2 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) thisrateisontheriseaswel(cabineto fice2013:13-14).japan srateofageingrankedclosetothe botom duringthe198

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1 第 50 巻第 3 号 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview injapan(ozawa Wataru 2014 etal.) 年 12 月 1 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan: AnalysisofSurveyData OZAWAWataru ⅰ,MAKITAYukifumi ⅱ,HIGUCHIKoichi ⅲ, NISHIMURAKiyotada ⅳ,ISHIKAWAKuniko ⅴ, OGAWAEiji ⅰ,KATO Hiroshi ⅵ Abstract:ThewordMinsei-IinisusedforagroupofJapanesesocialworkvolunteersor persons commissionedtopromoteandstabilizethelivesofpeople (Goodman1998:143).TheMinsei-Iinsystem isuniqueasaform ofdirectsocialwelfareinjapanbecausethatdependsonvolunteers.japan srapidly ageingpopulationhascreatednew demandsonthesevolunteerservants.weconductedasurveyofal themembersofminsei-iininkyotocity,ujicityandyawatacityfrom AugusttoSeptember2012,using astructuredquestionnairetoobtaindetailedinformationonthesevolunteers workingconditions.the responseratewasmorethan90%.thisreportanalysesthesurveydataandcommentsusingstatistical andtextualmethodsinordertoidentifyareasofconcernwiththeminsei-iinsystem andwaystoaddress them.thesurveyresultsshowthatminsei-iinarehighlyenthusiasticaboutanddedicatedtotheirwork, butthattheyarefacingchalengesduetotheincreasingneedtoassistelderlypeoplewithpsychological problems,especialydementia.minsei-iinidentifiedbarrierstofindingoutaboutpeopleinneedbecause oftheprovisionsofthepersonalinformationprotectionlaw astheirmostcommonsystematicor institutionalproblem.theygeneralyreporthavingastrongsupportnetwork,butmanyofthem believe thattheycouldbenefitfrom additionaltraining. Keywords: Minsei-Jidou-Iin,Homen-Iin,Roujin-Fukushi-In,CommunityCareSystem,Surveyof Minsei-Iinin Introduction InJapan,thepercentageofresidentsovertheageof65hasreached24.1% thehighestpercentage ever andisstilrising,leadingtowardsasuperageingsociety.elderlypeoplerepresent30%ofaljapanese households.evenmorestrikingisthatelderlypeoplelivingaloneconstitute24.2%ofalhouseholds,and ⅰ Professor,FacultyofSocialSciences,RitsumeikanUniversity ⅱ SpecialyAppointedLecturer,FacultyofUrbanManagement,FukuyamaCityUniversity ⅲ AssociateProfessor,FacultyofSocialSciences,RitsumeikanUniversity ⅳ Part-timeLecturer,RitsumeikanUniversity ⅴ AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofSocialWelfare,Osaka-Ningen-KagakuUniversity ⅵ Professor,DepartmentofSocialWelfare,RyukokuJuniorColege

2 2 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) thisrateisontheriseaswel(cabineto fice2013:13-14).japan srateofageingrankedclosetothe botom duringthe1980scomparedwiththatofotherdevelopedcountries.however,bythe1990s,japan wasinthemiddleofthatgroupandiscurrentlyatthetop.ageingisproceedingatamuchfasterpacein Japanthaninotherdevelopedcountries,infact,ataspeedneverseenbeforeanywhereintheworld.Ittook Japan24yearstoincreaseitsageingratefrom 7%to14%,butittookGermany40andUK 64yearsto achievethesame(cabineto fice2013:8-11). Withthisrapidgrowthoftheageingpopulation,theincreaseinthenumberofelderlypeopleliving aloneisbecomingaserioussocialproblem.accordingtodatafrom thenationalinstituteofpopulationand SocialSecurityResearchinJapan,thenumberofelderlypeoplelivingalonewas4.98milionin2011. However,thisnumbermayriseto7.62milionby2035,anincreaseof53%.Inaddition,in87%ofJapan s totallandarea,theportionofhouseholdheadsover65yearsmayreach40%.alongwiththisincreaseinthe ageingpopulation,familycareprovidersarebecomingolder.moreover,instancesofsingleelderlypersons dyingalonehavebecomeamajorsocialproblem injapan. Totackletheseconcerns,JapanhasadoptedtheLong-Term CareInsuranceAct,modeledonGerman careinsurancesystem.simultaneously,theintegratedcommunitycarecentresystem hasbeenintroduced sothattheelderlycancontinuetoliveathomewithintheircommunity 1.BeforetheenactmentoftheLong- Term CareInsuranceAct,governmentagenciesfoundresidentialplacementsanddeterminedsocialwelfare servicesfortheelderlypeoplewhoneededcare.however,since1998,undertheinfluenceofneoliberal socialwelfarepolicy,therecipientsofcarethemselveshavebeenabletochoosetheservicestheyneedby colaboratingwithwelfareserviceprovidersdirectly.thissocialwelfarepolicyaimstostrengthenthe reciprocitywithinthecommunityandquasimarketcareservicesfortheelderly.theroleofminsei-jidou-iin (hereafterreferredtoasminsei-iin),whohaveprovidedinformalsocialwelfaresupportwithintheir community,isnowatractingatentionunderthispolicy. ThisthesisfirstclarifiestherelationshipbetweencommunitycareandMinsei-Iinbyreviewingthe activitiesandhistoricalbackgroundofminsei-iin;itthendiscussestheanalysisandsignificanceofour surveyonminsei-iin,conductedin2012.inthefolowingsection,wewilreview thehistoricalbackground oftheminsei-iinsystem. 2.TheactivitiesofMinsei-Iinanditshistoricalbackground ThehistoryofMinsei-IingoesbacktotheperiodbeforetheSecondWorldWar.Thepredecessorof theminsei-iinsystem issaidtohavebeenthehomen-iinsystem (1918),developedbyShigejiroOgawa ( )andestablishedinOsakaprefecture.WhenOgawawasachiefprisonoficer,heatendedthe internationalprisoncongressesof1895and1900ineuropeasajapaneserepresentative.duringthese conventions,hebecameacutelyawareoftheimportanceofthepoorreliefsystem inpreventingvarious formsofcrime.heespecialystudiedthehamburgsystem andtheelberfeldsystem 2 ingermany. OgawamadereferencetotheabovementionedsystemsinGermanyinordertotackletheaftermathof thericeriots 3 andalsoprovidepoorrelief.hedividedosakacityintosixteenareasandcommissioned approximatelythreehundredresidentsashomen-iin.thesepeoplecompiledinformationtoidentifyand recordthelevelofpovertytoovercomethecommunityproblem systematicaly. Thissystem spreadnationwideinashorttimeandwaseventualylegislatedbythegovernmentin1936. ThislegislationmarkedthebeginningofthecurrentMinsei-Iinsystem.TheinitialactivitiesofMinsei-Iin wereperformedtograspthelevelofpovertyproblemsandmonitorresidents activities.inaddition,they

