Introduction
The influx of foreign residents in Japan has shown a remarkable upward trend, exceeding 3.5 million in this fiscal year (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, October 18, 2024). Similar to annual record-breaking temperatures, the number of foreign residents continues to rise steadily.
In this context, the concept of "multicultural coexistence" (tabunka kyōsei) is frequently discussed. While the institutional foundation for multicultural coexistence is gradually being established through measures such as the "Revised Immigration Control Act," the realization of true multicultural coexistence may require more than just institutional arrangements. A more fundamental approach appears necessary.
Drawing from my previous experience as a volunteer Japanese language instructor at the Yokohama City Tsurumi Ward International Exchange Lounge, I observed an environment where people from diverse economic, cultural, and social backgrounds gathered to learn from one another. Through this continuous engagement, I gained a significant insight: my tendency to view foreigners as "different" gradually diminished. I became aware of my own bias in viewing foreigners through a fixed framework of "foreigner = X" and recognizing them as a homogeneous group.
This paper attempts to examine this process of cognitive transformation from a social psychological perspective.
Mechanisms of Prejudice
Let us begin by examining the "mechanisms of prejudice." In modern society, humans process vast amounts of information daily - comparable to what an individual from the Heian period would process in their entire lifetime.
Central to efficiently processing this enormous amount of information is the brain's "categorization" function. This cognitive process groups various phenomena and objects based on similar characteristics. For instance, if one food item is deemed safe, there is a tendency to infer that other foods in the same category are also safe. Similarly, in social contexts, attributes such as age, gender, race, and ethnicity are categorized based on linguistic and cultural knowledge (Susan A. Gelman & Meredith Meyer, 2011).
This cultural knowledge is deeply embedded in the categorization process as shared understanding in social relationships and ingroup-outgroup comprehension. Naturally, the shared knowledge systems differ depending on an individual's cultural sphere. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) explains how these differences promote uniform understanding of outgroups, formation of stereotypes, and ingroup favoritism to maintain one's values and identity.
While prejudice, being a fundamental cognitive tendency in humans, is difficult to avoid, we must remember that humans possess rational thinking abilities beyond instinct. The Contact Hypothesis emerged as a significant theoretical approach to address this challenge.
Contact Hypothesis and Its Development
The Contact Hypothesis, proposed by Allport in 1954, is a crucial social psychological theory that provides essential perspectives on multicultural coexistence. The theory's core suggests that prejudice formation is related to a lack of knowledge about others, and relationships can improve through "contact" between members of different groups.
Allport further presented three conditions under which contact most effectively reduces prejudice:
"Equal Status" is crucial, meaning both parties should be in socially and institutionally equal positions. For example, in educational settings of intercultural exchange, it is essential to recognize each other as equal partners.
"Pursuit of Common Goals" refers to having specific objectives that different groups should achieve together. For instance, contact becomes more effective when there are shared challenges such as community environmental conservation activities or cultural festival organization.
"Institutional and Social Support" is necessary, referring to organizational backup to promote and maintain contact. Legal frameworks, administrative support, and educational programs enhance the effect of contact.
These conditions were further verified and developed through subsequent research by Cook, Brown, and others. Cook, in particular, conducted long-term empirical studies on the durability of contact effects under these conditions, validating the theory's effectiveness.
Common Ingroup Identity Theory and Practical Applications
Building on the Contact Hypothesis, various developmental theories emerged. Particularly noteworthy is the "Common Ingroup Identity Theory," which shows high practical consistency with Brave Hearts' activities and provides practical implications for modern multicultural society.
The Common Ingroup Identity Theory, proposed by Gaertner et al. in 1993, aims to create fellowship by promoting recategorization through awareness of a superordinate category that encompasses both ingroups and outgroups.
This theoretical perspective academically contributes to the activities currently practiced by Brave Hearts. The organization implements international exchange events based on these theories. Specifically, through activities such as cooking classes and LEGO workshops, they aim to facilitate natural conversations that lead to higher-order identity transition and form new ingroup identities. For example, the development of "we-consciousness" among families during sports festivals can be considered an instance of this process.
Conclusion
Our approach to "multicultural coexistence" may have been overly focused on institutional aspects. The fact that only 37.0% of Japanese people have engaged in international exchange (Immigration Services Agency report) supports this observation. These findings suggest the importance of focusing on fundamental human aspects in pursuing "sustainable multicultural coexistence
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