Mécanisme de défense collectif et acculturation volontaire : l'exemple de l'occidentalisation du Japon

Never dominated seriously by any Western country, Japan today shows a considerable westernization of its culture, especially in linguistic and esthetic fields. The study reveals a striking paradox: whereas Japanese society remains almost hermetic to the outside world in terms of human exchange, its culture integrates eagerly foreign values. This article puts forward the concept of “collective defense mechanisms” in order to demonstrate a complementary relation, not an opposition, between closed identity and open culture. It is not despite of, but thanks to a certain isolation of its social community that Japan holds its culture open to the outside world.