I am pleased to share a new contribution to the field of cultural psychology, recently published by Routledge:
Book Details:
Title: The Challenges of Cultural Psychology: Historical Legacies and Future Responsibilities
Editors: Gordana Jovanović, Lars Allolio-Näcke, and Carl Ratner
Publisher: Routledge (2018)
This volume offers a comprehensive look at the historical foundations and future directions of cultural psychology. My contribution focuses on a re-examination of the Japanese self.
Chapter 17: The Self in Japanese Culture from an Embodied Perspective Shogo Tanaka (Tokai University)
In this chapter, I aim to move beyond the traditional "West vs. East" dichotomy that has long dominated cross-cultural psychology.
While existing literature often defines the Japanese self as "interdependent," "collective," or "relationship-dependent," I propose that these characteristics can be better understood through the lens of embodiment. By shifting the focus to the embodied mind—a paradigm that has radically changed the cognitive sciences since the 1990s—we can find a more universal path to understanding the self.
If the self is fundamentally embodied, then "independence" and "interdependence" are not merely cultural labels, but different ways an embodied self can be constituted regardless of background.
This chapter may be of particular interest to those exploring the intersection of phenomenology, embodiment, and culture. If you would like to discuss these themes further, please feel free to reach out.
Best,
Shogo
