Japan Sociological Society in Its Founding Period and Its Environment

Abstract

This study aims to clarify how Japanese sociology changed during the period when the Japan Sociological Society（JSS）was founded. The founding of the JSS was due to the dissatisfaction of young sociologists with “The Japanese Social Science Institute（JSSI）,” the predecessor association of the JSS. Societal expectations also encouraged the founding of the JSS. This study focuses on this dissatisfaction and expectations and analyzes the currents of thought that broadly defined the history of Japanese sociology in the 1920s.

The main findings of the analysis are as follows.（1）The management of JSSI reflected the philosophy of its founder, TAKEBE Tongo, who regarded sociology as a battlefield against the West. However, the younger generation did not understand this philosophy.（2）Against the thought trend of the “Discovery of Society” in the Taisho era, expectations for sociology had grown. These expectations promoted the institutionalization and organization of sociology.（3）To bridge the gap between sociology and societal expectations that have arisen due to the institutionalization of sociology, various attempts were made, including “Japanese sociology.”