My essay, titled “The Burden of Being Unproductive” has been published at Psyche (Aeon group).
Drawing on fieldwork in Japan, it explores the phenomenon of hikikomori and examines how their experience challenges conventional ideas of productivity, normality, and care.
By scrutinising the meaning of the category hikikomori, I argue that while they are often portrayed as the epitome of social isolation, rehabilitation does not necessarily guarantee meaningful connection. In this way, the essay blurs the boundaries of the category and asks a deeper question: what do we deem ‘normal’?
Read the essay here.
