Professor Joy Hendry
Emeritus Professor of Anthropology
School of Social Sciences

Role
Joy Hendry graduated with BSc in General Science from Kings College, London, and after living and working abroad for five years, studied for a Diploma, B.Litt and D.Phil Social Anthropology at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, completing her studies in 1979. She taught at Oxford Brookes (and formerly Oxford Poly) from 1980 until 2010, with periods away at Keio University in Japan, Stirling University in Scotland, the CNRS in Paris, the University of Melbourne, McMaster University in Canada, the Institute for Japanese Studies, University of Vienna, and the University of Freiburg. Since becoming professor emerita in 2010, she has been the McGeorge Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and de Carle Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Otago
Research
Japan, society, family, marriage, child-rearing, education, especially mathematics, politeness, cultural display, indigenous museums and culture centres, theme parks, global networks, indigenous knowledge and indigenous science.
Joy has carried out anthropological fieldwork several times in Japan, but more recently has also been working in a context that requires travel to different countries (see Research section below). She was the founder of the Erasmus programme in the Anthropology Department, Brookes Japan Interest Group and the Europe Japan Research Centre, and she also arranged for the building of the Japanese room in the Gibbs Building (see www.brookes.ac.uk/social-sciences/research/ejrc/japanese-room/ for details)
Centres and institutes
Publications
Journal articles
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Hendry J, 'Building bridges, common ground, and the role of the anthropologist'
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 13 (3) (2007) pp.585-601
ISSN: 1359-0987AbstractThis article considers the role of the anthropologist in the context of local ideas about what we do, and a notable difference between the positive attitudes to our work in the author's long-standing field sites of Japan, and the more negative ones found in recent research in the culture centres of people who call themselves Indigenous, particularly in Canada. It draws on the history of anthropology in Japan, as well as the practice of the recent experience, to analyse the nature and properties of the field site and to propose ways of building common ground for the processes of objectification and subjectification that take place there. A review of proposals that have emerged for a new anthropology paves the way for some ideas about how anthropologists might build bridges towards re-establishing good relationships with our former collaborators, then better known as informants.Published here -
Hendry J, 'An Ethnographer in the Global Arena: Globography Perhaps?'
Global Networks 3 (2004) pp.497-512
ISSN: 1470-2266 eISSN: 1471-0374 -
Hendry J, 'An ethnographer in the global arena: globography perhaps?'
Global Networks 3 (4) (2003) pp.497-512
ISSN: 1470-2266 eISSN: 1471-0374AbstractIn this article Hendry addresses the difficulties and apparent contradictions of applying the qualitative rigour of the ethnographic research method to fieldwork carried out in a global context. While pursuing a discourse evidently shared by people indigenous to many different parts of the world, the author reflects on why she feels the work she is doing still draws on elements of the qualitative strength of the method first developed by her own discipline of social anthropology. This subject is now somewhat unfashionable for reasons precisely associated with the discourse she is following, namely a status inequality seen as implicit in the representation of ‘other’ peoples. In the article she argues against throwing the baby out with the bathwater, however, and seeks to demonstrate how the value the ethnographic method gleaned from social anthropology offers an important contribution to understanding local aspects of global issuesPublished here -
Hendry J, 'Foreign Country Theme Parks: A New Theme or an Old Japanese Pattern?'
Social Science Japan Journal 3 (2) (2000) pp.207-220
ISSN: 1369-1465 eISSN: 1468-2680AbstractPublished hereThis paper addresses the subject of Japanese tēma pāku, or 'theme parks', which represent foreign countries, but it argues from the outset that these gaikoku mura ('foreign villages') are a more sophisticated form of cultural display than the English title would suggest. Drawing on a somewhat experimental anthropological approach, which is explained in the body of the paper, it seeks to identify common features in a variety of examples, and these are then examined both in a global perspective and in the context of local Japanese historical and cultural influences. It is argued that the parks are more comparable with museums and world fairs than with post-modern interpretations of Disneyland, but there are also precursors in Japanese gardens and other arts that make them an especially interesting site for further serious anthropological analysis.
