Value Sociology -- Japanese Sociology Classics Translation Series

Author: (Japanese) Satake Keiichi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Value Sociology is a sociological monograph written by the renowned Japanese sociologist, Professor Satake Keiichi, from 1952 to 1971. This work records and analyzes the thoughts and emphasis on value issues during the period when post-war Japanese society underwent significant shifts in values from multiple perspectives. The book not only theoretically elaborates on the special role and position of value in human behavior, particularly in the formation, development, and change of social and individual systems, presenting us with the sociological significance of value, but also opens a window for us to observe and understand post-war Japanese society and the behavioral characteristics of Japanese people through the author's specific analysis of Japanese society based on these theories. Furthermore, it provides an important clue or perspective for us to understand the value origins of the Japanese social system and the behavioral characteristics of Japanese people. Since its publication, the book has sparked significant attention in the Japanese academic community and has been reprinted multiple times. While Professor Satake's focus on value issues is primarily based on Japanese and Western societies, the value itself, including its sociological significance and the theoretical analytical framework of value, is not a problem confined to a single country but rather an issue present in every society. This is also the reason why we translated this book into Chinese and presented it to Chinese readers. In other words, our goal is to remind readers to reflect on the sociological significance of value in China and the value-oriented characteristics of Chinese social behavior and the social system by the arguments and methods provided in this book. The structure of the book is divided into two parts. The first part is a theoretical analysis of value, while the second part examines Japanese society using these theories. In the first part, the author first provides a sociological conceptual definition of value. Generally, value refers to objects or groups of objects that can evoke desires. However, the author argues that a rigorous sociological definition of value should be given. Following the views of sociologist G. Simmel, the author believes that value arises when certain possible targets are sacrificed (or excluded) during the selection of goals. For example, the value of mountain climbing arises from the sacrifice of time and energy that could have been used for other purposes. The author argues that before selecting a goal, there exists a selection of a series of goals, which means determining the direction for goal selection. There are three main ways to determine the direction of goal selection: "means to achieve the goal," "consistent ideology," and "appropriate satisfaction of desires." Based on this, the author proposes the final principle of goal (value) selection, namely "the effectiveness of means as a tool," "the consistency of value," and "the suitability of desire satisfaction." Among these, the second one is a narrow definition of value, which, together with the effectiveness of the first and the suitability of the third, constitutes the three series of value. The entire structure of the book is organized around how narrow value, i.e., ideological value, is applied to the social system, analyzing the tension between situational value ideals and the tension between maximizing the reduction of situational inconsistencies in real behavior, pointing out that in modern society, ideological value has replaced useful value and become the main driving force for the rationalization of the social system. The author places the third series of satisfaction value in a secondary position because this value exists in a world of freedom and leisure that is detached from reality and ideological constraints. As the author states in the postscript, the book is primarily structured according to T. Parsons' conceptual framework, emphasizing the similarities between social and individual systems, hence not conducting an in-depth examination of satisfaction value. After defining value in the above manner, the author modifies Parsons' AGIL theory on the maintenance of the social system and proposes a price structure for maintaining the social system model within this framework. Within this framework, the author explores the institutionalization and internalization of value, the evolution of responsibility, the relationship between chaos and modern value, and the value issues in civil society and mass society. The specific content of these issues is detailed in the book and will not be elaborated upon here. In terms of the methodology for analyzing problems, the author consistently focuses on the themes of how value is embedded in individuals and society, how value is reflected in the social system, the impact of value on the social system and individual behavior, and how the role of value is realized. For example, based on Parsons' AGIL theory, the author points out that the four levels of activities—A=adaptation, G=goal attainment, I=integration, and L=latent motivation adjustment—that sustain the social system are constrained by the performance (behavior)-based—attribute (state)-based, universalism—individualism (Parsons' model variables) value system. These four values not only play different roles at different stages of human society but are also emphasized to varying degrees by different societies. The author argues that the connotation of the value system is changing. He points out that the transition of human society from pre-modern to modern society is actually a shift from attribute-based value to performance-based value, and from individualistic value to universalistic value. The evolution of responsibility is essentially a process of transformation and evolution of social value. Regarding the relationship between universalistic value and individualistic value, group value and individual value, the author points out that in the modern Western civil society, individualistic value based on individual behavior and universalistic value based on state-centric egalitarianism coexist. At the same time, there is a mutual contradiction and restraint between functional representation based on group behavior and group autonomy based on state-centric principles. This tension has brought great vitality and development space to Western civil society. However, in the subsequent mass society, the weakening of intermediate groups and the decline of functional representation have led to a relaxation of the bonds between individuals and groups. At the same time, the decline of individualism has led to excessive identification of individuals with groups. The second half of the book examines and analyzes Japanese society using the above theories. The author first analyzes the changes in Japan's value system before and after the war. He points out that before the war, the two individualistic values, "political" and "integration," were dominant. After the war, the previously secondary "economic" and "satisfaction" values replaced the former two and became dominant. However, the dominant "satisfaction" value cannot play the absolute role that the past "political" value did, leading to a trend of value pluralism. Regarding the inconsistency between existing value ideals and reality in Japanese society, i.e., the issue of "surface and inner" inconsistency, the author argues that its characteristic does not lie in the obvious divergence between the two but rather in their mutual permeability. Obligations can be transformed into personal feelings, and personal feelings can be transformed into obligations. At its core, it is a problem of the weakness of the externality (transcendence) of ideals. Regarding the independence of Japanese groups, the author points out that the weak sense of belonging to intermediate groups and the strong central orientation are characteristics of pre-war Japanese social structure, based on the insufficient protection provided by Japanese families to their members. The pre-war parent-child relationship model in families also exists in intermediate groups, and even the relationship between the emperor and his subjects is a copy of this model. After the war, with the loss of the dominant position of the parent-child relationship, the continuity perspective of Japanese people also underwent a split. The orientation and way in which value operates are universal phenomena in conscious human behavior. Taking Japanese society as an example, this book analyzes and explores the embodiment, specific characteristics, and role of value in Japanese society. As stated in the book's outline, it is a bold attempt to bring value into the field of sociology for examination. This book offers valuable insights for researching and analyzing the role of value issues in the development of our society and resolving social conflicts arising from value issues. This book is the representative work of the renowned Japanese sociologist, Professor Satake Keiichi. From a sociological perspective, the author elucidates the important category of value. In the explanation, Satake builds upon the theories of the sociological giants Durkheim, Mannheim, and Parsons, synthesizing and discarding the unreasonable aspects. On this basis, he proposes his own views, innovating and presenting new insights. In the latter part of the book, the author conducts empirical research with sufficient evidence and incisive conclusions, making it a worthwhile read.