Social Science Japan Journal Advance Access originally published online on October 12, 2009
Social Science Japan Journal 2009 12(2):267-275; doi:10.1093/ssjj/jyp031
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Social Science Japan Journal 12:267-275 (2009)
© 2009 Oxford University Press
Survey Article |
An Exploratory Analysis of National Prestige Scores
TANABE Shunsuke is an associate professor at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo. His research focuses on national identity and Japanese cognitions of nations. His recent publications include: ‘"Nihonjin" no Gaikoku K
kando to Sono Kz no Jisshuteki Kent: Ajia Shugi, Tzai Reisen, Gurbarizeeshon’ (An Empirical Assessment of "Japanese" Cognition Toward Various Nations: Asianism, the Cold War, and Globalization), Shakaigaku Hyron (Japanese Sociological Review) 59(2): 369–387 (September 2008); and Nashionaru Aidentiti- no Kokusai Hikaku (International Comparative Analysis of National Identity), Tokyo: Keio Gijukudaigaku Shuppankai (2009). He can be reached at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan, or by e-mail at tanabe{at}iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp
The purpose of this study is to develop a national prestige score by emulating occupational prestige scores and to analyze how Japanese people perceive the prestige of various countries. The results of my analysis show that the overall ranking of national prestige is consistent with prior research that measured preferences toward nations, e.g. Western countries are evaluated more highly than African or Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore, while prior studies on ‘preference’ indicated relatively low positions for neighboring countries such as China, South Korea and Russia, this study found that they were ranked in the mid-range, regarding their prestige. I also examined the validity and reliability of the national prestige scores, with the following findings: first, a comparative analysis between national prestige and national preference revealed conceptual differences between prestige and preference and the external validity of a nation's prestige score. Second, in order to assess the reliability of the scores, I analyzed differences based on gender, educational level and age group. However, those attributes did not make any notable differences in terms of the overall ranking of nations.
* Translated from the Japanese by Lili Selden. I would like to express my gratitude to Lili Selden who translated my first Japanese draft into English and I also want to thank Hiro Saito and Emi Tamaki who checked many English phrases in later drafts. I remain fully responsible for any mistakes or misunderstandings in this paper.