THE POSITIVE RESEARCH OF BODY COMMUNICATIONS

1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 06451032
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: TOKYO GAKUGEI UNIV.
• Principal Investigator: YAMADA Masahiro TOKYO GAKUGEI UNIV., DEPT.OF EDUCATION ASSISTANT PROF., 教育学部, 助教授 (90191337)
• Project Period (FY): 1994 – 1995
• Keywords: BODY TOUCHING / BODY COMMUNICATIONS / CARE / ケア

Research Abstract

'Touching the body' is the important element of communications that occur in the family situations. The aim of this research is to show one side of human relationship of modern Japan by analising the actual conditions and meanings of touching action and emotions that are arizen by body communications.
To porve the aim, I did the case sutudy (interview research) and questionair reseach (pilot research of sutdents and research of students and ordinary people).
The main results are below.
1.) Conditions of body communication in faimly situations.
In comparing to U.S.A., there few body communication in family even between husband and wife. Over 50% spauses answered they never walked arm in arm. There are more body communications between female people than between male people. The result support the hypothesis of the feminization of love.
2.) Gender problem of touching the body in the care situation
In the care situation, men and women prefer female's care to male's care. Especialy women hate male touch her body even in the care situation. This sentiments support the condition that most of carers are female in either family or non-family situations.
3.) General sentiment of body communications.
Women generally feel bad about sexual communication (kiss or hug) in public.
People can approve female's piercing ears and hair dying, but cannot approve male's.