Cracking cultural nuts.

“Story structure is culturally dependent, not universal”, writes Jason Ohler in Chapter 10, Digital Storytelling in the Classroom (2008, pg.128, para.3). I agree with the author’s suggestion. Why do I agree?

(Fig.1. Tanuki statue.
Wikipedia, 2012).

Even a cursory review of Japanese literature will reveal the truth in Ohler’s contention. As an example, take the children’s tale of the Tanuki – raccoon-like creatures carrying bottles of booze!

(Fig.2. Tanuki "dolls with balls". Wikipedia, 2012).

With statues quite literally all over Japan, the iconic engorged nut-sacks on these dudes are really hard - um - to miss! 

Although it's culturally acceptable to depict otherwise cute and wholesome raccoons in this way to Japanese schoolchildren, creators of Western educational DSTs might not fair so well with their own nutty mis?-creations.

And this is Ohler's point in Chapter 10, it is wise to create DSTs with the intended learner fore-most in mind. Or you may end up ill-advisedly cracking on someone's cultural nut!