著者

石川 良子

出版者

社会学研究会

雑誌

ソシオロジ (ISSN:05841380)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.48, no.2, pp.39-55,156, 2003

---

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a viewpoint to understand "Hikikomori" without referring to dyscommunication between parents and children as a cause of "Hikikomori," based on narratives by members of a self-help group.In this paper, we regard "Hikikomori" as passing, and focus on information about self and interactions with others. The term "Hikikomori" does not always indicate withdrawal from communication with all others.For example, informants sometimes go out for shopping or walks, on the one hand; on the other hand, they avoid meeting almost all their neighbors, friends and acquaintances. We can consider both episodes deliberate or unintended passing, namely, in order to avoid negative reactions from others, they try to keep anonymity that means relative shortage of biographical information by managing their own discreditable information about themselves. In addition, informants can associate with their intimates if they are familiar with the discreditable information about informants and passing is not needed. However, even in this case, informants sometimes avoid associating with their intimates if the negative reactions from them can be expected. From this view, it is not very important with whom informants communicate. In conclusion, we suggest that informants avoid the situations where they recognize themselves as stigmatized individuals, which cause them moral conflicts, and that we can consider "Hikikomori", in a sense, a rational strategy to ease their own moral conflicts.