Study of Social Equality/Inequality in the Quality of Life

Research Project

Project/Area Number	01450028
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	社会学(含社会福祉関係)
Research Institution	Chuo University
Principal Investigator	ISHIKAWA Akihiro Chuo Univ., Faculty of Letters Professor, 文学部, 教授 (80055178)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	SATOH Kiyoshi Chuo Univ., Faculty of Ecomonics, Professor, 経済学部, 教授 (70055200) TAKEGAWA Shogo Chuo Univ., Faculty of Letters, Ass. Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (40197281) KAWASAKI Yoshimoto Chuo Univ., Faculty of Letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (90055228)
Project Period (FY)	1989 – 1990
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1990)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000) Fiscal Year 1990: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000) Fiscal Year 1989: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Keywords	Social Inequality / Quality of Life / Social Justice / Social Differentiation / エコロジ- / 参加 / 社会的平等@不平等 / 社会階層
Research Abstract	This is a research approaching to the contemporary issues of social equality inequality from the viewpoint of differentiation in quality of life, not reducing the problem to quantitative differences in the distribution of objective social and economic resources. In addition, social equality/ inequality is examined in this research in connection with the general perception of the present Japanese social structure by people in relationship to their life value systems. Main findings are : (1) Social differentiation in income is perceived to be large in Japanese society, but it is not necessarily regarded as injustice, (2) The access to medical service and education is regarded as necessary to be equal, and this equality is realized largely in Japanese society, according to the majority of people, (3) Unequal distribution of stocks and real estates, as well as political power, is regarded as injustice, and this inequality is seen to be large in society, (4) According to the social view by the majority of people, "welfare" is far more important as the value in life than "wealth", and the sense of social equality is closely related to the perception as to how far the "welfare" is wide-spread in society.