Debate on “The Young” is for Mass Consumption
WATANABE Yasush / Professor, Keio University
July 24, 2012
There are two types of people in the world; those who disparage the young and those who ingratiate themselves to the young.
As far as the young are concerned, those who talk disparagingly about "what's wrong with the young these days" are "have-beens", and there is no point in getting to know them. Those who ingratiate themselves to the young by saying "what's good with the young these days" are also "have-beens", not worth taking seriously. For the older souls, it's no use making a fuss either way.
Thus, as someone belonging to the generation "sandwiched" between the young and the old, I have come to feel that the best way to approach the young is neither to be disparaging nor ingratiating but to behave naturally. In fact, I have found the young to be at once wiser, more cunning, more ignorant and more reliable than I thought. To be quite frank, I feel uncomfortable lumping them all together as "The Young".
The Japanese are fond of pigeon-holing people in terms of "generations". I personally have been skeptical about such approaches. In particular, I have been fed up with the debate on "The Young" since the days when I myself was a party to it because of my age. Never once was I able to identify myself with the image of "The Young" that was being thrown around. Thus, to this day, I do not believe in those theories or discourses on "The Young".
People have a variety of attributes. Why do you have to draw a line to separate "The Young" from the others? What is it that you are trying to argue or prove? Why now? For whom, to whom, and for what purpose is the discourse or debate designed?
It is much more interesting for me, at least as a cultural anthropologist, to ask these questions than to try to determine how true or false (or good or bad) the generalizations may be about "what's wrong (or good) with the young these days". One could say the same about another tendency of the Japanese, that is, to propound generalized theories about the characteristics, or the strengths and weaknesses, of the Japanese as a nation, or, more parochially, of the people coming from each of the 47 prefectures of Japan. I don’t mean to say that such discourses are necessarily false or devoid of substance. However, unless the frameworks of analysis and the objects of comparison are clearly set out, they may end up as little more than "pub gossip".
It is often said, for example, that the young in Japan these days are "inward-looking", "lacking good manners", "ignorant about things" and so forth. It is perfectly possible for me to cite specific examples either to rebut or support these assertions. Fortunately, since my workplace is where the young congregate, I have no dearth of tidbits for "pub gossip". From time to time, I may join the chit-chat just to be sociable. But I will never sell my soul as an academic.
Why are the theories, discourses and treatises on "The Young" produced, distributed and consumed in such huge quantities today? There may be a number of reasons, such as decreasing birth rate and aging population, political stalemate, job insecurity, and mounting social security burden. The onslaught of new liberalism and intensifying international competition may have something to do with it, as do the diversification and personalization of the media as well as slumping publishing business and declining prestige of academics. It is also true that we have run out of common topics that can command everyone's interest. Not being an avid follower of the debate on "The Young", I really can't tell which of these myriad reasons may be right.
I still can't help feeling that it would be more meaningful to ask why these questions are being asked now than to rush to hasty generalizations about what's wrong (or good) with the young these days. It may throw some light on what ails the Japanese society today as well as what possibilities it has for the future.
It's fun to engage in "pub gossip" and to be one of the mass consumers of the debate on "The Young". Everyone has something to say. It is bound to give rise to a lively exchange whether in a drinking party or in a discussion forum. But, why do people find it fun? Perhaps that is where the real question lies. At least, that is what I am inclined to feel.
But, after all, the young may well consider me a "has-been" for thinking like this.
The writer is a professor at Keio University.
As far as the young are concerned, those who talk disparagingly about "what's wrong with the young these days" are "have-beens", and there is no point in getting to know them. Those who ingratiate themselves to the young by saying "what's good with the young these days" are also "have-beens", not worth taking seriously. For the older souls, it's no use making a fuss either way.
Thus, as someone belonging to the generation "sandwiched" between the young and the old, I have come to feel that the best way to approach the young is neither to be disparaging nor ingratiating but to behave naturally. In fact, I have found the young to be at once wiser, more cunning, more ignorant and more reliable than I thought. To be quite frank, I feel uncomfortable lumping them all together as "The Young".
The Japanese are fond of pigeon-holing people in terms of "generations". I personally have been skeptical about such approaches. In particular, I have been fed up with the debate on "The Young" since the days when I myself was a party to it because of my age. Never once was I able to identify myself with the image of "The Young" that was being thrown around. Thus, to this day, I do not believe in those theories or discourses on "The Young".
