The Anatomy of Loneliness: Suicide, Social Connection, and the Search for Relational Meaning in Contemporary Japan

Loneliness is a widespread human experience, but severe and chronic loneliness poses a threat to individual and public health. This book by anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva examines loneliness in Japan, highlighting rising rates of suicide, the commodification of intimacy, and problems impacting youth. It argues that society can exacerbate experiences of loneliness and calls for a deeper understanding of empathy and subjective experience.

Format: Hardback
Length: 286 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2021
Publisher: University of California Press

Loneliness is a universal experience that transcends pathology and rarity, woven into the fabric of human existence. While mild loneliness may be a natural part of the human condition, severe and chronic loneliness poses a significant threat to individual and public health, exhibiting an upward trend. In her illuminating book, anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva delves into the realm of loneliness in Japan, shedding light on the escalating rates of suicide, the commercialization of intimacy, and the challenges affecting youth. Through a comprehensive exploration, spanning interviews with college students, narratives of isolation in the aftermath of natural and nuclear disasters, and online discussions in suicide website chat rooms, Ozawa-de Silva highlights how society itself can exacerbate feelings of loneliness. This critical work serves as a call to action, urging us to reverse the prevailing trend of the "lonely society" and fostering a deeper understanding of empathy and subjective experience at both individual and systemic levels.

Loneliness is a universal experience that transcends pathology and rarity, woven into the fabric of human existence. While mild loneliness may be a natural part of the human condition, severe and chronic loneliness poses a significant threat to individual and public health, exhibiting an upward trend. In her illuminating book, anthropologist Chikako Ozawa-de Silva delves into the realm of loneliness in Japan, shedding light on the escalating rates of suicide, the commercialization of intimacy, and the challenges affecting youth. Through a comprehensive exploration, spanning interviews with college students, narratives of isolation in the aftermath of natural and nuclear disasters, and online discussions in suicide website chat rooms, Ozawa-de Silva highlights how society itself can exacerbate feelings of loneliness. This critical work serves as a call to action, urging us to reverse the prevailing trend of the "lonely society" and fostering a deeper understanding of empathy and subjective experience at both individual and systemic levels.

Weight: 499g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520383487