A Study on the Value Consciousness among Japanese Undergraduates

[[abstract]]人類的價值觀與行為模式皆會受到所在社會背景之影響。原本受中國儒家思想影響甚鉅的日本，將侍奉年邁雙親以及發揮敬老精神視為年輕人所應盡之義務與責任。然而在近代化的衝擊之下，不可諱言這樣的傳統文化思想正面臨了存續的極大挑戰。根據眾多的研究結果顯示，原屬於日本社會的「養兒防老」之觀念，意即高齡者所得保障中的「世代間的轉移(inter-generational transfer)」似乎已逐漸式微。在近代化的影響之下，個人主義逐漸抬頭，日本大學生的價值觀，特別是扶養意識以及對高齡者的看法有著什麼樣的轉變？本文將透過實證調查之結果進行分析，以過去個人的生活經驗（與祖父母同住與否）和個人對於敬老精神存廢的看法（支持與否）為軸，將所產生的四種不同的傳統傳承類型進行比較。研究結果發現「傳統傳承實踐型」不但對於高齡者的看法最為正面，將來與年邁雙親同居的意願也最為強烈。因此，可得知三代同堂的生活經驗不但有助於傳承日本傳統的扶養意識，也可以避免年輕世代對於高齡世代產生負面的看法（差別意識）。但在三代同堂之家庭結構已明顯減少之現實狀況之下，增加年輕世代與高齡世代的接觸機會亦可作為解決對策之參考。 It is agreed that people's values and behavior are generally conditioned by social background. Japan in many ways has been greatly influenced by Confucianism. For example: young people are supposed to assume full responsibility for taking care of their aged parents. Also, they are expected to treat the elders with due respect. However, such cultural traditions are facing an enormous challenge posed by the impact of modernization. The idea ＂to raise children in the hope of their future care in return＂ has played a major part in the Japanese society. Yet, such a tradition has increasingly declined on the grounds that the inter-generational transfer no longer guarantees the security of family life people expect their children will offer them when they are getting old. Along with modernization, social values change and individualism rises. In a society where traditional values are undergoing transformation, what changes can we find in Japanese university students' attitudes towards traditional values, especial to towards the concept of alimentation and the impression of the elders? This article will examine the interrelationship between the respondent's past life experience (whether he/she has lived with his/her grandparents or not) and his/her idea about the reverence due to the elders (whether he/she is in favor with such a tradition). From this cross-over analysis, the data will be grouped under four different types. The results acquired from the comparison made among these 4 tapes indicate that those who have experience of living with their grandparents are more likely to observe the tradition of respecting the elders. This type of respondents holds much more favorable views on the elders and is by a great deal more willing to live with aged parents. From the survey, we may conclude that the respondents' past life experience in a three-generation family to a certain degree influences their views on the aged as well as their willing to take care of their aged parents. In a society where the three-generation family model has already been in decline, it would be good alternative to the three-generation family model to increase the interaction between the young and old generations