People have a variety of attributes. Why do you have to draw a line to separate "The Young" from the others? What is it that you are trying to argue or prove? Why now? For whom, to whom, and for what purpose is the discourse or debate designed?
It is much more interesting for me, at least as a cultural anthropologist, to ask these questions than to try to determine how true or false (or good or bad) the generalizations may be about "what's wrong (or good) with the young these days". One could say the same about another tendency of the Japanese, that is, to propound generalized theories about the characteristics, or the strengths and weaknesses, of the Japanese as a nation, or, more parochially, of the people coming from each of the 47 prefectures of Japan. I don’t mean to say that such discourses are necessarily false or devoid of substance. However, unless the frameworks of analysis and the objects of comparison are clearly set out, they may end up as little more than "pub gossip".
It is often said, for example, that the young in Japan these days are "inward-looking", "lacking good manners", "ignorant about things" and so forth. It is perfectly possible for me to cite specific examples either to rebut or support these assertions. Fortunately, since my workplace is where the young congregate, I have no dearth of tidbits for "pub gossip". From time to time, I may join the chit-chat just to be sociable. But I will never sell my soul as an academic.
Why are the theories, discourses and treatises on "The Young" produced, distributed and consumed in such huge quantities today? There may be a number of reasons, such as decreasing birth rate and aging population, political stalemate, job insecurity, and mounting social security burden. The onslaught of new liberalism and intensifying international competition may have something to do with it, as do the diversification and personalization of the media as well as slumping publishing business and declining prestige of academics. It is also true that we have run out of common topics that can command everyone's interest. Not being an avid follower of the debate on "The Young", I really can't tell which of these myriad reasons may be right.
I still can't help feeling that it would be more meaningful to ask why these questions are being asked now than to rush to hasty generalizations about what's wrong (or good) with the young these days. It may throw some light on what ails the Japanese society today as well as what possibilities it has for the future.
It's fun to engage in "pub gossip" and to be one of the mass consumers of the debate on "The Young". Everyone has something to say. It is bound to give rise to a lively exchange whether in a drinking party or in a discussion forum. But, why do people find it fun? Perhaps that is where the real question lies. At least, that is what I am inclined to feel.
