Yoko Yamamoto, Ph.D. Student Cognition and Development Major: B.A., Child Development, Kobe College, Japan / M.A., Sociology, Kobe College, Japan Career Plans: Researcher or university professor Home: Ehime, Japan

"Studying at Berkeley has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to learn and understand many things from different viewpoints, and sometimes to question attitudes or values that I had previously learned or internalized in Japan."

My background:
I worked as a program coordinator for the Trans-Pacific Student Exchange Program at Ehime University School of Medicine in Ehime, Japan for six years. When I came to Berkeley I took a number of graduate courses in different programs, including education, sociology, and anthropology. This helped me to clarify my research interests and made me decide to pursue a Ph.D. in human development.

My reasons for choosing Berkeley:
I was interested in working with my current advisor, Dr. Susan Holloway, who has done research on Japanese preschools and families. When I first attended her class, I was fascinated by her cross-cultural approaches. For me, she was also the perfect person to work with because she is caring, trusting, and passionate about her research.

My current work:
I am currently working on a project about parenting among Japanese mothers in Osaka, Japan. I have been involved in the process from its beginning: designing the research plan, conducting interviews in Japan, and analyzing the data. This experience has provided me with training that will serve as a foundation for my dissertation work in Japan in the future.

Life as an international student:
Studying in Berkeley as an international student is challenging but exciting. The challenges have been to pursue my graduate studies as a non-native speaker and in a culture where I am a minority. But at the same time, it has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to learn and understand many things from different viewpoints, and sometimes to question attitudes or values that I had previously learned or internalized in Japan. Although there are not many international students in the GSE, I have found that the faculty and students are generally open and respect different cultures.

My impressions of the Bay Area:
The weather is great, the flowers are beautiful and bloom year-round, and the people are fun to be with. The abundance of diverse cultures in the Bay Area makes it a great place to live as a foreigner. The only drawback is that housing is expensive.

 

 

Resume — Publications — Projects — Other Interests