Japanese Society (1970 book)
Encyclopedia
Japanese Society is an analysis of the structure of Japan
ese society
, written by Nakane Chie
. 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.
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, 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
". This situation is contrasted with India
.
The book is broken down into four chapters:
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, written by Nakane Chie
Nakane Chie
is a Japanese author and anthropologist. She studied at the University of Tokyo after World War II. She is noteworthy in part as one of very few women of her generation in Japan to become a professor at a major Japanese university. She is most famous for her 1970 book, Japanese Society.- Books :*...
. 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.
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, 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
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
". This situation is contrasted with India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The book is broken down into four chapters:
- Criteria of Group Formation
- The Internal Structure of the Group
- The Overall Structure of the Society
- Characteristics and Value Orientation of Japanese Man