Why Japanese Religions Look Different: The Social Role of Religious Organizations in Japan
This study proposes that many of the unique characteristics of the modern Japanese religious landscape are due to the limited social role these organizations currently play. Specifically, while churches in the U.S. and in many other countries provide a great many social services to their members, in...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
1998
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1998, Volume: 39, Issue: 4, Pages: 360-370 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This study proposes that many of the unique characteristics of the modern Japanese religious landscape are due to the limited social role these organizations currently play. Specifically, while churches in the U.S. and in many other countries provide a great many social services to their members, in Japan secular organizations and institutions are more likely to provide those same services. This relationship is studied using data from "A Survey of Japanese Values and Behavior." Results support the proposed set of hypotheses. Whereas studies conducted in the U.S. consistently demonstrate the importance of religious affiliation for families, no such relationship exists for the Japanese respondents. Instead, the importance of occupational affiliation as a source of social support for the Japanese is reflected in a correlation between a lack of work involvement and increased religious organizational participation. Results suggest that studies of cross-national differences in religions must go beyond a comparison of theologies and individual religious behavior to include broader social structural differences. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512444 |