2013 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 111-122
The purpose of this study was to examine images of the family adolescence by comparing Chinese and Japanese adolescents and to compare characteristics of those images in two countries. This study's methodology was based on a traditional methodology focused on understanding family dynamics but an original methodology called sandplay depicting the family was also used. This methodology was used because it emphasizes the relationship between the family and the outside world.
Participants in both countries engaged in sandplay depicting the family and the content of that play was analyzed. Analysis revealed marked differences between Chinese and Japanese adolescents in terms of the following three dimensions: 1. number of pieces used, 2. positions of those pieces, and 3. cognizance of the family recognition. A comprehensive analysis of these differences revealed that Chinese and Japanese images of the family differed with regard to which individuals were perceived to be family members. For example, the Japanese image of the family was more likely to limited to immediate family centering around “direct blood relatives,” while the Chinese image of the family tended to be “the extended family” or occasionally a blended family including people who are not blood relatives but nonetheless close to the family.
