Religion, Second Modernity and Individualization in Japan

IF 0.6 0 RELIGION
E. Porcu
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Drawing on the theory of second modernity and individualization postulated by Ulrich Beck and his colleagues, Japanese sociologists have noted that a radical shift in Japan’s societal structure and modes has occurred since the mid-1990s, when institutions that had so far maintained a stable social order and integrated society started to collapse (Suzuki et al. 2010). In this context, religion too has no longer been able to provide stability and support to individuals, and its role in public life has been reduced. One of the most cited consequences has been the lack of trust in religious institutions that has led individuals to sever their ties with them. This has affected religious organizations dependent on traditional family ties, in particular Buddhist temples. Against this backdrop, this paper reflects on how some recent outreach activities carried out by religious institutions in contemporary Japan are the result of a crucial transformation of their configurations and structure rather than a representation of the same old patterns in new clothes. To this end, the paper focuses on the attempts made by the resident priest of an urban temple to come to terms with conditions proper to second modernity, where uncertainties and “risks” have replaced stability and security, and categories such as the family and religion have been destabilized.
宗教、第二次现代性与日本的个体化
根据Ulrich Beck及其同事提出的第二现代性和个体化理论,日本社会学家注意到,自20世纪90年代中期以来,日本社会结构和模式发生了根本性转变,当时迄今为止维持稳定社会秩序和一体化社会的制度开始崩溃(Suzuki等人,2010)。在这种情况下,宗教也不再能够为个人提供稳定和支持,它在公共生活中的作用也减少了。最常被提及的后果之一是对宗教机构缺乏信任,导致个人与宗教机构断绝关系。这影响了依赖传统家庭关系的宗教组织,特别是佛教寺庙。在这种背景下,本文反思了当代日本宗教机构最近开展的一些外联活动是如何对其配置和结构进行关键性转变的结果,而不是在新衣服上呈现同样的旧模式。为此,本文关注的是一座城市寺庙的常驻牧师试图接受第二现代性的适当条件,在这种条件下,不确定性和“风险”已经取代了稳定和安全,家庭和宗教等类别已经不稳定。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
1.00
自引率
33.30%
发文量
6
期刊介绍: JRJ is committed to an approach based on religious studies, and is open to contributions coming from different disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, history, Buddhist studies, Japanese studies, art history, and area studies. The Journal of Religion in Japan encourages critical application of ideas and theories about Japanese religions and constitutes a forum for new theoretical developments in the field of religion in Japan. The Journal does not provide a venue for inter-religious dialogue and confessional approaches.
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