Forms and Backgrounds of Social Perceptions of the term “Society of Coexistence” and its Changes over Time

This study discusses the permeation of the term kyōsei shakai (society of coexistence) in Japanese society and analyzes the forms and background of perceptions of this term, with a focus on the respondents' educational experiences. Since 2010, the author has conducted six social awareness surveys with similar survey designs; this paper presents the changes over time in survey items with the same content. The following three items summarize the findings of this paper: First, overall the degree of understanding of the term “society of coexistence” is increasing within the Japanese society. Moreover, understanding this term is associated with a broader perspective of social awareness. Second, a comparison of the survey results in 2019 and 2023, however, showed that the percentage of respondents who knew what the term “society of coexistence” meant declined, whereas the percentage of respondents who had never heard of the term increased. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a gap in social awareness between those who understand the term and those who do not has been widening. Additionally, the social interaction with minorities is declining overall. Third, perceptions of the term “society of coexistence” depend on one’s degree of educational experience. Moreover, considering the associations with respondents’ high school learning and experience, the group that valued intellectual curiosity and exploration showed an increasing awareness of the term “society of coexistence.”