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| Japanese Society (Center for Japanese and Korean Studies) | 
 enlarge | Author: Chie Nakane
Publisher: University of California Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy Used: $0.08
You Save: $19.87 (100%)
New (16) Used (69) from $0.08
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 512918
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 188
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 0520021541
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.0952
EAN: 9780520021549
ASIN: 0520021541
Publication Date: February 1, 1972
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-10 of 10 | | « PREV | | |
 Structuralism and Jpanese Culture September 15, 2004
From the very beginning of Japanese Society, Chie Nakane explains her dedication to the structuralist approach to understand Japanese society, "I have used wide-ranging suggestive evidence as material to illustrate the crucial aspects of Japanese life, for the understanding of the structural core of Japanese society. . ." (viii). Where Ruth Benedict admits to the limited evidence at her disposal in drawing her conclusions, Nakane boasts that her belonging to the culture which she is attempting to define will aid in her critical analysis. Nakane's goal with the text is to use her understanding of Japanese culture to draw conclusions about its basic components. With this knowledge, Nakane should be able explain all aspects of Japanese culture in relation to the a few basic underlying elements and rules. The assumption that Nakane's structuralist approach makes is that all actions taken by individuals in a given society can be traced to a limited number of cultural facets that are shared by all individuals that belong to a common culture.
The benefit of the structural approach is that it produces concrete results and information that can help in understanding a given culture. Benedict's approach assumed that when Japan entered the modern era, the cultural traditions were rendered inert and unchanging. Nakane's approach allows for traditional Japanese culture to be more organic. The traditional Japanese values grow to find new applications in a modern context. The problem is that this model implies is that traditional culture appears to precede the people that live it. Though the traditional values are intact, no new cultural identity can be formed as time goes on. The structural is tic approach relies on the basic elements of culture not changing.
Nakane uses her expression of Japanese hierarchy to explain much of Japanese culture throughout her book, "In abstract terms, the essential types of human relations can be divided, according to the two ways in which ties are organized, into two categories: vertical and horizontal," (23). Nakane's initial assumption about systems of organizing social relationships could be applied to any group of people, not just the Japanese. She uses this idea of hierarchy to express how Japanese relationships are formed. Most of the text is devoted to showing how all Japanese relationship fit into this vertical and horizontal model. Of course, if the reader agrees with her initial assumptions then there is no way to disagree with her argument. Nakane's structuralist approach uses deductive reasoning to draw conclusions, so her basic argument is made infallible as long as the reader agrees with her initial assumptions.
Another flaw in Nakane's argument is that many of her conclusions about the bare essentials of Japanese culture have changed greatly since the time the book was written. In 1970, Japan had not yet experienced the bubble economy nor the eventual recession. Many of the main points of the text's argument have decayed and lost their rigidity in face of Japan's failing economy, globalization and the eroding of traditional cultural values. Nakane's book gives an incredibly acute insight into Japanese society in the 1970's but many of its conclusions do not apply to contemporary Japanese culture. I am not attempting to deny that the underlying principles of Japanese culture and society have disappeared or drastically changed. The great frustration I had with this book is that in the past 20 years, many of the supposedly essential features of Japanese culture have lost their importance. The book left me feeling that The conclusions of a structural argument depend too much on the circumstances in which they were written and less on any objective point-of view. Japanese Society attempts to quantitatively define and explain Japanese culture. I do not think that that is possible.
 If you would seek to understand Japan, read this book. March 5, 2002
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
While no book can give you full understanding of culture, Japanese Society opens the door to understanding. The style, while academic, is clear and accessible. The book is concise and informative. Anime and manga fans, as well as Japanophiles, will find that this text clears up a lot of the strange interactions to be found in popular Japanese culture.
A long-selling book March 7, 2000
This book is a long-selling book and can be found in almost any local bookstore in Japan. The contents are worth reading for many Japanese, not only for those interested in an introduction to Japanese society and education. I believe that many Japanese are hoping that the systems and structures change and thus a book like this has become a best seller.
One of the best February 21, 2000
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
What Professor Nakane wrote in this book is still true in Japan. In contrast to the Edwin O. Reischauer's books, Nakane's book contains truths.I recommend this book to anyone dealing with Japanese.
Great for any foreiner wanting to understand the Japanese. April 8, 1999
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I found this book an invaluable source of information about the intricacies of Japanese society. A must for anyone who wants to live in Japan or work with the Japanese. Nakane Chie provides an inside look into the way of thinking that permeates Japanese society. A must for any foreigner.
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