Caring without Tolerance: Care Literacy as an Enabler of an Inclusive Society

Hiroko Costantini (), Misato Nihei and Takazumi Ono
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Hiroko Costantini: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Misato Nihei: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Takazumi Ono: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Japanese society has been undergoing significant social changes in recent years, which has led to a greater variety of lived experiences in juxtaposition with pressures to conform from its group-oriented cultural context. Achieving inclusion in an increasingly heterogeneous society depends on how relatedness connects people, for example, in caring for others. The purpose of this study is to examine aspects of caring for others in Japanese society based on in-depth narrative interviews conducted in 2022 involving 18 informants. The fieldwork findings point to constraints on individual autonomy from relations stemming from care being intertwined with a broader relational context. Additionally, cultural conformity pressures lead to a propensity to assess social practices and, in turn, provide “excessive care”. Yet, such “excessive care”, as premised on cultural conformity, is at odds with increasingly heterogeneous choices. This leads to the emergence of intolerance, which supresses individuals’ autonomy and agency. Instead, to achieve an inclusive society, these findings point to the need for appropriate relations of understanding, tolerance and caring. This would be enabled by fostering “care literacy” across communities and stakeholders, thus supporting the transition towards a more inclusive society.

Keywords: care literacy; diversity; tolerance; social technology; relatedness; social conformity; Gaze; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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