A Sociology of Hikikomori: Experiences of Isolation, Family-Dependency, and Social Policy in Contemporary Japan Sekimizu Teppei
Hikikomori, which literally means "withdrawal," is considered an increasingly prevalent form of social isolation in Japanese society. This issue has been attracting worldwide attention for two decades…
Specifikacia A Sociology of Hikikomori: Experiences of Isolation, Family-Dependency, and Social Policy in Contemporary Japan Sekimizu Teppei
Hikikomori, which literally means "withdrawal," is considered an increasingly prevalent form of social isolation in Japanese society. This issue has been attracting worldwide attention for two decades and is now recognized as a problem for the youth as well as for middle-aged and older adults. Based on interviews with people who have experienced it, Teppei Sekimizu explores what the hikikomori experience is like from a sociological perspective. He also examines the characteristics of four decades of hikikomori discourse by governments, professionals, and mass media; the difficulties faced by parents with hikikomori children; and the social policy which has relegated most provision of welfare for citizens to the private sector. Through these examinations, the author illustrates how the exclusive labor market and familial social policies create masses of family-dependent and isolated