The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture

Benedict, Ruth

ISBN 10: 1946963259 / ISBN 13: 9781946963253

Published by Albatross Publishers, 2019

About this Item

This book is in "as new" condition. No wear to covers, no markings inner pages. Spine intact, no creases. "A recognized classic of cultural anthropology, this book explores the political, religious, and economic life of Japan from the seventh century through the mid-twentieth, as well as personal family life." Good Reads "Ruth Fulton Benedict (June 5, 1887 September 17, 1948) was an American anthropologist and folklorist. She was born in New York City, attended Vassar College and graduated in 1909. She entered graduate studies at Columbia University in 1919, where she studied under Franz Boas. She received her Ph.D and joined the faculty in 1923. Margaret Mead, with whom she may have shared a romantic relationship, and Marvin Opler were among her students and colleagues. Franz Boas, her teacher and mentor, has been called the father of American anthropology and his teachings and point of view are clearly evident in Benedict's work. Ruth Benedict was affected by the passionate humanism of Boas, her mentor, and continued it in her research and writing. Benedict held the post of President of the American Anthropological Association and was also a prominent member of the American Folklore Society. She became the first woman to be recognized as a prominent leader of a learned profession. She can be viewed as a transitional figure in her field, redirecting both anthropology and folklore away from the limited confines of culture-trait diffusion studies and towards theories of performance as integral to the interpretation of culture. She studied the relationships between personality, art, language and culture, insisting that no trait existed in isolation or self-sufficiency, a theory which she championed in her 1934 Patterns of Culture." Goods Reads.

Seller Inventory # 572-2023

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture
• Publisher: Albatross Publishers
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1946963259
• ISBN 13: 9781946963253
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: As New
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

About this title

Synopsis

2019 Reprint of the 1946 Edition by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.  Noted American anthropologist Ruth Benedict wrote this book at the invitation of the U.S. Office of War Information, in order to understand and predict the behavior of the Japanese in World War II by reference to a series of contradictions in traditional culture. The book was influential in shaping American ideas about Japanese culture during the occupation of Japan and popularized the distinction between guilt cultures and shame cultures.  Although it has received harsh criticism, the book has continued to be influential. The Japanese, Benedict wrote, are:

    both aggressive and unaggressive, both militaristic and aesthetic, both insolent and polite, rigid and adaptable, submissive and resentful of being pushed around, loyal and treacherous, brave and timid, conservative and hospitable to new ways

The book also affected Japanese conceptions of themselves. It was translated into Japanese in 1948 and became a bestseller in the People's Republic of China when relations with Japan soured.