Abstract
Though psychoanalytic theories of W.R. Bion and F. Redl are significant contributions to the depth theory of group, they might not be self-sufficient from the sociological point of view, because of its negligence of cultural relativity. Present paper examine some aspects of interpersonal relations in Japanese group in terms of mother-child relationship as proto-experience. And we discussed that generalistic theories elaborated by Bion, Parsons, et al. seemed to have background of Western individualistic culture.
Conceptions of Japanese mother that she finds herself worth living in her little child and the grown up child takes her in his achivement motivation makes application of self -collectivity-orientation dichotomy difficult. We proposed, so to speak, “other involving orientation” besides them. We also reconstructed, in social context, the concept of “amae” which was discovered by Dr. Takeo Doi and elaborated as a key concept of understanding Japanese personality. Amae is primary socialized in the mother-child relations and restricts later modes of intimate personal relationship. Weakening of the instrumental leader, substantialization of expressive sub-leader, and loosening of group norm or discipline, etc. could be explained in terms of mother-child coalition and amae.
Amae is an expression of group emotion but it must not be reduced into “paring assumption” of Bion, for it is permeated fully by particularistic Japanese culture. Sociological deep analysis of group should take up such meeting area of implicit culture and emotional aspect of group.
