Applicability of the Salutogenic Perspective to School Education in Japan: The Significance of Cultivating Sense of Coherence

Abstract

The core concept of salutogenesis, Sense of Coherence (SOC), is a concept that predicts well-being and corresponds to the purpose of education in Japan, as outlined in the Basic Act on Education. Moreover, establishing a school environment conducive to cultivating SOC aligns with the guidelines reflecting the direction of education in Japan in recent years. Therefore, the SOC perspective is also crucial for Japanese school education. SOC comprises three subconcepts: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. Hypotheses about its development were proposed by Antonovsky. The three subconcepts of SOC are interrelated. Mutual interaction is important in their development, with particular emphasis on meaningfulness. Furthermore, if the framework of Japanese school education properly functions, it is highly likely to contribute to the cultivation of SOC. This paper discusses the prospect of applying the SOC perspective to Japanese school education, while considering the cultivation of SOC.