Reviewing Japanese Concepts of Amae and Ie to Deeper Understand the Relevance of Secure-Base Behavior in the Context of Japanese Caregiver-Child Interactions

UMEMURA, Tomotaka and John TRAPHAGAN. Reviewing Japanese Concepts of Amae and Ie to Deeper Understand the Relevance of Secure-Base Behavior in the Context of Japanese Caregiver-Child Interactions. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Sciences. 2015, vol. 49, No 4, p. 714-736. ISSN 1932-4502. doi:10.1007/s12124-015-9316-4.

Basic information

• Original name: Reviewing Japanese Concepts of Amae and Ie to Deeper Understand the Relevance of Secure-Base Behavior in the Context of Japanese Caregiver-Child Interactions
• Authors: UMEMURA, Tomotaka (392 Japan, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and John TRAPHAGAN (840 United States of America).
• Edition: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, 2015, 1932-4502.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50100 5.1 Psychology and cognitive sciences
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 1.088
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/15:00083279
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12124-015-9316-4
• UT WoS: 000364398200007
• Keywords in English: Attachment; Secure base; Amae; Japanese culture; Cross-culture
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Attachment theorists believe that children rely on their caregivers for protection and exploration. Due to this emphasis on independent exploration, however, the extent to which this notion of secure-base behavior is valid in societies emphasizing belongingness, such as Japan, has been questioned. By conducting an in-depth exploration of two Japanese collectivistic concepts, amae and ie, the present paper reexamines the relevance of secure-base behavior in Japan. Current discussions of amae have relied on psychoanalytic concepts that were developed in Western culture, and thus may not accurately represent Japanese parent-child relations. By examining another traditional concept of the family system, ie, this paper proposes that attachment theory is relevant in Japanese culture because children’s individual competence is important to their families.

Links

• EE2.3.30.0037, research and development project: Name: Zaměstnáním nejlepších mladých vědců k rozvoji mezinárodní spolupráce