2021 Volume 15 Pages 57-68
The purpose of this paper is to examine how life paths toward dreams are selected in relation to ibasho, taking the case of rock musicians. Previous studies have focused on the lack of ibasho and pointed out various problems such as unstable transitions. In contrast, this paper focuses on the possession of ibasho and clarifies the process by which it leads to unstable transitions. The data used was obtained from an interview survey of dream-following musicians.
As a result, it was found that musicians have multiple ibasho inside and outside school, and choose to pursue their dreams by complying with those ibasho; the ibasho inside school is club activities, and that outside school is live music clubs. They first started their musical activities through family influence and club activities, developing an ibasho inside the school. Then, in order to work in a more legitimate place, their activities overflowed the school. There, they gained new ibasho by meeting trusted colleagues and supporters, and chose the path of dream chasing with unstable transitions. Their life paths were strongly driven by the youth culture of rock bands, and their ibasho inside and outside school played an important role. In addition, they had the difficulties pointed out in previous studies due to the unstable transitions. However, they willingly took these difficulties upon themselves because they were “doing something they liked.”
The above findings show the paradox of not only following an unstable transition because there is no ibasho, but also doing so because there is one. The following problems have became clear; their difficulties were invisible and undertaken by themselves due to the characteristic of pursuing dreams. This is where attention should be paid by future youth support policy.
