WHAT DILEMMAS/PARADOXES/TENSIONS are explored in your research?
Paradox: Chinese people opening Japanese sushi restaurants
Tensions: Many Chinese people dislike Japanese people because of historic events
Paradox: Lenox Hill residents (wealthy) don’t know what an adjective is.
WHAT “BIG ISSUES” serve as a BACKGROUND to your research, and HOW DO YOU APPROACH THEM (why are they in your narrative and how do they contextualize it?)
Japanese restaurants: what are they selling (commodity value of Japanese culture) [I studied this through the interior design of Chinese vs. Japanese owned restaurants.) Chinese owned use a lot of bamboo decoration as dividers because they think their customers associate this with Asian food. Japanese only use wood in their interior design because it is the custom in Japan.]
How views of a culture are influenced by their experiences in restaurants of that culture [I approach this by interviewing people in Lenox Hill about 5 different culture categories of restaurants, and asked what are the first 3 adjectives that come to their mind when they think of each. – this indirectly compiles their experiences with those types of restaurants into the 3 adjectives they list.]
“authenticity” – how important or irrelevant [There is an imbalance between the importance of this because Chinese people are opening Japanese restaurants, some Japanese owned restaurants are compromising tradition to appeal to western tastes, and moresome, Japanese restaurants continue to serve traditional omaske in the correct setting and for a price that matches the quality.]
How stereotypes influence a person’s decisions and how to act. [The interviews also reveal stereotypes, more specifically the different views of Chinese and Japanese restaurants. These could’ve possibly lead to Chinese people deciding to open Japanese restaurants instead of Chinese.]
Gentrification: sushi restaurants can be a sign of how gentrified and “wealthier’ a neighborhood is.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE “BIG ISSUES” to your research? What are you more AWARE of now?
Chinese vs. Japanese interior design (what people interpret it to be vs. how it actually is)
I am more aware of the views of different cultures and how others appeal more than others. These views in turn influence business direction decisions: what will sell better and accommodate residents of a certain area. Regarding authenticity, there is a wide range of opinions of the importance of this. Some refuse to do anything outside of the original Japanese customs, others attempt to comprise the lack of this through a deeper connection through the community.