TheChrysanthemumandtheSword:
PatternsofJapaneseCultureisaninfluentialstudyofJapanbyRuthBenedictbegunin1944attheinvitationoftheOfficeofWarInformationinordertounderstandandpredictthebehavioroftheJapaneseinWorldWarII.ThebookwasinfluentialinshapingAmericanideasaboutJapanesecultureduringtheOccupationofJapan,andpopularizedthedistinctionbetweenguiltculturesandshamecultures.
Althoughithasreceivedsometimesharshcriticism,thebookhascontinuedtobeinfluential.Twoanthropologistswrotein1992thatthereis"asenseinwhichallofushavebeenwritingfootnotesto[Chrysanthemum]sinceitappearedin1946".
ThebookalsoaffectedJapaneseconceptionsofthemselveswhenitwastranslatedintoJapanesein1948.In2005,fifteenyearsafteritwastranslatedintoChinese,thebookbecameabestsellerinthePeople'sRepublicofChinawhenrelationswithJapansoured.
Researchcircumstances
ThisbookwhichresultedfromBenedict'swartimeresearch,likeseveralotherOWIwartimestudiesofJapanandGermany,[4]isaninstanceof"anthropologyatadistance,"thatis,studyofaculturethroughitsliterature,newspaperclippings,filmsandrecordings,andextensiveinterviewswithGerman-AmericansorJapanese-Americans.ThesetechniquesweremadenecessarywhenanthropologistswereunabletovisitNaziGermanyorwartimeJapan.Asonelaterethnographerpointedout,however,although"cultureatadistance"hadthe"elaborateauraofagoodacademicfad,themethodwasnotsodifferentfromwhatanygoodhistoriandoes:tomakethemostcreativeusepossibleofwrittendocuments."[5]Theseanthropologistswereattemptingtounderstandtheculturalpatternsthatmightbedrivingtheaggressionofoncefriendlynations,andhopedtofindpossibleweaknessesormeansofpersuasionthathadbeenmissed.
AmericansfoundthemselvesunabletocomprehendmattersinJapaneseculture.Forinstance,AmericansconsidereditquitenaturalforAmericanprisonersofwartowanttheirfamiliestoknowtheywerealive,andtokeepquietwhenaskedforinformationabouttroopmovements,etc.,whileJapanesePOWs,apparently,gaveinformationfreelyanddidnottrytocontacttheirfamilies.Whywasthat?
[edit]Criticism
Onecritic[who?]haswrittenthatTheChrysanthemumandtheSwordis"longsince...discreditedsinceBenedicthadnodirectexperienceinJapan"anddescribeditas"consideredshallowandovertlyracist".
C.DouglasLummishaswritten:"AftersometimeIrealizedthatIwouldneverbeabletoliveinadecentrelationshipwiththepeopleofthatcountryunlessIcoulddrivethisbook,anditspolitelyarrogantworldview,outofmyhead."[6]
Lummis,whowenttotheVassarCollegearchivestoreviewBenedict’snotes,wrotethathefoundsomeofhermoreimportantpointsweredevelopedfrominterviewswithRobertHashimaaJapanese-AmericannativeoftheUnitedStateswhowastakentoJapanasachild,educatedthere,thenreturnedtotheU.S.beforeWorldWarIIbegan.AccordingtoLummis,whointerviewedHashima,thesecircumstanceshelpedintroduceacertainbiasintoBenedict'sresearch:"Forhim,comingtoJapanforthefirsttimeasateenagersmackinthemiddleofthemilitaristicperiodandhavingnomemoryofthecountrybeforethen,whathewastaughtinschoolwasnot'anideology',itwasJapanitself."
