"Kanjin Shugi" and the Patterns of Japanese Interpersonal and Public Communication

本研究以日本文化特有的新视角来解释日本的交际特征。过去以西方方法为指导的传播学研究试图将西方的本体论和认识论应用于日本的传播学。然而，这种西方的方法并不能充分揭示日本交际的特点。本研究试图以这一问题为出发点，运用滨口的“Kanjin Shugi”和“Kanjin”概念，以日本人特有的方法论视角来分析日语交际。2002年，对7名日本传播学研究者进行了定性访谈。这些访谈的结果显示，西方的方法论不能充分解释日本的人际和公共沟通过程，这些过程被整体地概念化为“Kanjin”。基于这一访谈结果，2003年对日本各地1500名年龄在23岁至74岁之间的日本人进行了邮件调查。从215份返回的调查中获得了答复。从他们的回答中，研究分析了受访者如何定义“沟通”一词，以及他们如何处理公共沟通情况。结果表明，大约60%的回答将沟通定义为类似于西方文化的“行为”，但40%的回答将沟通定义为与“Kanjin”相关的概念，例如与他人的关系和上下文或情境。在公共沟通情境方面，日本人的反应既有西方意义上的“说服”，也强调“Kanjin”的意义，比如在说话者和听众之间分享语境。本研究没有发现日本的传播完全与《关津书志》有关，但证明了日本的传播不能完全用西方的传播本体论和方法论来解释。

This research was conducted to explain Japanese communication characteristics by using a new perspective that is unique to the Japanese culture. Past research in communication that is guided by Western approach has tried to apply Western ontology and epistemology to Japanese communication. However, such Western approach cannot adequately unveil characteristics of Japanese communication. Basing this problem as a starting point, this research attempted to analyze Japanese communication through a methodological perspective unique to Japanese eyes using Hamaguchi's concepts of "Kanjin Shugi" and "Kanjin".In 2002, qualitative interviews were conducted with seven Japanese communication researcher-educators. The results of these interviews revealed that Western methodology could not adequately interpret processes in Japanese interpersonal and public communication that were conceptualized holistically as "Kanjin."Based on this interview finding, a mail survey was administered to 1500 Japanese between age of 23 and 74 living throughout Japan in 2003. Responses were obtained from 215 returned surveys. From their responses, the study analyzed how the respondents defined the word "communication" and how they approached a public communication situation. The results suggested that approximately 60% of the responses defined communication as "behaviors" similar to the Western cultures, but 40% of the responses conceptualized communication as concepts related to "Kanjin," such as relationships with others and contexts or situations. In terms of public communication situation, Japanese responses included the Western sense of "persuasion" and also emphasized the sense of "Kanjin," such as sharing the context between the speaker and the audience.The study failed to find that Japanese communication was entirely related to "Kanjin Shugi," but proved that Japanese communication could not be totally explained by Western ontology and methodology for communication.