There are four approaches to the scientific study of teachers, viz., historical, administrative, comparative and sociological. Sociology of teachers is so framental that not all sorts of teachers are covered by it and that it does disclose the most remarkable·and urgent trait of contemporary teachers neither. By and large it studies elementary and secondary school teachers, neglecting teachers of university, kindergarten and other institutions. Although thelit are a great many differences between various categories of teachers, sociology considers only the general characteristics of teachers. It is proposed here that the most important trait of teachers is their conflict, inner as well as outer. Profession in bureaucracy is, theoretically, responsible for their conflict, because while teachers as professionals demand freedom and autonomy on one hand, bureaucracy by which they are employed asks them to follow its orders and objectives on the other. Thus there should be a sociology of teachers constructed around the concept of coflict. Distinct from other professions, teaching is characterized by such tendencies as great and socially indispensable number, diffused bureaucracy, coexistence of freedom and restriction and continuity of career in school both before and after employment.
Furthermore, teachers in contemporary Japan are experiencing new types of conflict, namely conflicts with students and with out-of-school teachers, for which is responsible the rapid transition to post-industrialism, where school teachers are losing authority and prestige they used to enjoy.
Thus the present article proposes to study teachers in contemporary Japan in terms of conflict and discusses its supposed conditions.
