| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The purpose of this research is to analyze the sociological meaning of expanding "service class". Since we had studied the service class living in the center of Tokyo before, those living in the suburbs of Tokyo were focused on in this research. In 1997, we conducted two questionnaire surveys at Someino in Sakura and at Aobaku in Yokohama. Both areas were developed by large estates companies and mainly consist of detached houses. In 1998, some non-structured interview surveys were done to follow up the results of extensive surveys. Those surveys made clear residential reasons, evaluation of suburbia, local attachment, neighborhood relations, attitudes toward family life, experiences of job transfer, cultural tastes and activities, volunteer activities, attitudes toward differences and so forth.
In conclusion, suburbanization contributes to form new upper middle class or service class in terms of property assets, organizational assets and cultural assets. Three characteristics of suburbia were recognized. Firstly, suburbanization has a tendency of excluding the differences. Secondly, suburbanization reinforces social inequality. Thirdly, suburbanization reproduces gender inequalities. Compared to Anglo-Saxon suburbs, however, the effect of suburbanization here on social inequality seems to be weak because of that there is no remarkable contrast between inner city areas and suburban areas such as wealthy suburbs versus poor inner areas in Tokyo.
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