Shichigosan [electronic resource] : Change and Continuity of a Family Ritual in Contemporary Urban Japan /
Papp, Melinda.author.
This book presents a case study of shichigosan, an extremely popular childhood family ritual in contemporary Japan. It is an interesting example of a custom with very ancient roots (going back to the tenth century), that has undergone several transformations during the course of its history, adapting to changing socio-economic and cultural circumstances. Within the study, the ritual unfolds as a shared platform where basic social values, views on children and family life, and individual perceptions emerge, are expressed and moulded at the same time. This book offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of a ritual practice in the intensely urbanized context of present-day Japan.
Description based upon print version of record.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction -- Chapter One: The study of ritual in contemporary urban society -- Chapter Two: Consumption and ritual -- Chapter Three: Consumer culture and changes to the ritual calendar in postwar urban Japan -- Chapter Four: Shichigosan: The history of a Japanese childhood rite of passage -- Chapter Five: Business sector, media and religious institutions -- Chapter Six: Constructing the ritual: dress, photographs, actors, and script -- Conclusion: Children, women, and families: Creating a ritual for one and all -- Bibliography.
This book presents a case study of shichigosan, an extremely popular childhood family ritual in contemporary Japan. It is an interesting example of a custom with very ancient roots (going back to the tenth century), that has undergone several transformations during the course of its history, adapting to changing socio-economic and cultural circumstances. Within the study, the ritual unfolds as a shared platform where basic social values, views on children and family life, and individual perceptions emerge, are expressed and moulded at the same time. This book offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of a ritual practice in the intensely urbanized context of present-day Japan.
Social groups.
Family.
Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging.