Connectedness Versus Separateness: Applicability of Family Therapy to Japanese Families

Abstract

This article, a product of the two authors' multicultural experiences, contrasts British and Japanese families in order to examine the applicability of the Western model of family therapy to Japanese families and therapists. Areas where the Western model is incompatible are identified, and modifications to fit the Japanese indigenous model are suggested. The most significant difference in value systems between the two cultures is the Japanese preference for connectedness. The Japanese person is seen as a part of the embedded interconnectedness of relationships, whereas British norms prioritize separateness and clear boundaries in relationships, individuality, and autonomy. This value orientation is manifested in the Japanese language, hierarchical nature of the family structure, the family life cycle, and the implicit communication style. Systemic thinking, which deals with the pattern of relationships, is valid for all families regardless of cultural differences. But therapists should note that the preferred direction of change for Japanese families in therapy, is toward a process of integration--how a person can be effectively integrated into the given system--rather than a process of differentiation. An authoritative therapist style, the use of individual sessions, silence, and other nonverbal techniques are relevant to bringing about the desired change toward better integration of the individual with his or her networks.

Psychologic distress after disclosure of genetic test results regarding hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma

“…Because of the Japanese preference for connectedness, 34 we hypothesized that the disclosure of genetic information that indicated the transmission of a genetic disease to siblings may cause significant psychologic distress in a Japanese population. However, the prevalence of major depression and PTSD in our study population was lower compared with Western or Japanese cancer patients.…”

Practising family therapy in India: how many people are there in a marital subsystem?

“…In comparison with the West, Indian family structures are based on different worldviews and ideas of self and are organized in different ways. In Western culture, the idea of 'separateness' is considered more central than the 'connectedness' that may exist between members of a system (Tamura and Lau, 1992). A healthy family is usually one which functions to provide the necessary conditions for individual members to achieve separation and autonomy (Dare, 1988;Sabatelli and Mazor, 1985).…”

Personhood, culture and family therapy

“…From inside family therapy itself these differences have also been noticed. Tamura and Lau (1992) pointed out how Japanese families emphasize the connectedness of family relationships and that this stands in contrast to the British view which prioritizes separateness. While we must always be careful about overstressing such dichotomies the picture which emerges and which is shared by anthropologists and family therapists is that our own view of relationships and personhood is not necessarily upheld by people from different cultural backgrounds.…”