関係の病としての「ひきこもり」 : ひきこもり当事者本の分析を通して

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to understand "hikikomori (social withdrawal)" phenomenon from the viewpoint of "hikikomori" themselves. The analysis was done through three autobiographical works by "hikikomori" based on two aspects: the relationship between "hikikomori" and the society from which they have withdrawn, and the relationship between "hikikomori" and their homes to which they withdraw. It is suggested that "hikikomori" people are afraid of working in society, but at the same time they internalize the social values that they have to be working, which leads to a the negative spiral where they are ashamed of themselves for not working and find it even more difficult to participate in society. As they are in a negative spiral because of the negative message they receive from the society, "hikikomori" can be thought of as an illness of social relationships. A similar spiral can be seen in the relationship between "hikikomori" people and their parents who apply pressure to them with social values. The perspective of "hikikomori" as an illness of social relationships leads us to question our social values and how we can respond to the message from "hikikomori" and improre the way we live in society.