Amae: Japan’s deep connection to childish relationships

thomas · 14 Dec 2019

The BBC on amae, a concept that does not seem to be unique to Japan.

Japan’s deep connection to childish relationships

Power sharing, babyish begging or narcissistic manipulation, amae can be all this and more, and chances are you’ve done it too.

www.bbc.com

Power sharing, babyish begging or narcissistic manipulation, amae can be all this and more, and chances are you've done it too.

"Amae appears in any relationship, at any age, and can be positive or negative," says Kazuko Behrens, who has extensively studied amae in both her native Japan as well as in the US, where she is an associate professor of psychology at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. "It's unique in Japan because one word takes care of so many phenomena, behaviours and interactions", from a toddler crying to be picked up to a wife begging her husband for an expensive gift, "but amae exists everywhere beyond Japan and people can identify it in their lives, even if they didn't know what to call it."

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247701840_A_Multifaceted_View_of_the_Concept_of_Amae_Reconsidering_the_Indigenous_Japanese_Concept_of_Relatedness

Buntaro · 15 Dec 2019

Hey Thomas, have you read The Anatomy of Dependence by Chie Nakane?

musicisgood · 15 Dec 2019

Amae, never heard of it. But I just learned something about "soft power". Interesting.
Thanks Buntaro, book sounds to be interesting.

thomas · 15 Dec 2019

Buntaro said:
Hey Thomas, have you read The Anatomy of Dependence by Chie Nakane?

Not yet. I have read Doi Takeo's book by the same title (?), but that was over 20 years ago. Time to reread on the topic, thanks!

joadbres · 15 Dec 2019

There does not seem to be any such book by that title written by Chie Nakane. Nakane wrote Japanese Society. I think the two are being conflated here.

Buntaro · 15 Dec 2019

thomas said:
I have read Doi Takeo's book by the same title (?), but that was over 20 years ago.

Oops, I got two books mixed up.

The Anatomy of Dependence by Takeo Doi

Japanese Society by Chie Nakane

I consider these two books to be essential to anyone who wants to understand Japanese society.

Thomas, I also read both of them many years ago.

Buntaro · 18 Dec 2019

I want to add that Dr. Nakane was/is a giant in the world of Women's Lib in Japan. She was quite a role model back in the day.

"In 1970, Nakane became the first female professor at the University of Tokyo, where she served as Director of the Institute of Oriental Culture in 1980-1982. She was also Professor at Osaka University and the National Museum of Ethnology and Visiting Professor at Cornell University in 1975-1980. Nakane retired from the University of Tokyo in 1987.[4] In 1995, she became the first and only female member of the Japan Academy."

Chie Nakane - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Amae: Japan’s deep connection to childish relationships

thomas

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Japan’s deep connection to childish relationships

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Chie Nakane - Wikipedia

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