Features of the secondary parent-child relationship and adolescent development at the young men's house (neyako) in Toshijima Island, Mie Prefecture

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There are young men's houses called neyako in Toshijima Island, Mie Prefecture. Before leaving junior high school, the young men's parents ask Neya-oya parents to promote social education for their children to live in the community. The young men are closely related to not only their true parents but also the secondary parents (Neya-oya). After eating supper at home, the young people get together in the young men's house (neyako) almost every Saturday night At the neyako, social training is given to the young men by the Neya-oya parents. They learn precious moral values, about human relations with and respect for others in the community. Moreover they obtain useful advice on their career possibilities, and how to deal with the opposite sex.The present study aims to clarify features of the secondary parent-child relationship and adolescent development at the neyako using a participant-observer methodology and the interview method. The following results were obtained : (1) In a fisherman's family, a young man works on his father's fishing boat and learns fishery technology from him. (2) Because the guidance and learning is all based on the master-apprentice relationship, the father can take a stronger position against his son. (3) Neya-oya parents, who are usually nearer the young man's age than his true father can understand the young person's ambivalent feelings to his father At the same time, Neya-oya parents make the young man understand his father's feelings to his son. As a result, Neya-oya parents serve as a mediator between the young man and his father. These results were considered from the viewpoint of a traditional social system that supports youth development.