Connectedness Versus Separateness: Applicability of Family Therapy to Japanese Families

Family Process - Tập 31 Số 4 - Trang 319-340 - 1992
Takeshi Tamura1, Annie Lau2
1Faculty of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan
2Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Redbridge Child and Family Consultation Centre and King George Hospital, Ilford, England.

Tóm tắt

This article, a product of the two authors' multicultural experiences, contrasts British and Japanese families in order to examine the applicability of the Western model of family therapy to Japanese families and therapists. Areas where the Western model is incompatible are identified, and modifications to fit the Japanese indigenous model are suggested. The most significant difference in value systems between the two cultures is the Japanese preference for connectedness. The Japanese person is seen as a part of the embedded interconnectedness of relationships, whereas British norms prioritize separateness and clear boundaries in relationships, individuality, and autonomy. This value orientation is manifested in the Japanese language, hierarchical nature of the family structure, the family life cycle, and the implicit communication style. Systemic thinking, which deals with the pattern of relationships, is valid for all families regardless of cultural differences. But therapists should note that the preferred direction of change for Japanese families in therapy, is toward a process of integration — how a person can be effectively integrated into the given system — rather than a process of differentiation. An authoritative therapist style, the use of individual sessions, silence, and other nonverbal techniques are relevant to bringing about the desired change toward better integration of the individual with his or her networks.

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Family Process

Tập 31 Số 4

319-340

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