correct technique and skills, maintaining order in the session, and the perceived importance of position as a teacher. Through recursive analysis using the hermeneutic circle, discussion iii of these findings focused on the use of control, power, and discipline in learning environments. Interpretations drew on Mangan’s (1981) and Phillips’ (1996) suggestion of rugby as a ‘soldier making’ pursuit; and Foucault’s (1977) and Kirk’s (1997) notion of the ‘schooled body’ in which to understand the historical and socio-cultural influences in the New Zealand context. Alignment of Japanese coaches’ approaches with that of the Bushido coach (Miller, 2011) and the emphasis placed on maintaining control by New Zealand coaches was contrasted by data which indicated that attempts at player-centred pedagogies were made by the Japanese and New Zealand coaches. However, interpretations made from analysis of both coach and player data indicated that coach-centred pedagogies were still dominant in each context. The absence of reference to the possible educative or character developing possibilities of participation in rugby was revealed in the New Zealand data, despite a similar line of conversation in Japan. Discussion questioned whether this noteworthy finding indicated that the educative intent of rugby has either shifted, or, perhaps, become so ingrained that it operates at an implicit level in New Zealand. Notwithstanding, if indeed educative intentions were implicit and inherent in the New Zealand secondary school rugby context, what were the implications of leaving these objectives unarticulated? Further, what is the role of rugby in schools, if no clear educative intent is evident? These questions offer important direction for future research. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. v Publications Arising from this Thesis ............................................................................. x Conventions ...................................................................................................................... xi Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... xii Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................................... xiii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xiv List of Figures .................................................................................................................