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The Anatomy of Loneliness

Suicide, Social Connection, and the Search for Relational Meaning in Contemporary Japan
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Anatomy of Loneliness by anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva explores the complex nature of loneliness as a shared human experience and a growing societal issue. Focusing on Japan, the book delves into rising suicide rates, the commodification of intimacy, and challenges faced by youth, drawing on interviews, disaster aftermath, and online communities. It offers a profound analysis of how social structures can aggravate isolation and urges a collective reconsideration of empathy and connection.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6699
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in anthropology, sociology, mental health, and contemporary Japanese culture, as well as those concerned with societal well-being and human connection.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Loneliness is everybody’s business. Neither a pathology, nor a rare affliction, it is part of the human condition. Severe and chronic loneliness, however, is a threat to individual and public health and appears to be on the rise.

In this illuminating book, anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva examines loneliness in Japan, focusing on rising rates of suicide, the commodification of intimacy, and problems impacting youth. Moving from interviews with college students, to stories of isolation following the 2011 natural and nuclear disasters, to online discussions in suicide website chat rooms, Ozawa-de Silva points to how society itself can exacerbate experiences of loneliness.

A critical work for our world, The Anatomy of Loneliness considers how to turn the tide of the "lonely society" and calls for a deeper understanding of empathy and subjective experience on both individual and systemic levels.

Series: Ethnographic Studies in Subjectivity

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  • The Avatar Faculty
    The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself." The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world,...
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  • The Avatar Faculty
    The Avatar Faculty creatively examines the parallels between spiritual and digital activities to explore the roles that symbolic second selves—avatars—can play in our lives. The use of avatars can allow for what anthropologists call ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, meaning "standing outside oneself." The archaic techniques of promoting spiritual ecstasy, which remain central to religious healing traditions around the world,...
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  • The Anatomy of Loneliness
    Loneliness is everybody’s business. Neither a pathology, nor a rare affliction, it is part of the human condition. Severe and chronic loneliness, however, is a threat to individual and public health and appears to be on the rise. In this illuminating book, anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva examines loneliness in Japan, focusing on rising rates of suicide, the commodification of intimacy,...
    Paperback
    $6699
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "rich, thought-provoking" by Monumenta Nipponica and described as "insightful and unique" by Pacific Affairs, the book is hailed as "a milestone in contemporary Japan studies" by the Journal of Japanese Studies. It challenges readers to confront important questions about psychological pain and social dynamics.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780520383494

Publisher: University of California Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 December 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: University of California Press

Illustration: 8 b-w illustrations, 1 table

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 286

About the Author

Chikako Ozawa-de Silva is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Emory University and the author of Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan.

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