日本・韓国・中国における「ウチ」と「ソト」

Abstract

In most studies, it is sometimes said that theory without practice is dangerous while practice without theory is vain. The author believes that studies on Japan-Korea intercultural communication or Japan-China intercultural communication are still in the process of staying or living in the actual places and observing the local people for a period before establishing theories. This paper discusses comparison of “in-group” and “out-group” among Japan, Korea and China with assistance of dictionaries, questionnaires, hearings and the local living experiences of the author. The meanings of “in-group” and “out-group” vary from culture to culture. The communicators may change more or less the communication style to out-groups differently from the communication style to in-groups in each culture. Finally the author would like to point out that the meanings of “in-group” and “out-group” in Japan will be changing due to internationalization, urbanization, or change of communities etc.