On Brothers and Sisters: South Asian and Japanese Idea Systems and their Consequences

Lyon, Stephen M.

On Brothers and Sisters: South Asian and Japanese Idea Systems and their Consequences

Lyon, Stephen M.

Authors

Stephen M. Lyon

Abstract

The role expectations of cross siblings varies across culture. Such expectations, while not rigidly prescribing actual behaviors nevertheless influences relations between brothers and sisters in observable ways. In South Asia, a cultural rhetoric of sororal sacrifice and support coupled with fraternal protection are commonplace. While such noble sibling roles are regularly transgressed they remain powerful idioms of the relationship and transgressions require appropriate cultural justification. In contrast, Japanese rhetorical roles lack such explicit sacrifice-protection expectations between cross sibling interactions and instead include more competitive and conflictual idealized models of cross sibling behaviors. Looking at narrative accounts of cross siblings in ancient texts in South Asia and Japan as well as contemporary rituals and observed sibling interactions, this paper argues that the cross sibling relationship must be understood as part of an assemblage of cultural idea systems which inform behaviors, beliefs and attitudes in individuals.

Citation

Lyon, S. M. (2017). On Brothers and Sisters: South Asian and Japanese Idea Systems and their Consequences. World cultures eJournal, 22(1),

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Jan 15, 2017
Online Publication Date	Jan 1, 2017
Publication Date	Jan 1, 2017
Deposit Date	Feb 24, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Feb 24, 2017
Journal	World cultures eJournal
Publisher	University of California
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	22
Issue	1
Publisher URL	https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2f00s96z