Open AccessEstablishment of new universities and the growth of psychology in postwar Japan 1
Author(s) -
FUMINO YOH
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
japanese psychological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5884
pISSN - 0021-5368
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2005.00282.x
Subject(s) - school psychology , psychology , curriculum , psychological research , graduate students , graduate education , asian psychology , higher education , pedagogy , social science , mathematics education , social psychology , sociology , political science , law
The quantitative increase in psychologists in postwar Japan was investigated by focusing on the distribution of psychology faculties in universities and graduate schools. The status of psychology in the new teacher‐training system was acknowledged as the institutional basis for this increase. The growth in the number of universities, graduate schools, faculties, and association memberships related to psychology was analyzed. The results indicated that the initial basis for the increase was the new university curriculum of teacher education, which stipulated that educational psychology and related subjects should be compulsory. As a result, new jobs for psychologists were created in most universities. The establishment of graduate schools was another factor that contributed to the increase in psychologists because it provided psychology researchers for newly established universities. In particular, since the 1990s, graduate schools offering courses in clinical psychology and educational psychology have contributed to the increase in psychologists. The meaning of this increase in psychology in Japanese universities during the current period of university reform is discussed.