Contextualizing “Individuality”: Searching for More Flexible Definition

This presentation focuses on a concept of Kanjin (the contextual) coined by a Japanese sociologist Eshun Hamaguchi. Hamaguchi introduced this concept of Kanjin to overcome a commonly accepted view that Japanese are collectivists lack in individuality. In such view, Japanese are described as self-sacrificing and group-oriented agents unable to act autonomously. According to Hamaguchi, however, such view of Japanese is helplessly biased because it sees Japanese society within the framework based on a narrowly defined concept of the individual. Hamaguchi insisted that the concept of the individual is so westernized that it cannot be applied to the different cultural contexts like in Japan. Therefore, he argued, Kanjin as a more flexible model of agent is needed. Now, what is Kanjin? Hamaguchi translates it into “the contextual” and defines it as a “relatum”. However, today, the contextualism and relationalism can be seen in various forms in the sociological discipline. Then, is the concept of Kanjin different from them? If so, how is it different? Through elaborating these points, this presentation would contribute to the attempt to challenge the classical perspectives on “individuality”.