Sociological Research Concerned with Entrepreneurial Spirit and Money Consciousness in Modern Japan

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For Japan it is interesting to consider how, in wider society, money consciousness and economic ethics were formed and have changed since the beginning of the modern era. Taking up this theme, the current inquiry concentrates its analytical gaze on the social and historical background of the life circumstances and outlook of the economic elite.During the modernization that took place after the Meiji Restoration, money consciousness and economic ethics in Japan underwent radical alteration. Playing a main role in these changes were the economic elite who promoted industrialization in the new era. Through various media, values arising from their spending and economic activities were actively presented as guiding principles to the general public. In these accounts, certain entrepreneurs and modes of economic action were strongly advocated as ideal types worthy of emulation. The money consciousness and economic ethics of modern Japan cannot be understood without knowledge, analysis, and di … More scussion of the life circumstances of the economic elite. This study provisionally takes stock of life circumstances from the Meiji Era through Taisho to prewar Showa. The analysis also takes into consideration how social circumstances beyond the sphere of business activities surrounding the economic elite influenced their behavior. Concretely, this study discusses the points listed below.1. The kinds of process that were involved during the Meiji Era in gaining social recognition for the elite group, known as "gentlemen" (shinshi), of the affluent social strata.2. The types of image presented by magazines and other media of the affluent strata and the economic elite.3. The types of business ideology formulated by the economic elite and the things held to be indicators of financial success ; moreover, the strategies that individuals deployed to raise their social prestige among their peers.4. The ways in which economic journalism contributed to raising the social standing of the economic elite and the social prestige of business. Less