3 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 3 gavecounselingonhouseholdfinanceissuestofamiliesandindividualslivinginpoverty.insomecases, Minsei-Iinthemselvesoferedfinancialsupportonapersonalbasis.BeforetheSecondWorldWar,members ofreputablefamilieswithinthecommunitywerecommissionedasminsei-iin.thepostwaslegaly designatedasanhonorarypositionthatplayedasupplementaryroleinadministeringpovertyrelief. AftertheSecondWorldWar,amidstthedemocratizationofvarioussystems,Minsei-Iinactivitieswere entrustedtovolunteerswhoassistedinimplementingtheadministration ssocialwelfarepoliciessupporting families,children,handicappedandelderlyinneed.localadministrationoficersmaderecommendationsfor thepostofminsei-iin,andthenomineewascommissionedbytheministryofhealth,labourandwelfare forathree-yearterm (withapossibleextension).currently,minsei-iinareunpaidposts,althoughbeforethe amendmentoftheminsei-iinactin2000,asmalfeehadbeenincluded.theirmainrolewastoseekout peopleinneed,providethem withvolunteeraidandassistthelocalgovernment sadministration.thestatus ofthispositionasanhonorarypostwasmaintaineduntil2000. Withregardtosupporttheelderlypeople,Minsei-IinworkedtogetherwiththeCouncilofSocial Welfare acommunitysocialwelfaresystem introducedafterthesecondworldwar,modeledontheus system andaccomplishednumerousresults.forexample,inthe1950s,theminsei-iinassociation conductedasurveyontheconditionofbedriddenelderlypeoplelivingathomeanddevelopedasystem of temporaryhelpersforthoseinneed.afterthat,theassociationcontinuedtosupportsingleelderlypeople andfamilieswithbedriddenelderlymembers,anditestablishedthefoundationforasystem ofwatching overelderlypeopleinthecommunity.whentheminsei-iinassociationcelebrateditsfiftiethanniversaryin 1967,itsetforththreenewcoursesofaction,emphasisingon1)contributingtotheindependenceofelderly persons,2)servingothersand3)beingcommunity-minded. Duringthe1970s,thepopulation sageingrateroseto7%,andtheincreaseinthenumberoftheelderly andtheneedforlong-term nursingcarebecameanimportantissueinpolicydiscussions.asaresult,the Japanesegovernmentbegantoprovidefreemedicalservicesfortheelderly,madeimprovementsinmedical insurancepaymentsandintroducedanindexingsystem forpensions.thesemajorsocialpolicyreforms marked asubstantialexpansion ofthewelfarestateand werebelieved to takestepstowardsa comprehensive,government-ledwelfaresystem.however,theeconomicslowdowncausedbytheoilcrisisof the1970sledtoatransitioninsocialpolicyfrom theresponsibilityofpublicsectorforindividualsocial welfaretoanemphasisonpeople sownresponsibilitytocarefortheirimmediatefamilymembersand relatives.thistransitionofthecentreofsocialpolicyfrom thestatetothecommunityortoself-helpwas modeledonasimilarpolicy,thecommunitycaresystem,whichgainedprominenceinthe1960sinthe UK.Inthe1980s,Japanexperiencedrapideconomicgrowthandmaintainedalow unemploymentrate.in thiscontext,neo-liberalsbegantoreview welfarestatepolicy,leadingtoareductioninpublicservicesfor socialwelfare.in1987,atthetimeoftheseventiethanniversaryoftheminsei-iinassociation, coordination and supportforlivelihood wereaddedtotheexistingfiveaspectsoftheassociationmission.inthe1990s, thecouncilofsocialwelfareestablishedandbeganoperatingcommunitycentrescaledfureai-ikiki centresaspartofaprojectof communitydevelopmentformutualaid (thefureai-no-machizukuriplan). Minsei-Iinbeganservingasthenodepointinoperatingthesecommunitycentres,watchingovertheelderly inthecommunityanddevelopingrelationshipsamongthem.minsei-iinthereforehadtobecommitedto establishingrelationshipswithinthecommunityandprovidinglivelihoodsupportforcommunityresidents. Aswecanseefrom suchactivities,theroleofminsei-iinhaschangedfrom awatchdogbodythatmonitored communityneedsduringthepre-warerato personscommissionedtopromoteandstabilizethelivesof people indemocratizedjapan(goodman1998:143).

4 4 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) Sincetheendofthe1990s,socialwelfarepoliciesfortheelderlyandtheactivitiesofMinsei-Iin changeddrasticaly.japan ssocialwelfarepoliciesfortheelderlycontinuedtoshifttowardsneo-liberalism. However,thelimitationsofrelyingtooheavilyonfamilymembers supportwerebecomingapparent.to promotetheutilizationofvarioussocialwelfareresources,thelong-term CareInsuranceActwasenacted in1998.thispolicycaledforatransitionfrom careservicesdesignedbywelfareadministratorstomarketorientedservices.currently,thepolicyfocusisonlong-term carefortheelderlylivingathome.themain policyinitiativeimplementstheintegratedcommunitycarecentersystem fordeliveringpreventiveservices fortheageing,anditgivesgreatimportancetothesupportandmonitoringprovidedtotheelderlyby communityvolunteers.in2000,theminsei-iinactwasrevisedandthehonorarypostclausewasabolished. Minsei-Iinarenowconsideredasvolunteersocialworkers 4 whosupportjapan sintegratedcommunitycare Centersystem bytakingcareofthecommunity,supportingfooddeliveryandoperatingothercommunity servicestailoredtotheneedsofeachcommunity 5. Minsei-Iinhavebeencontinuouslyworkingtowardstheneedsoftheircommunitieslongbeforethe SecondWorldWar.Althoughtheyarenotprofessionalsocialworkers,theyareresidentslivingwithinthe communitywhopossessanunderstandingofthecharacteristicsoftheirlocaleandcanthusoferefective communitysupportinavolunteercapacity. Theelderlypopulationisincreasinginnumberalovertheworld,andthequestionofhow to implementcommunitycareisamajorconcerninseveralcountries.itisthereforeusefultomonitorminsei- Iin sactivitieswithinthejapan sintegratedcommunitycarecentersystem inordertotackleissuesofcare fortheelderlyand,hopefuly,findtheappropriatebalancebetweenpublicandinformalsupportwithin communitycare. 3.Researchoutlineanddataanalysismethod OurresearchgroupconductedasurveyofMinsei-Iinin2012withinKyotoCityanditsvicinity (includingujicityandyawatacity).thisreportanalysesthesurveydatawithtwoaims:1)toestablishthe presentconditionsofminsei-iin,whoarepositionedascommunitysocialwelfarevolunteersandclarifythe problemstheyfaceand2)tounderstandthemethodsofcolaborationamongvolunteerworkerssuchas Minsei-Iinwithinthecommunityforimplementingcommunity-basedcare. Since2006,wehaveimplementedactionresearch 6,aimingtoestablishasupportnetworkforforeign elderlyresidentswithinkyotocity 7.The2012Minsei-Iinsurveywasimplementedaspartofthisaction researchwiththegoalofstrengtheningthiscommunityvolunteernetwork. Areview ofexistingresearchdocumentsconfirmedthatoursurveytargetingeachminsei-iinina regionofjapanwasthefirstofitskind.itwasperformedbetween1augustand20september2012with cooperationfrom theminsei-iinassociationandthelocalsocialwelfareauthority.withinkyotocity,the targetpopulationincludedal2,720minsei-iin,ofwhom 2,478respondedwithvaliddata,foranextremely highreturnrateof91.9%.themainobjectivesofthissurveyweretoclarifytheproblemsminsei-iinwere facingaswelastheefortsmadetoovercomesuchproblemsinordertoassistindeterminingthefuture shapeoftheminsei-iinsystem.wehaveconductedstatisticalanalysisoftheobtaineddataandhave providedfeedbackregardingtheresultstotheminsei-iinassociationandthelocalcommunitiesinorderto enhancetheirsocialwelfarecapacity. Thesurveyquestionnairecovered1)basicanddemographicinformationincludingthelengthoftime workingasminsei-iin,areaofresponsibility,ageandsex,2)respondents workloadbythetypeofactivity

