Socialmente eterei: un inquadramento del fenomeno Hikikomori attraverso la teoria di Ian Hacking

First described by psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in 1990s Japan (Saito, 1998), the hikikomori phenomenon has accelerated in Western advanced economies as well (Varnum, Kwon, 2016). In Italy, the parliamentary debate of October 2023 initiated the regulatory definition of this voluntary withdrawal. This study critically compares the interpretations offered by Merton’s theory of anomie and Goffman’s approach to stigma, highlighting their limitations in accounting for the diagnostic and identity dynamics typical of hikikomori. It then proposes adopting Ian Hacking’s model – based on interactive classification, the looping effect, and ecological niche – as a framework capable of integrating the clinical practices, representations, and socio-cultural conditions that fuel and sustain self-isolation in contemporary societies.