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Hendry J, 'To Wrap Or Not to Wrap - Politeness and Penetration in Ethnographic Inquiry'
Man 24 (1990) pp.620-635
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, 'Kindergartens and the Transition From Home to School Education'
Comparative Education 22 (1986) pp.53-58
ISSN: 0305-0068 eISSN: 1360-0486
Books
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Hendry J, (ed.), An Anthropological Lifetime in Japan, Brill (2016)
ISBN: 9789004302860 eISBN: 9789004302877AbstractJoy Hendry's collection demonstrates the value of an anthropological approach to understanding a particular society by taking the reader through her own discovery of the field, explaining her practice of it in Oxford and Japan, and then offering a selection of the results and findings she obtained. Her work starts with a study of marriage made in a small rural community, continues with education and the rearing of children, and later turns to consider polite language, especially amongst women. This lead into a study of "wrapping" and cultural display, for example of gardens and theme parks, which became a comparative venture, putting Japan in a global context. Finally the book sums up change through the period of Hendry's research. -
Hendry J, Science and sustainability, Palgrave Macmillan (2014)
ISBN: 9781137435903 eISBN: 9781137430069AbstractIndigenous peoples have passed down vital knowledge for generations from which local plants help cure common ailments, to which parts of the land are unsuitable for buildings because of earthquakes. Here, Hendry examines science through these indigenous roots, problematizing the idea that Western science is the only type that deserves that name.Published here -
Hendry J, Understanding Japanese Society, Routledge (2012)
ISBN: 9780415679138 -
Hendry J, Fitznor L, (ed.), Anthropologists, Indigenous Scholars and the Research Endeavour, Routledge (2012)
ISBN: 9781138008861 -
Hendry J, (ed.), Dismantling the East West Dichotomy, Routledge (2009)
ISBN: 9780415545556 eISBN: 9780203968697AbstractIt has been customary in the appraisal of the different approaches to the study of Japan anthropology to invoke an East-West dichotomy positing hegemonic ‘Western’ systems of thought against a more authentic ‘Eastern’ alternative.Top scholars in the field of Japan anthropology examine, challenge and attempt to move beyond the notion of an East-West divide in the study of Japan anthropology. They discuss specific fieldwork and ethnographic issues, the place of the person within the context of the dichotomy, and regional perspectives on the issue. Articulating the influence of the East-West divide in other disciplines, including museum studies, religion, business and social ecology, the book attempts to look towards a new anthropology that transcends the limitations of a simplistic East-West opposition, taking into account the wealth of regional and global perspectives that are exhibited by contemporary scholarship on Japan anthropology. In concluding if the progress achieved in anthropological work on Japan can provide a model for good practice beyond this regional specialization, this timely and important book provides a valuable examination of the current state of the academic study of Japan anthropology.
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Hendry J, Sharing Our Worlds: An Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology, New York University Press (2008)
ISBN: 9780814737118Abstract- Sharing Our Worlds offers the perfect introduction to cultural and social anthropology for anyone approaching the subject for the first time. Hendry introduces classic theoretical ideas of the key founders of cultural and social anthropology, placing them in their historical and geographical context. Carefully structured so that one chapter builds on the next, Sharing Our Worlds covers the core topics in an even-handed and illuminating manner, introducing the reader to divergent views on all the most basic subjects-food, hygiene, gift-exchange, rites of passage, symbolism, religion, politics, and the environment-and raising awareness of the emotional value people place on those views. Covering a wide array of countries, it brings the subject of cultural and social anthropology right into the neighborhood of the reader, wherever they are in the world. Written in a refreshingly accessible style, Sharing Our Worlds offers a compelling introduction to an enigmatic and exciting subject, drawing out its relevance and value for the complex multicultural world in which we live.
