Group Dynamics in Japan

Studies in group dynamics in Japan, which started just after the Second World War, are reviewed. This review categorizes the studies into two classes: those conducted in the first generation (up to the 1970s) which still remain influential today, and those which represent the current major research trends in the area. The first generation is characterized by a strenuous catching up of studies conducted in the U.S. The second generation has been a theoretical and empirical expansion of the area, and has emphasized the bilateral, dynamic relations between the nature of human collectivities (including culture) and the individuals' psychological state. It has been increasingly recognized that what was regarded as an individual psychological phenomenon in the past should be re-examined from the viewpoint of group dynamics. This goes beyond the traditional definition of small groups research in the laboratory setting. Group dynamics is developing as a field of study in which any kind and size of human collectivity is investigated regarding its dynamic nature and functions that provide a life-world appearing in front of each individual in the collectivity.