Japanese Society (book)

Last updated
Japanese Society
Japanese Society (1970 book).jpg
Author Chie Nakane
LanguageEnglish
Genre Sociology, Anthropology
Publisher Pelican
Publication date
1970
Publication place Japan
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages162
ISBN 978-0-14-021682-0
OCLC 1023276
309.1/52/04
LC Class HN723 .N31513 1973

Japanese Society (1970) is an analysis of the structure of Japanese society, written by Chie Nakane. The main theme of the book is the working of what Nakane calls "the vertical principle" in Japanese society, which is a series of social relations between two individuals, one of whom is senior and one of whom is junior. [1]

Nakane also formulates the criteria of 'attribute' and 'frame' to illuminate that way that groups are formed in Japan, and to compare Japan with other countries. Her thesis is that 'frame', which is circumstantial and may be "a locality, an institution or a particular relationship which binds a set of individuals into one group, [2] is more important that 'attribute', "which may be acquired not only by birth but by achievement", examples of which include "a definite descent group or caste". [2] This situation is contrasted with India.

See also

Notes

  1. The Asahi Shimbun (2021-11-09). "Vox Populi: Chie Nakane's grim assessment of Japan society still valid today". Asahi. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  2. 1 2 Nakane, Chie: "Japanese Society", page 1. Pelican, 1970.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokugawa shogunate</span> 1603–1868 Japanese military government

Tokugawa shogunate, aka the Edo shogunate, was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chie Nakane</span> Japanese anthropologist (1926–2021)

Chie Nakane was a Japanese anthropologist and Professor Emerita of Social Anthropology at the University of Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natsume Sōseki</span> Japanese novelist (1867–1912)

Natsume Sōseki, pen name Sōseki, born Natsume Kin'nosuke, was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat, Kusamakura and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and writer of haiku, kanshi poetry and fairy tales.

<i>The Asahi Shimbun</i> Japanese newspaper

The Asahi Shimbun is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and 1.33 million for its evening edition as of July 2021, was second behind that of the Yomiuri Shimbun. By print circulation, it is the second largest newspaper in the world behind the Yomiuri, though its digital size trails that of many global newspapers including The New York Times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genpei Akasegawa</span> Japanese artist

Genpei Akasegawa was a pseudonym of Japanese artist Katsuhiko Akasegawa, born March 27, 1937 – October 26, 2014 in Yokohama. He used another pseudonym, Katsuhiko Otsuji, for literary works. A member of the influential artist groups Neo-Dada Organizers and Hi-Red Center, Akasegawa went on to maintain a multi-disciplinary practice throughout his career as an individual artist. He has had retrospective exhibitions at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Chiba City Museum, and Oita City Museum. His work is in the permanent collection at Museum of Modern Art in New York. Artist Nam June Paik has described Akasegawa as “one of those unexportable geniuses of Japan.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Japan</span>

The mass media in Japan include numerous television and radio networks as well as newspapers and magazines in Japan. For the most part, television networks were established based on capital investments by existing radio networks. Variety shows, serial dramas, and news constitute a large percentage of Japanese evening shows.

Nihonjinron is a genre of historical and literary work that focuses on issues of Japanese national and cultural identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsuda University</span> Womens university, Kodaira, Tokyo

Tsuda University is a private women's university based at Kodaira, Tokyo. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher educational institutions for women in Japan, contributing to the advancement of women in society for more than a century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of social groups</span> Social groups

In the social sciences, social groups can be categorized based on the various group dynamics that define social organization. In sociological terms, groups can fundamentally be distinguished from one another by the extent to which their nature influence individuals and how. A primary group, for instance, is a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring relationships with one another. By contrast, a secondary group is one in which interactions are more impersonal than in a primary group and are typically based on shared interests, activities, and/or achieving a purpose outside the relationship itself.

Japanese values are cultural goals, beliefs and behaviors that are considered important in Japanese culture. From a global perspective, Japanese culture stands out for its higher scores in emancipative values, individualism, and flexibility compared to many other cultures around the world. There is a similar level of emphasis on these values in the cultures of the United States and Japan. However cultures from Western Europe surpass it in these aspects. Overall, Japanese society exhibits unique characteristics influenced by personal connections, consensus building, and a strong sense of community consciousness. These features have deep historical roots and reflect the values ingrained in Japanese society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto</span> Ward of Kyoto in Japan

Kamigyō-ku is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The ward was a district of residences for the royalty, aristocrats and upper classes in the old capital of JapanーHeian-kyō. Located in the center of the present-day city of Kyoto, Japan, it previously occupied the northern region of the ancient capital of Kyoto. The Kamo River flows on the eastern border of the ward.

Traditional Japanese political values are commonly characterized by a strong community sense and group solidarity and the importance of personal connections and consensus building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penal system of Japan</span> Penal system of the State of Japan

The penal system of Japan is part of the criminal justice system of Japan. It is intended to resocialize, reform, rehabilitate and punish offenders. The penal system is operated by the Correction Bureau of the Ministry of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chie</span> Name list

Chie is a Japanese feminine given name.

The Asahi Prize, established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatly contributed to the development and progress of Japanese culture and society at large.

A personal network is a set of human contacts known to an individual, with whom that individual would expect to interact at intervals to support a given set of activities. In other words, a personal network is a group of caring, dedicated people who are committed to maintain a relationship with a person in order to support a given set of activities. Having a strong personal network requires being connected to a network of resources for mutual development and growth.

In the social sciences, framing comprises a set of concepts and theoretical perspectives on how individuals, groups, and societies organize, perceive, and communicate about reality. Framing can manifest in thought or interpersonal communication. Frames in thought consist of the mental representations, interpretations, and simplifications of reality. Frames in communication consist of the communication of frames between different actors. Framing is a key component of sociology, the study of social interaction among humans. Framing is an integral part of conveying and processing data daily. Successful framing techniques can be used to reduce the ambiguity of intangible topics by contextualizing the information in such a way that recipients can connect to what they already know.

Nakane is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Social privilege is an advantage or entitlement that benefits individuals belonging to certain groups, often to the detriment of others. Privileged groups can be advantaged based on social class, wealth, education, caste, age, height, skin color, physical fitness, nationality, geographic location, cultural differences, ethnic or racial category, gender, gender identity, neurodiversity, physical disability, sexual orientation, religion, and other differentiating factors. Individuals can be privileged in one area, such as education, and not privileged in another area, such as health. The amount of privilege any individual has may change over time, such as when a person becomes disabled, or when a child becomes a young adult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikyaku</span> Historical courier system in Japan

Hikyaku (飛脚) were couriers in Japan who carried letters, documents, bills of exchange, and packages, using a system of relay stations under the bakufu military governments, beginning in the Kamakura period (1185–1333), gradually yielding to more modern systems beginning in 1858.