The conclusion of this thesis is that despite contrasting educational foundations, a unique
philosophy of education inspired by different cultural traditions has evolved in both Japan
and Norway. From the early foundations of the educational system through today, this
philosophy of education has enabled a distinctive approach to the development and
implementation of ideas surrounding moral values education. However, as populations
diversify and geographical borders change, multiple modernities must be considered.
Grossman (2004) shared Tu’s (1998) perspective that modernization is not “homogenizing
and linear,” rather “a process that can assume different cultural forms” and the potential for
hybrid democratic systems to form, based on local, regional, and global patters, is the result
(quoted in Grossman, p. 1). Education remains one of the fundamental tools in fostering
democracy in the nation state. One of the aims of education is to develop character or
promote a moral outlook and the curriculum should adequately reflect the philosophical,
educational, and practical components of this foundation. Culture matters, too, by
influencing the attributes of the individual and the collective and distinguishing the diversity
in values among societies. Moral values education simply cannot be effective without
considering this point. Culture shapes the manner in which we communicate, our
relationships, the way we see ourselves and the way we view others. It influences the
direction of nations and the people driving them, the understanding of democratic principles
and their implementation. Culture characterizes the source of our character.