A Historical Review of Research on Developing a Community of Students in the Prewar Period

Abstract

 This study examines research on the development of a community of students in the prewar period in Japan and discusses future prospects. By analyzing the prewar period, which marks the origin of higher education in Japan, the factors influencing student activities that remain relevant today are identified. The aforementioned research encompasses studies on school disturbances and student representations. Research on the former investigates school disruptions and student movements, while that on the latter explores aspects of culture, including school uniforms, school flags, and college songs.

 This study derives three main conclusions:

(1) Many studies still primarily focus on analyzing school disturbances from the viewpoint of leftist movements.

(2) A limited number of studies exist on student representations in higher education regarding school flags, uniforms, and college songs.

(3) Developing a community in groups such as “Seinendan” includes the common element of youth seeking social interaction.

 A lack of research on private universities, especially in the Taisho and Showa periods, is noted. By utilizing the historical records and archives of individual universities, the research on developing a community of students can be further advanced by examining school disturbances and student representations.