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Wisdom in Education Volume 5 Issue 2 Article 2 11-1-2015 Deconstructing Dominant Discourse Using Self-deprecating Humor: A Discourse Analysis of a Consulting with Japanese Female about Hikikomori and NEET Hatsuho Ayashiro University of Fukui, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/wie Part of the Counseling Commons, and the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons Recommended Citation Ayashiro, Hatsuho (2015) "Deconstructing Dominant Discourse Using Self-deprecating Humor: A Discourse Analysis of a Consulting with Japanese Female about Hikikomori and NEET," Wisdom in Education: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/wie/vol5/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wisdom in Education by an authorized editor of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Deconstructing Dominant Discourse Using Self-deprecating Humor: A Discourse Analysis of a Consulting with Japanese Female about Hikikomori and NEET Abstract This study examines how dominant discourses are deconstructed in a consulting, particularly focusing on self-deprecating humor. Data were collected from a session with a Japanese client whose son was in hikikomori or NEET state, and a transcript of the session was analyzed using positioning theory. Examining several extracts shows how the client’s positioning of her son and herself is influenced by some dominant discourses, such as deficit discourse and so on. These dominant discourses are deconstructed by self-deprecating humor, because such ironical self-positioning makes these discourses visible, and defeats the self made by society. We discuss the findings with the word “queer” and cultural power of self-deprecating humor. This study contributes to understanding the way of cultural resistance to dominant discourse and the value of discourse analysis for reflexive practice. Keywords dominant discourse, positioning theory, humor, hikikomori, NEET Author Statement Specially-Assigned Assistant Professor, University of Fukui (Japan) A former visiting scholar, California State University, San Bernardino A clinical psychologist in Japan Cover Page Footnote I would like to acknowledge Mrs. Suzuki, who was my client in this paper. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Winslade, who was my supervisor in California State University San Bernardino. Without them, I could not have written the paper. This article is available in Wisdom in Education: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/wie/vol5/iss2/2 Ayashiro: Deconstructing Dominant Discourse Using Self-deprecating Humor What is dominant discourse? hard-workers, but I know many Japanese I am from Japan. What occurred to people who are not, and some Western you when you read that? You might have people who are also hard-workers. However, brought to mind an image of a food (such as these images about Japan are popular in sushi), a piece of clothing (such as a kimono), Western countries and may have produced a city (such as Tokyo), a form of particular exotic representations. Thus, entertainment (such as anime), a religion (such dominant discourse highlights one aspect and as Zen), a philosophy (such as Bushido), a makes people believe that it is true, while it sport (such as sumo), geography (such as Mt. suppresses other possible interpretations. Fuji), a people with particular qualities (such A dominant discourse, however, is as hard-workers) and so on. Even though you one that strongly influences us. For example, do not know about Japan or Japanese very as a visiting scholar in California State much, you can talk about Japan, partly University San Bernardino, I often studied at because you have learned those images my office until late at night. People would consciously or unconsciously from daily life at often say to me as a result, “You are school, in conversations with friends, and Japanese.” Such utterances reflect dominant through the media. Sometimes you might discourse about Japanese people in the have conveyed those images to your characterization of a Japanese person as a neighborhood in some form of talk such as hard-worker. At first, I did not think so. In discussing, chattering, gossiping, writing fact, I did not spend much time studying, (letters or brief essays), and texting (with because I always got up late in the morning Twitter or Facebook). Those images, (to be honest, at noon), and then I came to produced and neglected through human the office much later than other people. After interactions, construct what Japan is and who a while, however, I started to think that I Japanese people are. In other words, your studied hard till late at night, because I was images have the power to produce, maintain Japanese, and that I was a little bit stranger and reproduce particular interpretations. To than others, as if I was a workaholic. This is put it simply, the images are forms of an example of the power of dominant discourse. Technically speaking, discourse is a discourse. Dominant discourse invites us to kind of flame of our interpretation (Burr, judge ourselves against social norms and to 1995), and discourses can be considered as normalize ourselves along the lines of force social practices which construct things created by the discourse, while not usually (Foucault, 1972). noticing the power of the discourse While there are many different (Hare-Mustin, 1994; Monk, Winslade, & discourses, there are some that affect relations Sinclair, 2008; Soal & Kottler, 1996). If I had between people and create forms of not reminded myself of the fact that I had dominance. They are called dominant gotten up late at noon, I might have kept discourses (Hare-Mustin, 1994). The above seeing myself as strange, in accordance with images do partly reflect Japan, but they do not the dominant discourse. represent Japan well. Most Japanese eat sushi only occasionally, because it is expensive in Deconstructing dominant discourse in most cases. Also, many Japanese are as therapy and counseling unfamiliar with kimonos, sumo, Zen, and The idea of dominant discourse is Bushido as most Western people are. In important for therapists and counselors, addition, at least as far as I am concerned, I because many people who need therapy and have never been to Mt. Fuji, I have lived in a counseling are influenced negatively by the city in Kanawaga, and I know little about dominant discourses that prevail in their anime. I agree that many Japanese people are societies (Soal & Kottler, 1996). Indeed, many Published by CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2015 1 Wisdom in Education, Vol. 5 [2015], Iss. 2, Art. 2 dominant discourses are not bad, but, since In this paper, we use discourse dominant discourse is familiar and analysis from the viewpoint of positioning taken-for-granted by a given society (Monk, theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999) for Winslade, & Sinclair, 2008), it often constructs analyzing data. Discourse analysis is literally a particularly minorities in a way that they method for analyzing discourse. However, would not prefer, and sometimes even forces discourse analysis is not a standardized them to think about themselves in that way. systematic methodology, so much as a White (2011a) pointed out that many clients psychological approach based on social cap off their problem narratives with negative constructionism (Willig, 2001). Therefore, identity conclusions, such as, “This shows there are many different ideas and methods, how inadequate I am” (p. 5). According to even though they use the same term of White, it is because modern power presses discourse based on postmodern ideas. them to construct themselves along the lines In therapy and counseling fields, specified by dominant discourses. It is hard to researchers have used discourse analysis challenge dominant discourses, however, mainly for examining two aspects: session because “they are part of the identity of most interactions that construct or deconstruct members of any society, and they influence clients’ problems, and the impact of wider attitudes and behaviors” (Hare-Mustin, 1994, socio-cultural discourse on clients and pp. 1-2). Therefore, from the viewpoint of the therapists (Georgaca & Avdi, 2009). That is to concept of discourse, the aim of therapy can say, the word discourse implies be seen as to deconstruct dominant discourse micro-interaction processes in some cases, (Georgaca & Avdi, 2009). while it means macro-interpretation flames So, how is dominant discourse towering over us in other cases. However, deconstructed in therapy and counseling? both perspectives should be considered when There are many papers that focus on this examining therapy and counseling practices. question (for example, Kararza & Avdi, 2011; We believe that positioning theory is useful Madill & Barkham, 1997). In this paper, we for analyzing these two aspects together. illustrate how dominant discourse can be Positioning theory (Davies & Harré, deconstructed by the use of self-deprecating 1990; Harré & Moghaddam, 2003; Harré & humor. Self-deprecating humor has not been van Langenhove, 1999) examines how people focused on in this way before now, though it position themselves and others in discourse. has been pointed out that humor is useful for When examining positioning, using the deconstructing dominant discourses, concept of the positioning triad or positioning especially for minorities (Hardy & Phillips, triangle is recommended by

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