So it has occurred to me, and numerous times at that, how what this project is not about is just as important as what this project is about. To that end, here’s what I’m not trying to do:
- I am not trying to prove that all Japanese construct sexuality in the same way.
- I am not assuming that English is “better” than Japanese.
- I am not examining sexual behaviour as much as I am examining the connections between the presence of English in Japan and constructions/revelations of sexuality.
- I am not assuming that Japanese consider, construct, or perform sexuality exactly as Americans do.
- I am not assuming the presence of a queer “identity” in Japan, though I do believe that for some, this is actually a reality.
- I am not using queer to reference hurtful or negative connotations, but rather, I am following Barbara Summerhawk and Judith Halberstam’s lead and learning from modern, academic queer theory that the word “queer” can reference any non-heteronormative expression, sexual or otherwise.
- I am not attempting to continue imperialist, colonialist or hegemonic practices when it comes to the imposition of one language or culture over another. Rather, I’m curious about the ramifications of such phenomenon on human sexuality.
- I am not a “straight-hater”, but I am omitting major discussions of heterosexuality in order to narrowly focus on a specific group of people and their social, linguistic, and sexual practices.
- I am not interested in proving that a group of people all do one thing, or should do one thing, rather, I am trying to show how sociolinguistic practices, and ideas about specific sociocultural communities influence varieties of human behavior, especially around sexualities. As such, the results of this research will not be immediately generalizable to an entire population, but rather will illustrate how specific individuals are affected by linguistic practices and exposure.