But, after all, the young may well consider me a "has-been" for thinking like this.
The writer is a professor at Keio University.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
大衆消費財としての「若者論」
渡辺 靖 / 慶應義塾大学教授
2012年 7月 24日
世界には二つのタイプの人間がいる。若者を小馬鹿にする人と若者に迎合する人だ。
若者にしてみれば「最近の若者は・・・」と小馬鹿にする人はすでに「終わった」人だ。そんな人に彼らから近づくことはない。かといって、「最近の若者は・・・」と迎合する人もすでに「終わった」人だ。そんな人が彼らから本気で相手にされることはない。要するに、どうもがいても無駄ということだ。
小馬鹿にもせず、迎合もせずに接するのが一番だと、若者世代と長老世代に挟まれた「サンドウィッチ世代」の私は割り切っている。私が思うよりつねに彼らは賢く、あざとく、無知で、頼りになる。もっと正直にいえば、「彼ら」と一括りにすることも居心地が悪い。
そもそも日本人が好きな「世代論」に私は懐疑的で、とりわけ「若者論」には私自身が（年齢的な意味で）当事者だった頃からうんざりしている。一度たりとも自分をそこに重ね合わせることができなかったからだ。だから今も「若者論」を信じない。
人にはさまざまな属性があるが、なぜ「若者」として境界線を引き、何かを論じようとするのか。なぜ、今なのか。誰が、誰に対して、何のために論じようとするのか。
そうした問いのほうが━━少なくとも文化人類学徒の私にとっては━━「最近の若者は・・・」の「・・・」の部分が正しいか否か（あるいは善か否か）を論じるよりもはるかに興味をそそられる。その意味では「日本人論」や「県民性論」と同じだ。それらの言説が嘘で空虚とは思わない。しかし、分析の枠組みや比較の対象などを相当しっかり定めないとただの「居酒屋トーク」になりかねない。
たとえば、最近の若者は「内向きだ」「礼儀がない」「モノを知らない」などと指摘される。私にはどれも具体例を挙げて同意することも反論することができる。幸い、若者が集う場を職場としていることもあり、「居酒屋トーク」のネタにはこと欠かない。社交辞令で話を合わせることもときには必要だ。でも学者としての魂まで売り渡すつもりはない。
なぜ今、「若者論」がかくも大量に生産され、流通し、そして消費されているのか。少子高齢化、政治的低迷、雇用不安、将来の社会保障負担。新自由主義の拡大と国際競争の激化。メディアの多様化と個人化。出版不況と学者の権威の低下。誰もが語れる共通話題の喪失。いろいろ理由はありそうだが、「若者論」をあまり真剣にフォローしていない私には実のところはよく分からない。
それでも「最近の若者は・・・」の「・・・」の部分を拙速に埋めようとするよりも、なぜ今、その問いが問われているか問うほうが、現代の日本社会の病理と可能性を明らかにするうえで有益に思えてならない。
「居酒屋トーク」ないし大衆消費財としての「若者論」は楽しい。誰もが一家言持っている。酒席も論壇も必ず盛り上がる。 でも、なぜ「楽しい」と感じるのか。問うべき問いはそこにあるのではないか。 そんな気がしてならない。
しかし、若者にしてみれば、こう考える私もすでに「終わった」人かもしれない。
（筆者は慶應義塾大学教授。）
若者にしてみれば「最近の若者は・・・」と小馬鹿にする人はすでに「終わった」人だ。そんな人に彼らから近づくことはない。かといって、「最近の若者は・・・」と迎合する人もすでに「終わった」人だ。そんな人が彼らから本気で相手にされることはない。要するに、どうもがいても無駄ということだ。
小馬鹿にもせず、迎合もせずに接するのが一番だと、若者世代と長老世代に挟まれた「サンドウィッチ世代」の私は割り切っている。私が思うよりつねに彼らは賢く、あざとく、無知で、頼りになる。もっと正直にいえば、「彼ら」と一括りにすることも居心地が悪い。
そもそも日本人が好きな「世代論」に私は懐疑的で、とりわけ「若者論」には私自身が（年齢的な意味で）当事者だった頃からうんざりしている。一度たりとも自分をそこに重ね合わせることができなかったからだ。だから今も「若者論」を信じない。
人にはさまざまな属性があるが、なぜ「若者」として境界線を引き、何かを論じようとするのか。なぜ、今なのか。誰が、誰に対して、何のために論じようとするのか。
そうした問いのほうが━━少なくとも文化人類学徒の私にとっては━━「最近の若者は・・・」の「・・・」の部分が正しいか否か（あるいは善か否か）を論じるよりもはるかに興味をそそられる。その意味では「日本人論」や「県民性論」と同じだ。それらの言説が嘘で空虚とは思わない。しかし、分析の枠組みや比較の対象などを相当しっかり定めないとただの「居酒屋トーク」になりかねない。
たとえば、最近の若者は「内向きだ」「礼儀がない」「モノを知らない」などと指摘される。私にはどれも具体例を挙げて同意することも反論することができる。幸い、若者が集う場を職場としていることもあり、「居酒屋トーク」のネタにはこと欠かない。社交辞令で話を合わせることもときには必要だ。でも学者としての魂まで売り渡すつもりはない。
なぜ今、「若者論」がかくも大量に生産され、流通し、そして消費されているのか。少子高齢化、政治的低迷、雇用不安、将来の社会保障負担。新自由主義の拡大と国際競争の激化。メディアの多様化と個人化。出版不況と学者の権威の低下。誰もが語れる共通話題の喪失。いろいろ理由はありそうだが、「若者論」をあまり真剣にフォローしていない私には実のところはよく分からない。
それでも「最近の若者は・・・」の「・・・」の部分を拙速に埋めようとするよりも、なぜ今、その問いが問われているか問うほうが、現代の日本社会の病理と可能性を明らかにするうえで有益に思えてならない。
「居酒屋トーク」ないし大衆消費財としての「若者論」は楽しい。誰もが一家言持っている。酒席も論壇も必ず盛り上がる。 でも、なぜ「楽しい」と感じるのか。問うべき問いはそこにあるのではないか。 そんな気がしてならない。
しかし、若者にしてみれば、こう考える私もすでに「終わった」人かもしれない。
（筆者は慶應義塾大学教授。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