5 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 5 (withadditionalspaceforopen-endedanswersonthecontentoftheiractivities),3)thenumberofelderly personsandhouseholdsaboutwhom therespondenthasinformation,4)thenumberofproblematiccases andtheirdetails(withadditionalspaceforopen-endedanswers),5)theextentofnetworkingwithother Minsei-Iinmembersorsocialworkers(withadditionalspaceforopen-endedanswers),6)Minsei-Iin s interestinvariousrolesinmonitoringtheelderly,7)theirideasonhowtomonitortheelderly(open-ended answer)and8)theirrequestsfortrainingprograms(open-endedanswer).crosstabulationandmultivariate analysiswasusedfornumericdataitemssuchasworkloadornetworkingvolume.geographicinformation system (GIS)softwarewasalsousedtoconstructmappingsofdata.Moreover,thetextminingmethodwas usedtoanalysetextualdatamathematicalyandform adiagram ilustratingtheco-occurrenceofselected keyconcepts. 4.Researchresultsandanalysis TheresearchresultshighlightthedailyactivitiesofMinsei-Iinsuchastheirdetailedcurrentstatus, dificultiestheyfaceandefortsmadetoovercomethosedificulties.inthisreport,thefolowingfivepoints wilbediscussedindetail:1)themultivariateanalysisofhow Minsei-Iin sworkloadisdetermined,2)the analysisofproblematiccases,3)theanalysisofminsei-iin snetworkinginthecourseoftheiractivities,4) theanalysisoftrainingprogramsrequestedbyminsei-iinand5)theanalysisofproblemsconcerningthe Minsei-Iinsystem,especialytheproblem oftheageingworkforceandwaystoovercomeit. 4 1.Analysisofhow Minsei-Iin sworkloadisdetermined TheactivitiesofMinsei-Iinvarywidely,becausetheycovercommunitycareingeneral.Theirfourmain emphasesaresupportfortheelderly,helpingpoorresidentsgaineligibilityforpublicassistanceand supportforchildrenandpeoplewithdisabilities. HowistheworkloadofeachMinsei-Iindetermined?Theirworkloadcanbedividedintotwocategories: supportingactivities(dividedintoeightcategorieswithfourratingchoicesforeachquestioninthesurvey) andinstitutionalactivities(dividedintofourcategorieswithsixratingchoices).wehaveaddedtheratings withineachactivitytypetoconstructanoveralindicatorofeachperson sworkload.table1summarizesthe relationshipbetweentheoveralworkloadandothersurveydata. TwohypothesescanbestatedregardingtheoveralworkloadofMinsei-Iin.Thefirsthypothesisisthat theworkloadisdeterminedmainlybythesocialwelfareneedsineachcommunity;thesecondhypothesisis thattheworkloadisdeterminedmainlybytheenthusiasm ofeachindividualminsei-iinbasedonhisorher volunteerspirit.theresultsofmultivariateanalysisbasedonthesehypothesesaresummarizedintables2, 3and4. ThemultivariateanalysisshowsthattheworkloadofMinsei-Iinisdeterminedbythenumberof problematiccasestheyhandle,thelengthoftimeworkingasaminsei-iin,reciprocalrelationshipsbetween theminsei-iinandotheragenciesorvolunteersandtheageofminsei-iin. Ontheotherhand,therewasnocorrelationbetweentheworkloadandtheproportionofelderly membersinthecommunity,whichmighttypicalyserveasanapproximationofthelevelofsocialwelfare needsineachcommunity.inaddition,thecoeficientbetweentheworkloadandpercentageofwelfare recipients,whichcanalsoreflectthelevelofsocialwelfareneedineachcommunity,issmalandnegative, indicatingthattheworkloadofaminsei-iinisnotcorrelatedwiththeoveralsocialwelfareneedsofthe community.ontheotherhand,theworkloaddependsonthevolunteerspiritofaminsei-iin.enthusiastic

6 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) 6 Table2.Resultsofthemultivariateanalysis:modelsummary Std.Errorofthe Estimate AdjustedRSquare RSquared R Model a b 2 a.predictor:(constant),rateofpopulationofwelfarerecipients,numberofseriouslyproblematiccasesthattheminsei-iin handles,interestinwatchingovertheelderly,age,reciprocalrelationshipbetweentheminsei-iinandotheragencies/ volunteers,lengthoftimeworkingasminsei-iin. b.predictor:(constant),rateofpopulationofwelfarerecipients,numberofseriouslyproblematiccasesthattheminsei-iin handles,interestinwatchingovertheelderly,age,reciprocalrelationshipbetweentheminsei-iinandotheragencies/ volunteers,lengthoftimeworkingasminsei-iin,dummydata(women),numberofyearslivinginthecommunity. Table3.Resultsofthemultivariateanalysis:ANOVA c Sig. F MeanSquare Df Sum ofsquares Model a Regression Residual(ANOVA) Total(pivottable) b Regression Residual(ANOVA) Total(pivottable) a.predictor:(constant),rateofpopulationofwelfarerecipients,numberofseriouslyproblematiccases,interestinwatching overtheelderly,age,reciprocalrelationshipbetweentheminsei-iinandotheragencies/volunteers,lengthoftimeworking asminsei-iin. b.predictor:(constant),rateofpopulationofwelfarerecipients,numberofseriouslyproblematiccasesthattheminsei-iin handles,interestinwatchingovertheelderly,age,reciprocalrelationshipbetweentheminsei-iinandotheragencies/ volunteers,lengthoftimeworkingasminsei-iin,dummydata(women),numberofyearslivinginthecommunity. c.dependentvariable:overaltotalworkload. Table1.CorrelationcoeficientbetweentheworkloadofMinsei-Iinandotherindices Pearson sr Index.043* Sex.232** Age.306** LengthoftimeworkingasMinsei-Iin.041** Numberofyearslivinginthecommunity.235** Numberofsingleelderlyresidentsaboutwhom theminsei-iinhasinformation.256** NumberofelderlyhouseholdsaboutwhichtheMinsei-Iinhasinformation.419** NumberofseriouslyproblematiccasesthattheMinsei-Iinhandles.384** TotalnumberofproblematiccasesthattheMinsei-Iinhandles.335** ReciprocalrelationshipsbetweentheMinsei-Iinandotheragencies/volunteers.168** Interestinwatchingovertheelderly.086** Rateofpopulationofwelfarerecipients **Significancelevel1%.*Significancelevel5%.

7 Minsei-Iintendtohavegreaterresponsibilities,andtheworkloadalsobecomesheavierwithincreasedwork experienceandispositivelycorrelatedwiththeextentofreciprocalrelationshipswithotheragenciesand volunteers. Minsei-Iinwhohandlemanyproblematiccasestendtobeveryactiveinbothpersonalsupportand groupsupportactivities.thisfindingindicatesthateithertheencounterswithproblematiccasesraise awarenessintheminsei-iinandfosterenthusiasm aboutfulfilingtheirresponsibilitiesorwhenminsei-iin encounteraproblematiccaseduringtheirinvolvementincommunityactivities,thismaybeatriggerfor them tobecomeinvolvedinfurthercommunitywork. TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 7 Table4.Resultsofthemultivariateanalysis:Coeficients a 95.0%of confidence intervalofb Sig t Standarized Coeficients Un-standarized Coeficients Model Maximum Minimum Beta Std.Error B (constant) Age PeriodofworkasMinsei-Iin Numberofseriously problematiccases Reciprocalrelationship betweenminsei-iinand otheragencies/volunteers Interestinwatchingover theelderly Rateofwelfarerecipients (constant) Age Lengthoftimeworkingas Minsei-Iin Numberofseriously problematiccases Reciprocalrelationship betweenminsei-iinand otheragencies/volunteers Interestinwatchingover theelderly Rateofwelfarerecipients Dummy(women) Numberofyearslivingin thecommunity a.dependentvariable:overaltotalworkload.

8 8 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) Whenaskedabouttheirmosttroublingcases,44%ofMinsei-Iinsaidthattheyhadatleastonesuch caseand9%hadmorethanthreetroublingcases.itcanbesaidthatjapanesecommunitycareiswel supportedbyminsei-iinwithenthusiasticvolunteerspirits.thisconfirmsthesignificanceofhumanresource developmentintermsofvolunteernetworkingthatsupportscommunitycare.inlinewithsociety sneeds, theroleofminsei-iinhasclearlychangedfrom anhonorarypostinearliertimestoacorecommunity volunteerpostinthepresent. Inthenextsection,wewilanalysethedetailsofproblematiccasesthatMinsei-Iinface. 4 2.ProblematiccaseshandledbyMinsei-Iin ThelargestcategoriesofthemosttroublingcaseshandledbyMinsei-Iinareasfolows:1)dementia, 17.4%,2)problemswithneighbours,15.6%and3)clientswhorefusetoacceptvisitsfrom Minsei-Iin,9.8%. CurrentlyinJapan,theestimatedrateofcognitivedementiaamongtheelderlyoverage65is15%.Thishigh frequencyofdementiacasesunderscorestheimportanceofwatchingovertheelderlywithinthecommunity. Therespondentswereaskedtowriteaboutthedetailsoftheirmosttroublingcasesinafree-response format.theseresponsedataareclassifiedbelow: (1) Dificultyincommunicatingwhenwatchingovertheelderly(138cases), (2) Dificultyincoordinatingorinteractingwithneighbours(99cases), (3) Asuspecteddementiacase(64cases), (4) Poverty(61cases), (5) Strongrefusaltoacceptanykindofsupport(36cases), (6) Extremeandoutrageousdemandsfrom communityresidentstowardsminsei-iin(32cases), (7) Nofamilyorrelatives(30cases), (8) Housesburiedingarbage(hoarders)(16cases), (9) Addicts(11cases), (10) Behaviouralproblems(10cases), (11) Schizophrenia,depressionandothermentaldisorders(10cases). Usingthetextminingmethod,keywordswerepickedfrom free-responsetextualdatatoanalysetheir co-occurrencemathematicaly.thisdataanalysisisdisplayedinfigure1.thesizeofthecircleinwhichthe keywordisplaceddenotesthefrequencyofthatword soccurrence.suchmathematicalanalysisdraws atentiontotheproblemsfacedbyminsei-iinfrom anotherpointofview. Wecanconcludefrom thisfigurethattheminsei-iintakeonfarmoreseriouscasestodaythanthose traditionalyassignedtothem.inearliertimes,theirprimarytaskwastohelppoorresidentsinestablishing theireligibilityforpublicassistance.now,manycasesinvolvementalorcommunicationdisorders,which areextremelydificultforminsei-iintohandle.thereasonforthesemoredificultassignmentsmaybethe lackofcommunicationabilitiesandcommunityrelationshipsamongmanyelderlypeopleastheageing populationgrows. Intheirfree-responseanswers,someparticipantsdescribedsystematicandinstitutionalproblemsthat impedesupportforpeopleinneed.thefolowinglistshowsthemostcommonsystematicandinstitutional barriersthatminsei-iinarefacing: (1) ImplicationsofthePersonalInformationProtectionLaw(82cases), (2) Problemswithsystematiccolaborationorinformationsharing(30cases), (3) ProblemsoriginatinginMinsei-Iinthemselvesorcomingfrom theminsei-iinsystem (26cases),

9 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 9 Figure1.Co-occurrencenetworkofproblematicissues (4) Problemswithwelfarepolicyoritsadministration(26cases), (5) Dificultiesinmonitoringcommunityresidentswhodonotbelongtotheneighbourhoodassociation (16cases). Inrecentyears,mostoftheapartmententrancedoorsinKyotoCityhavebeenfitedwithautomatic locks.numerousisolatedelderlypersonsareresidinginsuchapartments.theelderlyareincreasingly droppingoutoftheneighbourhoodassociation.however,thepersonalinformationprotectionlawprevents individualsfrom sharingwithminsei-iinanypersonalinformationabouttheisolatedelderlyorothersin need.thissituationismakingminsei-iin sactivityextremelydificult.undersuchcircumstances,minsei-iin themselvespointouttheimportanceofnetworkingamongthoseincommunitycare. Thenextsectionanalysesnetworkingactivity,whichisalsocloselyrelatedtotheworkloadofeach Minsei-Iin. 4-3.AnalysisoftheMinsei-Iin svariousnetworks Inthisresearch,wehaveclassifiedMinsei-Iin srelationshipsintofourcategories:1)minsei-iin

10 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) 10 Table5.NetworksofMinsei-IininKyotoCity(%) Minsei-Iinand othersubjects consultingeach other Otherspecialists consulting Minsei-Iin Minsei-Iin consultingother specialists Minsei-Iin Roujin-Fukushi-In Neighbourhoodassociationstaf Landlord/apartmentmanager Wardofice socialwelfaresection Wardofice healthcarecentre Wardofice others Police/firestation Consumerafairscentre IntegratedCommunitySupportCentre HomeCareSupportCentre Medicalstaf CouncilofSocialWelfare Homecareproviders Othersocialwelfareorganizations Neighbours Volunteers Non-Japanesesocialworker (Gaikokujin-Fukushi-Iin) Others Figure2.CommunityCareSystem forelderlyinjapan

11 consultingotherspecialists,2)otherspecialistsconsultingminsei-iin,3)minsei-iinandotherspecialistswho haveatwo-wayconsultationand(4)otherrelationshipsnotfalingintoanyconsultingcategory. Table5summarizestheoutcomesofthenetworkingquestionsinoursurvey.Itindicateshow the Minsei-Iinareworkingtogetherwithotherconcernedindividualsandorganizations.TheMinsei-IininKyoto Cityhavecreatedanetworkwiththeircoleaguesanddistrictvolunteers,Roujin-Fukushi-In,whoarein chargeofwatchingovertheelderly.thenetworksformedamongvolunteersaresupportedbyoficialssuch asstafoftheintegratedcommunitycaresystem,wardoficesandthecouncilofsocialwelfare.figure2 showsustherelationshipdiagram ofthecommunitycaresystem injapan. KyotoCityintroducedthesystem ofroujin-fukushi-inmorethanfortyyearsago.theselocalresident volunteersfrequentlyvisitthehomesoftheelderly.theresultsoftheirpersonalservicesarereflectedin Table5.InKyotoCity,supportfortheelderlylivinginthecommunityhasbeenimplementedthroughwelcoordinatedefortsamongcommunityvolunteers,includingtheMinsei-Iinandothersinvolvedinelderly care. WeaskedMinsei-Iinabouttheircoordinationactivitieswithvariousgroups.Wefoundthattheyhave TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 11 Table6.NetworksofMinsei-IininKyotoCity(topthreecolaboratorswithMinsei-Iin) Third Second First % Frequency % Frequency % Frequency Minsei-Iin Roujin-Fukushi-In Neighbourhoodassociationstaf Landlord/apartmentmanager Wardofice socialwelfaresection Wardofice healthcarecentre Wardofice others Police/firestation Consumerafairscentre IntegratedCommunitySupportCentre HomeCareSupportCentre Medicalstaf CouncilofSocialWelfare Homecareproviders Othersocialwelfareorganizations Neighbours Volunteers Non-Japanesesocialworker (Gaikokujin-Fukushi-Iin) Others Subtotal Noanswer/Don tknow Overaltotal

12 12 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) Legend MeanValue Figure3.Mutualnetworksbetween Integrated CommunitySupportCentresand Minsei-Iin(withinIntegratedCommunitySupportCentres jurisdiction) highlevelsoftrustinintegratedcommunitycaresystem supportstaf,felowmembersofminsei-iinand communityvolunteersincludingroujin-fukushi-in.theseindividualsandorganizationsarenearbyandeasy toconsultwith.insomelocalcommunities,regularmeetingsareheldamongdiferentorganizationsand Minsei-Iin.Thesevolunteerworkersconsulteachotheronaregularbasis,andwhenaproblem occurs, ordinarilytheytendtoconsultintegratedcommunitycaresystem staf. Asstatedpreviously,inJapanesesociety,theIntegratedCommunitySupportCentresplayakeyrolein communitycare.wehaveconstructedamap,showninfigure3,usingthegissoftwareinorderto visualizehow Minsei-IinandtheIntegratedCommunitySupportCentresform anetworkofreciprocal relationshipswithintheirareasofjurisdiction. Figure3showsthelevelofreciprocalrelationshipbetweenMinsei-IinandIntegratedCommunity SupportCentresinvariousshades.Thefigureindicatesalargevarianceinthelevelofreciprocal relationshipsacrossjurisdictions.thereasonsforthisvariancemayincludefactorsrelatedtominsei-iinas welastothecentres.ononehand,theminsei-iinmayperceivethecentresashavingalowlevelofsocial capital i.e.asnothavinggainedmuchtrustwithinthecommunity andthusasinefectivepartnersin forminganetworkwithcommunityresidentsandworkers.ontheotherhand,theintegratedcommunity SupportCentresmaynotseenetworkingwithcommunityvolunteersastheirpriority.Weintendtoconduct furtheranalysisofthesefactorsinthefuture. AnotherimportantpointcanbeseeninTables5and6,namelytheabsenceofnon-profitornon- governmentalorganizations(nposandngos)insupportingcommunitycare.forexample,thenon- Japanesesocialworkersystem wasbuiltinkyotocitybythevolunteerorganizationknownas More Network.However,itplaysaminimalroleincommunitycareinKyotoCity.Thispointhighlightsa diferenceincommunitycaredeliverybetweenjapanandothercountries,especialytheuk.

13 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 13 Figure4.Co-occurrencenetworkoftrainingrequests ItshouldbeacknowledgedthattheMinsei-Iinsystem hasbeenoperatingnationwideinjapanfor seventy-eightyearsandfunctionsasakeystoneofthejapanesecommunitywelfaresystem. Inthenextsection,wewilanalysetheproblemsthattheMinsei-Iinsystem iscurrentlyfacingaswel asthequestionofhowtoempowerminsei-iin. 4 4.EmpoweringMinsei-Iin TogenerateideasonhowtofurtherempowerMinsei-Iin,weinvitedrespondentstowritetheirdetailed requestsandopinionsregardingthetrainingprogramsprovidedbytheirorganization.wereceivedanswers tothisquestionfrom 341respondents. Weusedthetextminingmethodtoselectkeywordsfrom thecommentsandthenmathematicaly analysedthedatawithatentiontotheco-occurrenceofthesekeywords.infigure4,thesizeofthecircle inwhichakeywordisinsertedcorrespondstothefrequencyofthatword soccurrenceinminsei-iin s comments. Figure4highlightsthefolowingfourpoints:1)Minsei-Iin sstrongdesirefortrainingwithregardto monitortheelderlyintheircommunity,2)theirinterestincasestudy basedtrainingtoenhancetheirskils

14 14 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) Legend Figure5.Minsei-Iinwithfewerthansixyearsofworkexperience(withinKyoto slocal schooldistrict) inresponsetocommunityneeds,especialyindealingwithdementia,3)theirdesireforstrongerinteraction andnetworkingwithmembersofminsei-iinandotherspecialists,includinginformationsharingwiththese specialists,integratedcommunitysupportcentresandsocialwelfareoficesand4)theirconcernfor determininghowtoovercometheproblem ofdeficientinformationflowinthecommunityresultingfrom the PersonalInformationProtectionLaw. AsfortheempowermentofMinsei-Iin,itisimportanttoinvestigatehow theyhaveovercomeexisting dificultiesininformationsharingthroughgreatefortandcreativity 8.Duringourresearch,weaskedMinsei- Iintocommentindetailabouttheirdailyactivities.Ourresearchteam hasatemptedtosummarizeand categorizealtheseanswerswithoutlosingtheessenceoftheoriginalobservations.areportsummarizing thesecommentshasbeendistributedtotheminsei-iinassociationaswelastotherelevantadministration ofice.inaddition,professorhiroshikatomadeapresentationontheoutcomesofoursurveyatthekyoto Minsei-IinAssociationconferenceon1December2013inordertoprovidefeedbacktothecommunity. TheMinsei-Iinsystem isnowincrisis,becauseithasdificultymaintainingitscurrentlevelofservice insomecommunities.figure5indicatesthepercentageofminsei-iinwithfewerthansixyearsof experienceineachlocalarea.someareas(showninwhite)areexperiencingdificultiesinrecruitingnew Minsei-Iin. Currently,thegenderbalanceofMinsei-IinresidinginKyotocityisoverwhelminglyfemale; 71% femalewhereas29%male.asfortheage,44%ofminsei-iinareover66yearsold,indicatingthattheaverage ageofminsei-iinhasbeenrising.thispresentsaseriousproblem withregardtofindingreplacementsfor oldermembers. Variousproblemspersist,suchaslackofinteractionbetweenveteranandyoungerMinsei-Iin,securing youngervolunteersinthecommunityandtheoveralageingofthepopulation.thebabyboomershave

15 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 15 reachedretirementage,andthereforeitisimportanttoconsiderhow toinvolvethem,especialyretired people,incommunityactivities. 5.Conclusions InJanuary2013,TheSpecialCommiteeontheSecurityCouncilforNeedyPersonsissuedareport statingthat inordertoformulateanewsystem tosupportthepeopleinneed,theroleofminsei-iin,who aretograsptherealconditionofeachcommunityandtoprovidesupportbasedoncommunityneeds,wil becomeincreasinglyimportant 9. Inrecentyears,thevariousrolesofMinsei-Iin,whoform apartofthelocalvolunteernetworkwithin thecommunitycaresystem,havebeenre-evaluatedinjapan.oursurveyhashelpedtoelucidatethe activitiesofminsei-iinfrom theirpointofview,clarifytheproblemstheyarefacingandidentifywaysto overcometheseproblems. Wecansummarizethekeyoutcomesofourresearchinthefolowingfivepoints. 5 1.Minsei-Iin svolunteermentalityhasbeenverifiedstatisticalythroughoursurvey ThehistoryoftheMinsei-Iinsystem canbetracedbacktothepre-worldwar Iera.TheearlyMinsei- Iinmemberswerechosenfrom reputablefamiliesinthecommunityandweregivenanhonoraryposition. However,withtheenactmentoftheLong-Term CareInsuranceActin2000,Minsei-Iinceasedbeingan honorarypostandwererepositionedascommunitysocialwelfarevolunteers.itissignificantthatthe multivariateanalysisonworkloadconfirmsthenatureofminsei-iin svolunteermentality. ThethreebasicstandardsforMinsei-IinactivitiesspecifiedundertheMinsei-IinActarespiritofsocial volunteerism,respectforfundamentalhumanrightsandprohibitionofabuseoftheirstatusforpolitical purposes.inaddition,onitsfiftiethanniversaryin1967,thenationalminsei-iinassociationsetforththree guidingprinciplesforitsactivity:residency,continuity,comprehensivenessalongwithfiveoperating principles:survey,consultation,informationprovision,communication,advocacy.furthermore,onits seventiethanniversaryin1987,twoadditionalprinciplesofoperation:coordinationandsupportforresidents livelihoodwereadded.theabove-listedthreebasicstandards,threeguidingprinciplesofactivitiesand sevenoperationsareconsideredthefoundationofminsei-iinactivities.throughoursurvey,itwas reconfirmedthatthemembersofminsei-iinadherefaithfulytothismissionandplayakeyroleinthe promotionofcommunitysocialworkasvolunteers. 5 2.TheproblematiccasesthatMinsei-Iinhandlehavebeenidentified Withthehelpofthissurvey,theoveralpictureoftheproblematiccasesthatMinsei-Iinhandlehas beenestablished.traditionaly,minsei-iinweretaskedwithsupportingthepoorwithintheircommunity. However,inrecentyearstherehavebeenfarmoreproblemsrelatedtotheelderlylivinginthecommunity. MostofthecasesthatMinsei-Iinfinddificulttohandleinvolvepsychologicalproblems,especialydementia. Therefore,providingsupportforMinsei-Iininsuchcasesisessential,becausepeoplewhofinditdificultto communicatewithotherstendtobehiddenfrom thecommunity. 5 3.SocialproblemsthatMinsei-Iinarefacinghavebeenidentified ThissurveyhasalsohelpedtoidentifyindetailthesystematicandinstitutionalproblemsthatMinsei-Iin arefacing.from theopen-endedanswercommentswriteninthequestionnaire,wehavebeenableto

16 16 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) identifythebarrierscreatedbytheimplementationofthepersonalinformationprotectionlaw.these barrierspresentthelargestsingleobstacletothecommunityvolunteerworkofminsei-iin.thislaw has beenenactedtoprotectindividualrights,butishavinganegativeefectoncommunitycaresupport. Therefore,theapplicationofthislawneedstobereviewed. 5 4.ThesocialnetworksupportingMinsei-Iinhasbeendetermined TherelevantcolaboratorsandnetworkssurroundingMinsei-Iinhavebeenidentified.Inorderforthe Minsei-Iintodealwithproblematiccasesandtoovercomesystematicandinstitutionalbarriers,theirsupport networkisveryimportant.communitycaresystemsmustbesetup,withintegratedcommunitysupport Centresbeingthefocalpointsothatothervariouscommunitysocialwelfareactorscannetworkwitheach otherandremaininclosecontact. Throughoursurvey,problemsrelatedtolocaladministration,socialwelfareorganizationsand communityneighbourhoodwatchgroupshavealsobeenidentified.thesurveyelicitedbothpositiveand negativecommentsregardingtherelationshipsbetweenminsei-iinandtheseorganizations.thecomments havebeensummarizedandcategorizedandhavebeensubmitedtotheconcernedorganizationsand individualsinvolvedincommunitycare. Inaddition,thisresearchimplicitlyassessedtheefectivenessofMinsei-Iin sadvocacyfunction. Advocacy,orrepresentingthevoiceoftheresidents,isamongthesevenoperatingprinciplesofMinsei-Iin, andhowtostrengthentheirfunctionasadvocateshasbeenanissueofconcern.althoughthescopeofthis surveyislimitedtothreecities,itwascertainlysignificantthatauniversityresearchprojectinvolvingalthe membersofminsei-iininthisareacouldbeconductedwiththecooperationoftheminsei-iinassociation andthatitcouldachieveanimpressiveresponserateofmorethan90%.theenthusiasm ofminsei-iinwas evidentinthereturnedquestionnaires,astheoutsidemarginsoftheformswerefiledwithcomments.this responseshowsthattheyaresincerelytryingtofulfiltheirroleasadvocates. Webelievethatanalysisandclassificationofsurveydatabasedonactionresearchisanefectivewayof empoweringminsei-iinaswelasthesocialwelfareactorsinthecommunity.weintendtocontinue conductingactionresearchinordertoencouragesocialwelfareactorsthemselvestobecomeawareof existingconcernsthatareiluminatedbytheresultsofsuchdataanalysis.thesignificanceofthisaction researchliesinthecolaborationbetweenuniversityresearchersandthecommunityinordertoshednew lightonthedevelopmentofcommunitycare. 1 TheMinistryofHealth,LabourandWelfareinJapanispromotingtheIntegratedCommunityCareSystem so that in2025,whenthebabyboomersreachtheageof75ormore,theywilbeabletocontinuelivingintheir owncommunityuntiltheendoftheirliveswithdignity,eveniftheyrequirehigh-level,long-term nursing care.theintegratedcommunitycaresystem refersto theprovisionofhousing,long-term nursingcare, preventingservicesandlivelihoodsupportintheircommunityasawhole.toimplementthissystem, community-basedservices wereintroducedin2005withinthepartialrevisionofthelong-term Care InsuranceAct. 2 TheHamburgsystem wasintroducedin1788bysetingupapoor-reliefcommiteeinordertograsppoverty levelsandcoordinateserviceswithdiferentcharities.theelberfeldsystem beganin1853inwhatwecal todaythegermancityofwuppertalbyupdatingandimprovingthehamburgsystem.thecitywasdivided

17 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 17 intosmalareascontainingnotmorethanfourpoorhouseholdseachtime.morethanfivehundredpoor-relief oficerswereassignedaccordingly.thestrasbourgsystem,establishedin1906,usedacombinationofboth paidstafandvolunteerstoprovidesupport. 3 ManylocalriotsoccurredinJapanduring1918,becauseofthedecreaseinthedistributionofriceanditshigh price. 4 TheMinsei-Iinsystem,asagroupofvolunteersocialworkerscomposedoflocalresidents,isuniquetoJapan. Goodman,whopositionsJapan ssocialwelfarepolicyasamodelforeastasia,analysesjapan sminsei-iin from aculturalpointofview.hedescribesminsei-iinassocialworkerswithsocialwelfareviewsdistinctiveto Japan,withheavyemphasisonself-helpwithinthefamilyandmutualassistanceamongneighbours. 5 FolowingaretheMinsei-IinAssociation smainactivitiesintermsofsupportingtheelderlyandthenumberof answerstoquestionsoneachactivity:(1)operationofcommunitycentresfortheelderly(inconjunctionwith thecouncilofsocialwelfareandothercommunityorganizations),642,(2)communityevents(suchassports daysorspecialdaysfortheelderly),535,and(3)partiesforsingleelderlypeople(includingfoodpreparation fortheseevents), Actionresearchisaresearchmethodusedinvariousfieldssuchasethnicstudies,institutionaldevelopment (Lewin1946,Zuber-Skerrit1996),education,health,andsocialcare(SusmanandEvered1978).Itisatypeof jointimplementationresearchinvolvingresearchersandpractitionersthataimstorespondtopressingsocial issues,determinethesubstanceandtendenciesoftheproblem,andbringaboutchangesinthecurrent situation.byprovidingfeedbackontheresearchresultstocommunitypractitioners,datacanbeverifiedand new recommendationsthatcouldinspirebothpracticalchangeandfutureresearchcanbegenerated.one characteristicofactionresearchisthatitisconductedtogetherwithcommunityactorsinordertopursuea solutiontotheirproblems. 7 In2012,wepresentedthisresearchresultattheconferenceofISTR(InternationalSocietyforThird-Sector Research).SeeOzawa,W.Makita,Y.Higuchi,K.Ishikawa,K.Yamada,H.Mensendiek,M.Ogawa,Eand Kato,H.(2012) VolunteerSupportNetworkforElderlyForeigners:ANewMovementofKoreanResidentsin Kyoto,RitsumeikanSocialScienceReview48(3): SeetheNoteprovidedattheendofthisarticlefordetails. 9 TheMinistryofHealth,LabourandWelfareissuedthisreportby TheSpecialCommiteeontheSecurity CouncilforNeedyPersons injanuary2013. References Bavelas,A.& Lewin,K.(1942) TraininginDemocraticLeadership,JournalofAbnormalandSocialPsychology,37 (1), Lewin,K.(1946) ActionResearchandMinorityProblems,JournalofSocialIsues,2, Ben-Ari,E.(1991)ChangingJapaneseSuburbia:AStudyofTwoPresent-DayLocalities,KeganPaulInternational, LondonandNewYork. Goodman,R.(1998) The Japanese-StyleWelfareState andthedeliveryofpersonalsocialservices,roger. Goodman,Gordon.White& Huck-ju.Kwon.(eds.),TheEastAsianWelfareModel:WelfareOrientalism andthe State.Routledge, NikakuFu.(CabinetO fice,governmentofjapan)(2013)koreishakaihakusho(ageingsocietywhitepaper). Tokyo,GyouseiPress. MinistryofHealthLabourandWelfare(2013)ShakaiHoshouShingikaiSeikatsuKonkyuusyanoSeikatsuShienno ArikataniKansuruTokubetsuBukaiHoukoku(TheSpecialCommiteeontheSecurityCouncilforNeedy person). htp:// Ozawa,W.Makita,Y.Higuchi,K.Ishikawa,K.Yamada,H.Mensendiek,M.Ogawa,E.& Kato,H.(2012) Volunteer

18 18 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) SupportNetworkforElderlyForeigners:ANewMovementofKoreanResidentsinKyoto,RitsumeikanSocial ScienceReview,48(3), Susman,G.& R.Evered,(1978) Anassessmentofthescientificmeritsofactionresearch,AdministrativeScience Quarterly,23(4), Wu,Y.(2004)TheCareofTheElderlyinJapan.LondonandNewYorkRoutledge. Zuber-Skerrit,O.(ed.)(1966)NewDirectionsinActionResearch.London:FalmerPress. Note Thefolowingareexamplesofcreativeideasfrom Minsei-Iinmembersonhowtoimplementtheirdailyactivitiesin theirownwords: (1)Talktotheelderlypeopleinarespectfulmanner. (2)PreparecommunitynewsletersorapersonalleteranddistributethisinformationwhentheMinsei-Iinvisits theelderlyperson shome. (3)Makejointvisitswithhome-careworkers, (4)Coordinatewithvolunteersocialworkersinchargeoflookingaftertheelderlytoconductmonitoringactivity, (5)Perform otheractivitiesinconjunctionwithvisitations,suchasthefolowing: 1)Distributeflowerseedsinthespring WemakevisitationsonceayearinDecember,butthreetimesayearismoredesirable.How about distributingflowerseedsinthespringseasontocheerthem up? 2)Whendistributinglunchboxes,includealeterwithchildren sdrawings. Themonitoringactivityisnecessary,butwealsoencouragetheelderlytoparticipateincommunityactivities andinteractwithothercommunitymembers[duringsummercommunityfestival].theelderlyareveryhappy toreceivealeterwithdrawingsmadebychildren. 3)Asukiyaki(Japanese-styleone-potdish)partyisalwayswelreceived.Itprovidesagoodopportunityfor peopletogettoknoweachother. WeinvitetheresidentstoparticipateineventsconductedbytheMinsei-IinAssociationorCouncilofSocial Welfare.Wemakevisitationstogetherwiththevolunteersocialworkersinchargeoflookingaftertheelderly. Deliveryofoden(aJapanese-stylehotpotdish)oraninvitationtoasukiyakipartyisgeneralywel-received. Residentswhohadbeenabsentfrom mostcommunityeventsparticipatedinoneparty.afterthattheynever missedaparty,andthisgivesusalotofjoy.theresidentshaveacquirednewfriendsandseem toenjoytheir lifeevenmore. 4)Distributionofemergencykits Wehavevisitedsingleelderlypeopleinourareatodistributeinformationkitswhendealingwithemergency cases. 5)Listeningtotheopinionsofelderlypeople Inourarea,theNeighbourhoodAssociationismakingvariousefortstosupportsingleelderlypeople,andwe cooperatewiththem whenevertheyrequestourassistance.wetrytovisitthem athomewheneverwehave communitynewsleterstodistribute;wetalktothem andlisteningtotheiropinions. Acknowledgements ThisstudywasfinancialysupportedbyaGrant-in-AidforScientificResearch(C)(No )from the MinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnologyinJapan.WethanktheMinsei-IinAssociationsof KyotoCity,UjiCityandYawataCityfortheircooperationwithourresearch.Withouttheirhelp,wewouldnot havebeenabletoconductoursurvey. TheauthorswouldliketothankEnago(

19 TheLocalCommunityVolunteerSocialWorkerSystem injapan(ozawa Wataru etal.) 19 民生児童委員の現在 2012 年京都市 宇治市 八幡市民生児童委員悉皆調査の分析 小澤亘 ⅰ, 牧田幸文 ⅱ, 樋口耕一 ⅲ, 西村清忠 ⅳ, 石川久仁子 ⅴ, 小川栄二 ⅰ, 加藤博史 ⅵ 日本政府は, 介護保険制度のもとで高齢者の在宅ケア重視政策を打ち出し, 地域包括ケア制度にもとづく公的な支援とインフォーマルな支援との協働によって, 超高齢化社会を乗り越えようとしている こうしたなか, 地域社会においてインフォーマルな支援を担ってきた民生児童委員 ( 以下では民生委員と略記 ) の役割が改めて注目されている 従来の研究を振り返ると, 海外の研究者による民生委員制度に対する注目度の高さに比して, 国内研究者の民生委員研究の蓄積は少ない また, 民生委員組織を対象とする調査研究は見られるものの, 民生委員自身から現状を聞き取ろうとする調査は今まで実施されてこなかった 加藤博史氏を研究代表とする文部省科研費研究グループは, 京都市民生児童委員連盟, 宇治市民生児童委員協議会, 八幡市民生児童委員協議会, 宇治市健康福祉部地域福祉課, 八幡市福祉部福祉総務課の協力を得て, 民生委員に対する悉皆アンケート調査を2012 年 8 月 1 日から9 月 20 日にかけて実施した 京都市調査では,2478 名から有効回収データを得ることができ, 有効回収率は91.9% だった ちなみに, 宇治市調査では, それぞれ,264 名,86.6% 八幡市調査では,136 名,91.3% であり, いずれも回収率はきわめて高率だった 調査内容は,1 民生委員の活動レベルと活動実態,2 民生委員が抱える困難ケースの実態,3 民生委員のネットワーク形成の実態,4 高齢者見守り活動に関する関心と民生委員自身の工夫点,5 民生委員による問題提起とその乗り越え案,6 今後の民生委員研修に向けた希望など多岐にわたっている データ分析においては,SPSS による集計 クロス分析や多変量解析を行ったほか, 自由筆記回答の分析では, テキストマイニングの手法によって, 回答データのキーワードを抽出し, 共起性に注目して数理解析を行った また, 地理情報システム (GIS) を用いて, 地域の問題を地図として視覚化する分析手法も用いた 得られた知見について, 簡単に3 点をまとめておくと, まず第 1に, 地域ソーシャルワーカーとしてボランティア精神を発揮する民生委員の特徴を数値解析によって確認することができたことである 民生委員の活動量について重回帰分析を行ってみると, 特に困ったケース数, 関連機関や地域アクターとの 相互的関係性の豊富さ, 在職年数 年齢 というファクターによって, 活動量が規定されていることが明らかとなった 困難な事例との遭遇が, 民生委員の問題意識を醸成し, 民生委員の活動意欲を駆り立てていく, あるいは, 活動実践のなかで困難事例に遭遇し, それをきっかけとしてさらに地域活動に奮闘していこうとする積極的なボランティア像が浮かびあがった ⅰ 立命館大学産業社会学部教授 ⅱ 福山市立大学都市経営学部特任教員 ⅲ 立命館大学産業社会学部准教授 ⅳ 立命館大学非常勤講師 ⅴ 大阪人間科学大学社会福祉学科准教授 ⅵ 龍谷大学短期大学部教授

20 20 RitsumeikanSocialSciencesReview(Vol50.No.3) また第 2に, 地域福祉を支える人々の高齢化と女性化が進んでおり, 一部の地域では, 新たな民生委員の任命がここ数年で出来ておらず, 担い手の確保が深刻な問題となっていることも明らかになった そして第 3に, 民生委員が, 個人情報保護法によって生じた必要情報の欠如に苦しみながらも, 同僚や地域の老人福祉員とネットワークを作りながら地域福祉活動を活性化させていること, そして, こうした地域福祉活動を専門スタッフである地域包括支援センター, 福祉事務所, 社会福祉協議会 学区社会福祉協議会が支えていくという地域社会の実像が明らかとなった しかしながら, 地域包括支援センターと民生委員との相互的な関係性については地域包括支援センター管区ごとに大きな地域差があることも明らかとなった 今回の調査は, 民生委員の意見具申 ( アドボカシー ) 活動を大学側研究者が民生委員組織と連携して活性化させていくという点で大きな意義があったものと考えられる 調査分析結果は, 民生委員組織主催の研修会でフィードバックされた 今後, その他の地域アクターにもフィードバックすることによって, 地域コミュニティー全体の福祉力をエンパワメントしていくことが課題となる キーワード : 民生児童委員, 方面委員, 老人福祉委員, 地域包括ケア制度, 民生児童委員京都市 宇治市 八幡市悉皆調査 注記本研究は,2014 年 7 月にドイツのミュンスター市で開催された国際学会 ISTR(InternationalSocietyfor Third-SectorResearch) で小澤 牧田によって報告されている