Amae

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Amae ( Jap. 甘え , such as: following ) is a term from the Nihonjinron (Jap. 日本人論 ). It is a central term in the work of the author Takeo Doi , which shaped and popularized him. Amae describes the simultaneous desire for security and dependence. Amae is the noun of the verb "amaeru" (to lean, also in the sense of "let yourself be pampered").

Amae in childhood

Amae is a dependency need between mother and child. Due to the child's need for protection, there is a natural dependence on the mother. The moment the child recognizes the mother as an individual of its own, it develops the need to be loved by the mother.

A child's right to be able to live it up results in the mother being extremely lenient. This fool's freedom of the child results in excessive care for the mother, which is irritating by Western standards.

Amae in adults

According to Takeo Doi, adult Japanese and Western individuals differ in their dealings with one another by a different need for amae. These different needs arise from differences in society and upbringing.

Takeo Doi attributes the differences to the Japanese people's stronger longing for Amae. While individual freedom has a high priority in Western societies, Japanese society is shaped by the individual's desire for security in the respective group (Japanese uchi 内 , for example: inside ) and demarcation from other groups (Japanese soto 外 , about: outside ).

The cause of these differences are social developments that go back thousands of years:

  • In Japanese society: The superior of a group (e.g. the emperor or the boss of a company) depends on the support of the members of the group (e.g. the consultants, the people, the employees of the company). The support is rewarded by the assumption of responsibility by the superior (Japanese hohitsu, 輔弼 , roughly: support ).
  • In Western societies: A strong appreciation of the individual and personal responsibility for one's own deeds towards God, shaped by Christianity.

Takeo Doi sees Amae as an explanation for many characteristics of Japanese society:

  • There is a high level of responsibility towards members of one's own group, e.g. B. the family or the company.
  • Thanks and appreciation in your own group are a matter of course. There is a high level of trust in the appreciation by the members of their own group, even without this being explicitly stated.
  • Individuals outside of their own group are ignored.
  • Gifts or benefits to outsiders lead to obligations.

literature

  • Takeo Doi: Amae - freedom in security. On the structure of the Japanese psyche. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1982, ISBN 3-518-11128-0 .
  • Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, New York 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 .
  • Takeo Doi: Amae: A key term for understanding the Japanese personality structure. In: Ulrich Menzel (ed.): In the shadow of the winner: Japan. Volume 1: Culture and Society. Frankfurt am Main 1989, ISBN 3-518-9768-7 , pp. 98-110.
  • Kazuo Kato: Functions and structure of amae: personality-social, cognitive, and cultural psychological approaches. Kyushu 2005.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 , pp. 74f.
  2. ^ Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 , pp. 40ff.
  3. ^ Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 , pp. 58ff.
  4. ^ Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 , pp. 92ff.
  5. ^ Takeo Doi: The anatomy of dependence. Kodansha, 2014, ISBN 978-1-56836-551-0 .