V Bradley
Word Count 1099
Discuss the similarities and differences between any TWO societies. In your answer, make reference to the role of cultures, norms, values and inequality in social organization.

There are many similarities and differences between the cultures of Japan and Britain, this essay will look at some of these including religion, education, norms, values and inequalities in their social organizations. According to Google’s public data there are 127, 817, 277 people living in Japan compared to 62, 641, 000 living in Britain. (Google, 2011)
There are two main religions in Japan, Shinto and Buddhism. These religions do not play a big part in everyday life, although the Japanese do follow religious rituals at ceremonies
Very similar to the men of Britain, Japanese men start the marriage process by proposing to women and only monogamous relationships are allowed. Miai is a tradition which is practiced in Japan where unmarried people and their families meet to interview and inspect each other for the possibility of marriage. Class and wealth are also considered during a Miai. For a marriage to take place, it is normally a mutual decision made by both genders. (eHow, 1999-2013)

When comparing the Japanese and British education system, it is interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two. The ways of attending school are similar in which children attend primary, junior and senior schools and for six hours per day on a weekday. Uniforms are also worn in both societies. The difference in the school calendar however is different. The Japanese school year starts in April (after a child’s 6th birthday) and ends late March. For Britain, school begins in September (after a child’s 4th birthday) and ends mid July. Students in Japan can choose to leave school at fifteen, whereas in Britain the age was raised to sixteen in 1972 from 1947 where the compulsory age was 15. (Haralambos & Holborn, 2008) Japanese schools have three terms per year where the British have six.
Schools in Japan do not have cleaners in their schools, unlike British schools, the children do all the cleaning themselves. Cummings (Cited in Understanding Japanese Society 1995:100)