Discussion Board #7

Example:

Step #1 Select a US City from the list provided, then use the link provided or research, on your own, the sister city of chosen city. https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_the_United_States.html

From the list of US cities provided, I select Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture in Japan is the sister city of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Step #2 Share some geographic information on A) the U.S. city and B) the sister city. Including the following Where is the city located, population size and demographics, language(s) is/are spoken, and the structure of the education system.

A) Lee’s Summit, Missouri is located on the western side of Missouri on the edge of Kansas City. There are two counties that make up Lee’s Summit: Jackson and Cass. As of 2018, it is home to about 97,000 people. It is noted as one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Lee’s Summit is ranked 27th out of 100 on the list of best cities to live in the United States in 2010. The racial breakdown of Lee’s Summit is 85% White, 8% Black, and 7% other races combined. Females make the largest group with 52% and 48% males. The median income is $80, 500 and average household size is 2.7 persons. Seventy-six percent of the homes in Lee’s Summit, MO are owned and only 24% of them are rented. English is the language spoken in Lee’s Summit. There are five school districts in Lee’s Summit, however Lee’s Summit R-VII school district is the largest and services almost 70% of the area. The districts offer preschools, elementary, middle, and schools. Parents may choose from public district or private schools. Longview Community College is located on the western edge of the city. Summit Technology Center is a branch campus of University of Central Missouri and a satellite branch of Baker University also is located in the city.

B) Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture is located north of the city Honshu. It is in Fukushima Prefecture, which is the capital of Japan. Aizuwakamatsu, is in the center of the Aizu Basin and surrounded by volcanic mountains. Noted as one of the leading tourism industries in the country, the population of the city dropped to 120,841 people in 2018 from 137, 065 in 1995. Females outnumber the males with 52% compared to 48% males. Japanese is the native language of Aizuwakamatsu. The University of Aizu is located in this city. Children are required to attend school at the age of 6 years old. Although day care centers offer early preschool education. Aizuwakamatsu offers public and private kindergarten with over 80% of the children attending private kindergarten. Aizuwakamatsu offers private school until senior high school and those who attend private kindergarten continue private education throughout their academic career. The city offers public elementary and junior high schools. There are five public high schools, one combined junior/senior high, and two special education schools run by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education.

Step #3 Compare and contrast educational practices and policies of the two cities. Analyze your findings on the educational system using one of the major sociological perspectives.

Lee’s Summit is a growing city compared to Aizuwakamatsu. They both have similar practices for educating their youth. They offer elementary, middle/junior high, and senior high school. The conflict theory aligns with each of these cities when it comes to education. The largest district in Lee’s Summit, MO is home to the affluent members of the city and has a wealth of resources to offer the students who attend the schools in it. The four other districts provide education to students living in the rural areas and the amount of resources offered to the students are limited. Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture’s differences are seen in the early days of education. Children attend daycare or private kindergarten to provide the foundation of education just as public kindergarten. I believe that each city reproduces social inequality by the resources that it provides to the children. It is interesting how the children start out with an uneven playing field. Especially those in Aizuwakamatsu, those who do not attend daycare or the private kindergarten are at a disadvantage that will continue to grow all the way through high school.

References:

City Population. Retrieved from https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-admin.php?adm2id=07202

Great!Schools.org. Retrieved from https://www.greatschools.org/missouri/lee%27s-summit/

Lee’s Summit. (2019). Retrieved from https://cityofls.net/

Lonely Planet. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/aizu-wakamatsu/stats/language-spoken/a/nar/7873de36-7834-4cce-8f91-b470e07f3366/356760

Samurai City Aizuwakamatsu. (2016). Retrieved from http://samurai-city.jp/en/

Shirakawa, Y. (2010). Japan’s early education and child care departing from their foundations. Child Research Net. Retrieved from

http://www.childresearch.net/projects/ecec/2010_01.html

Tokoyo International. (2006). Retrieved from https://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/educ/01.html

United State Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml