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Individualizing Japan: searching for its origin in first modernity
Munenori Suzuki1, Midori Ito, Mitsunori Ishida
1Hosei University, Japan.
The British Journal of Sociology
|September 16, 2010
Summary
Japanese society faces instability as traditional corporate and government structures collapse. This shift creates anxiety and a need for new systems supporting individual security and self-realization.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Social Policy
- Modernization Studies
Background:
- Japanese society experienced major changes since the mid-1990s, leading to collapsed social order and integration.
- Traditional risk management mechanisms like company-centrism and developmentalism have eroded due to globalization and neoliberal policies.
- The decline of lifetime employment and seniority wages has weakened social security nets, increasing societal anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the societal transformations in Japan since the 1990s.
- To identify the causes and consequences of the collapse of traditional social structures.
- To explore the challenges faced by individuals navigating a rapidly changing social landscape.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of societal trends.
- Review of economic and social policies impacting Japanese society.
- Examination of sociological shifts in family structures and individual aspirations.
Main Results:
- The erosion of company-centrism and developmentalism has led to increased poverty among young urban workers and community collapse in marginal areas.
- Inadequate public social security measures exacerbate poverty issues.
- Individuals in Japan are increasingly torn between the drive for self-realization and the desire for secure employment.
Conclusions:
- Japan is entering an era of second modernity (reflexive modernization) characterized by heightened individualization and insecurity.
- Existing social and economic policies are insufficient to address the new challenges.
- There is a critical need for new systems that provide individuals with material and spiritual 'elbowroom' for choice and security.
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