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Hendry J, Raveri M, (ed.), Japan at Play: The Ludic and Logic of Power, Routledge (2005)
ISBN: 9780415379373;0415379377 -
Hendry J, Reclaiming culture: Indigenous people and self-representation, Palgrave Macmillan (2005)
ISBN: 978-1403970718 -
Hendry J, Watson CW, (ed.), An anthropology of indirect communication, Routledge (2001)
ISBN: 9780415247450AbstractSometimes we convey what we mean not by what we say but by what we do. This type of indirect communication is sometimes called 'indirection'. From patent miscommunication, through potent ambiguity to pregnant silence this incisive collection examines from a rare anthropological perspective the many aspects of indirect communication. From a Mormon Theme Park to carnival time on Montserrat the contributors analyse indirection by illustrating how food, silence, sunglasses, martial arts and rudeness call constitute powerful ways of conveying meaning. An Anthropology of Indirect Communication is an engaging text which provides a challenging introduction to this subject. -
Hendry J, The Orient Strikes Back: A Global View of Cultural Display, Berg (2000)
ISBN: 9781859733332;185973328XAbstractAt the turn of the 20th Century, Japanese villages and their exotic occupants delighted and mystified visitors to the Great Exhibitions and Worlds Fairs . At the beginning of the 21st Century, Japanese tourists have reversed the gaze and now may visit a range of European countries, as well as several other cultural worlds, without ever leaving the shores of Japan. This book suggests that these and other exciting Asian theme parks pose a challenge to Western notions of leisure, education, and entertainment. Is this a case of reverse orientalism? Or is it simply a commercial follow-up on the success of Tokyo Disneyland? Is it an appropriation by one rich nation of a whole world of cultural delights from the countries that have influenced its twentieth-century success? Can the parks be seen as political statements about the heritage on which Japan now draws so freely? Or are they new forms of ethnographic museum? Examining Japanese parks in the context of a variety of historical examples of cultural display in Europe, the U.S. and Australia, as well as other Asian examples, the author calls into question the too easy adoption of postmodern theory as an ethnocentrically Western phenomenon and clearly shows that Japan has given theme parks an entirely new mode of interpretation. -
Hendry J, An Anthropologist in Japan: Glimpses of LIfe in the Field, Routledge (1999)
ISBN: 9780415195744;041519573XAbstractIn this highly personal account Joy Hendry relates her experiences of fieldwork in a Japanese town and reveals a fascinating cross-section of Japanese life. She sets out on a study of politeness but a variety of unpredictable events including a volcanic eruption, a suicide and her son's involvement with the family of a poweful local gangster, begin to alter the direction of her research. The book demonstrates the role of chance in the acquisition of anthropological knowledge and demonstrates how moments of insight can be embedded in everyday activity. An Anthropologist in Japan illuminates the education system, religious beliefs, politics, the family and the neighbourhood in modern Japan. -
Hendry J, (ed.), Interpreting Japanese Society: Anthropological Approaches, Routledge (1998)
ISBN: 9780415172684;0415172675 -
Hendry J, Wrapping Culture: Politeness, Presentation, and Power in Japan and Other Societies, Clarendon Press (1995)
ISBN: 9780198280286;0198280289AbstractWrapping Culture is concerned with problems of intercultural communication and the possibilities for misinterpretation of the familiar in an unfamiliar context. Starting with an examination of gift-wrapping, Joy Hendry demonstrates how our expectations are often influenced by cultural factors which may blind us to an appreciation of underlying intent. She then extends this approach to the study of polite language as the wrapping of thoughts and intentions, garments as body wrappings, constructions and gardens as wrapping of space, and even to the ways in which people may be wrapped in seating arrangements, or meetings and drinking customs may be constrained by temporal versions of wrapping.
Throughout the book, Dr Hendry considers ways in which groups of people use such symbolic forms to impress and manipulate one another, and points out a Western tendency to underestimate such non-verbal communication, or reject it as mere decoration. The ideas she presents should be valid in any intercultural encounter and demonstrate that Japanese culture, so often thought of as a special case, can supply a model through which we can formulate general theories about human behaviour. -
Hendry J, Becoming Japanese : the World of the Pre-School, Manchester University Press (1986)
ISBN: 9780719022845;0719022843AbstractThe children are more than mere pictures. They tell us the truths about Japan. So wrote a visitor to Japan at the turn of the century and this view underlies the title of this book. The first few years of a child's life are vitally imporant for preparing it to be a member of the society to which it belongs. Japanese methods of childcare are consequently directed towards taking advantage of the receptivity of the early years. They are also different in many ways from Western methods and much of the colorful detail in this book will be of great interest to mothers everywhere--from family beds and toilet training to the elaborate religious ceremonies of childhood. Joy Hendry looks at customs and traditions, at rewards and punishments, and at the day-to-day life of children at home, at school, and in the wider world. -
Hendry J, Marriage In Changing Japan: Community And Society, St Martin's Press (1981)
ISBN: 9780312516116;0312516118
Book chapters
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Hendry J, 'Japan's Global Village: A View from the World of Leisure' in Robertson J (ed.), A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan, Wiley-Blackwell (2008)
ISBN: 9780631229551;0631229558 eISBN: 9786610198672Published here -
Hendry J, 'The Japanese Tattoo: Play or Purpose' in Hendry J, Raveri M (ed.), Japan at Play, Routledge (2005)
ISBN: 9780415379373;0415379377 -
Hendry J, 'From Scrambled Messages to an Impromptu Dip: Serendipity in Finding a Field Location' in Bestor TC, Steinhoff PG, Bestor VL (ed.), Doing Fieldwork in Japan, University of Hawaii Press (2003)
ISBN: 9780824827342;082482525X
Reviews
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Hendry J, review of Airborne Dreams: 'Nisei' Stewardesses and Pan American World Airways
Pacific Affairs 85 (2012) pp.649-651
ISSN: 0030-851X eISSN: 1715-3379 -
Hendry J, review of Ruth Benedict: Beyond Relativity, Beyond Pattern.
