{"product_id":"2026200017026-secondhand-the-chrysanthemum-and-the-sword-patterns-of-japanese-culture","title":"The Chrysanthemum And The Sword: Patterns Of Japanese Culture","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFew works of cultural anthropology have proven as enduring or as controversial as The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Ruth Benedict's landmark study of Japanese society commissioned by the U.S. government during the final years of World War II. Written without Benedict ever setting foot in Japan, the work constructs a sweeping portrait of Japanese culture — its aesthetics, its rituals, its contradictions — through the dual symbols of the chrysanthemum, representing beauty and refinement, and the sword, embodying the martial discipline that shaped a nation. Benedict argues that Japanese society is governed by a deeply rooted shame culture, as opposed to the Western guilt culture, a distinction that illuminates the codes of honour, obligation, and self-sacrifice that defined Japanese behaviour both in war and in peace.\n\nGroundbreaking in its methodology and bold in its conclusions, this work stands as a foundational text in the field of cultural anthropology and remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Japanese identity. Benedict's prose is precise yet vivid, weaving together historical analysis, behavioural observation, and cultural theory into a seamless and authoritative narrative. Though debated by scholars for decades, its core insights into the tension between duty and desire, hierarchy and grace, continue to resonate — leaving the reader to wonder whether any culture can ever be truly understood from the outside.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49269356429531,"sku":"2026200017026-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/08d68545-2775-4d0d-a52b-c1c25a51110a.png?v=1788999398","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200017026-secondhand-the-chrysanthemum-and-the-sword-patterns-of-japanese-culture","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}