JLPT N3: として (as)

として basically means "as."

This is "as" when it is used to state one's role, qualification, etc.

An example:

会社の代表として、その会議に参加した。
かいしゃ　の　だいひょう　として、　その　かいぎ　に　さんか　した。
I attended the meeting as a representative of the company.
Literally: “company + の + representative + として, + that + meeting + に + participation + did.”

Constructing phrases with として is quite easy. Just put a NOUN in front of it:

NOUN ＋ として
as (a) NOUN

Another example:

ハリケーンで家を失った人のために、個人としてもできる支援があるはずだ。
ハリケーン　で　いえ　を　うしなった　ひと　の　ために、　こじん　として　も　できる　しえん　が　ある　はずだ。
Even as an individual, there should be some way that you [I] can help people that lost their homes in the hurricane.
Literally: “hurricane + で + house + を + lost + person + の + for the sake of, + individual + として + も + can do + support / aid + が + there is + はずだ (=there should be).”

The NOUN before として does not need to be a person's title or role. For example, we can say:

いくつかの国では、医療用としての大麻の使用が認められている。
いくつか　の　くに　で　は、　いりょう　よう　として　の　たいま　の　しよう　が　みとめられている。
The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is permitted in a number of countries.
Literally: “some / several + の + country + では, + medical use + として + の + cannabis / hemp + の + use + が + is recognized / is approved.”

It may help to imagine that the translation says "The use of cannabis as medicine is..."

Here we have what I think is the most difficult example in this lesson:

道徳の授業の一環として、アイマスクをして外を歩く体験をした。
どうとく　の　じゅぎょう　の　いっかん　として、　アイマスク　を　して　そと　を　あるく　たいけん　を　した。
I went out while wearing an eye mask in order to better understand what life is like for people who cannot see.
Literally: “morals + の + lesson / teaching + の + part / link + として, + eye mask + を + do (and) + outside + を + walk + personal experience + を + did.”

I personally am still not that good at using "X の一環として..."

Just the other day, my editor used this exact phrase in one of his emails, and I thought, "Man, I should really learn to make sentences like this."

Specifically, he was writing me from Fukushima, where he and his wife were staying for a few days. He said:

復興支援の一環として、宿に泊まったり買い物をしたりして明後日東京に戻ります。
ふっこう　しえん　の　いっかん　として、　やど　に　とまったり　かいもの　を　したり　して　あさって　とうきょう　に　もどります。
In order to support recovery efforts, we’re staying at a (local) hotel and shopping and whatnot. We’ll go back to Tokyo the day after tomorrow.
Literally: “revival / recovery + support + の + part / link + として, + inn / lodging / hotel + に + (doing things like) staying (and) + shopping + を + (doing things like) doing (and) + do (and) + the day after tomorrow + Tokyo + に + return.”

If you didn't know, Fukushima has never fully recovered from the earthquake there in 2011.

Anyway, in both of the above sentences I put "in order to" for として, but maybe you can think of a way to use "as" in an English translation. Or even better, maybe you can understand the Japanese without even worrying about how to put it into English naturally. ^^

The NOUN that comes before として can also be the position from which something is judged or evaluated.

We do this in English, too, saying things like "As a parent, I think this book is offensive."

Sadly, none of our translations below will be quite so straightforward. But with your amazing brain, I'm sure you can do some mental gymnastics to figure out how the NOUN before として is describing the position of judging or evaluating something:

私としては、多数決で決めることに賛成です。
わたし　として　は、　たすうけつ　で　きめる　こと　に　さんせい　です。
Personally, I am in favor of deciding by majority rule.
Literally: “I + として + は, + majority rule + で + decide + こと + に + agreement / approval + です.”

子供を虐待する人は、親としてよりも人として最低だ。
こども　を　ぎゃくたい　する　ひと　は、　おや　として　より　も　ひと　として　さいてい　だ。
People that abuse their children aren’t just terrible (as) parents; they’re terrible (as) people.
Literally: “child + を + abuse / cruelty / mistreatment + do + person + は, + parent + として + more than (=より) + も + person + として + the worst + だ.”

The end!

Language Nerd として, I think this lesson is quite useful. We even have a real-world example of somewhere that I encountered として！

So, Great Student として, I'm sure you'll read and re-read it until you've mastered every bit of Japanese above.