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 12 (2006) pp.1002-1003
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship.
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 7 (2001) pp.162-163
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies.
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 5 (1999) pp.507-508
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Multicultural Japan: Palaeolithic to Postmodern
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 4 (1998) pp.368-369
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Re-imaging Japanese Women - Imamura,ae
Journal of Japanese Studies -Seattle- 23 (1997) pp.489-492
ISSN: 0095-6848 -
Hendry J, review of What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans Make Sense of Their Worlds - Mathews,g
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 3 (1997) pp.386-387
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Encounters With Aging: Mythologies of Menopause in Japan and North America - Lock,m
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 2 (1996) pp.185-186
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Situated Meaning - Inside and Outside in Japanese Self, Society, and Language - Bachnik,jm, Quinn,cj
Contemporary Sociology 24 (1995) pp.413-414
ISSN: 0094-3061 eISSN: 1939-8638 -
Hendry J, review of The Origin of Ethnography in Japan - Kunio,yanagita and His Times - Kawada
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 1 (1995) pp.189-190
ISSN: 1359-0987 -
Hendry J, review of Learning to Go to School in Japan - the Transition From Home to Preschool Life - Peak,l
American Ethnologist 21 (1994) pp.992-993
ISSN: 0094-0496 eISSN: 1548-1425 -
Hendry J, review of Refuge of the Honored - Social-organization in a Japanese Retirement Community - Kinoshita,y, Kiefer,cw
Man 29 (1994) pp.241-242
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Rice As Self - Japanese Identities Through Time - Ohnukitierney,e
Anthropos 89 (1994) pp.643-644
ISSN: 0257-9774 -
Hendry J, review of Cultural Nationalism in Contemporary Japan - Yoshino,k
Ethnic and Racial Studies 16 (1993) pp.753-754
ISSN: 0141-9870 eISSN: 1466-4356 -
Hendry J, review of Japanese Sense of Self - Rosenberger,nr
Man 28 (1993) pp.190-191
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Crafting Selves - Power, Gender, and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace - Kondo,dk
American Ethnologist 19 (1992) pp.596-597
ISSN: 0094-0496 eISSN: 1548-1425 -
Hendry J, review of Delayed Departures, Overdue Arrivals - Industrial Familialism and the Japanese National Railways - Noguchi,ph
Man 26 (1992) pp.773-774
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Modern Japan Through Its Weddings - Gender, Person and Society in Ritual Portrayal - Edwards,w
Man 26 (1991) pp.365-366
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of The Languages of Japan - Shibatani,m
Man 26 (1991) pp.357-358
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Power and Persuasion - Fiestas and Social-control in Rural Mexico - Brandes,s
Man 24 (1989) pp.172-173
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Japanese Culture and Behavior - Selected-readings - Lebra,ts, Lebra,wp
Man 22 (1988) pp.759-759
ISSN: 0025-1496 -
Hendry J, review of Images of Japanese Society, a Study in the Structure of Social-reality - Mouer,r, Sugimoto,y
Journal of Japanese Studies -Seattle- 13 (1987) pp.491-495
ISSN: 0095-6848 -
Hendry J, review of Family-planning in Japanese Society - Traditional Birth-control in a Modern Urban Culture - Coleman,s
Population Studies 38 (1984) pp.513-513
ISSN: 0032-4728 eISSN: 1477-4747
Other publications
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Hendry J, 'The Japan Anthropology Workshop', (1987)