The Interactional Perspective of Suffering and Curing in a Japanese Cult

Takie Sugiyama
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Takie Sugiyama: Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1974, vol. 20, issue 3-4, 281-286

Abstract: An analysis is given of the behaviour of participants in a healing-oriented Japanese cult with the main focus on the causality of sufferings and therapeutic measures. As the frame of reference the author singles out the interactional perspective : the holistic view of the interrelationship between the actor and his social environment involving his keen awareness of social interdependence and sensitivity to social demands and approval. This perspective is described in terms of two postulates : (1) The repercussion postulate in which suffering is conceived as a repercussion of the undesirable output of ego's system, and (2) The dependency postulate which assumes the spirit causing the suffering to be totally dependent upon the human sufferer. The interactional perspective thus described is considered as an exaggerated expression of Japanese cultural values with their emphasis upon role sensitisation.

Date: 1974
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:20:y:1974:i:3-4:p:281-286

DOI: 10.1177/002076407402000315

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