An International Comparative Study on the Poverty, Social Exclusion and Public Assistance Policy

2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15330122
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Japan College of Social Work
• Principal Investigator: ABE Minoru Japan college of Social Work, Department of Social Welfare, Professor, 社会福祉学部, 教授 (00105032)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TERATANI Takako Japan college of Social Work, Departmennt of Social Welfare, Professor, 教授 (80307975) ; GOTO Takashi Japan college of Social Work, Departmennt of Social Welfare, Associate Professor, 助教授 (30205603) ; MURAKAMI Bunji Kushiro Public University, Department of Economics, 経済学部, 教授 (40210017) ; AKUTU Youichi Japan Women's University, Department of Social Welfare, Lecturer, 人間社会学部, 講師 (50331054) ; KANEKO Ju Rishou University, Department of Social Welfare, Lecturer, 社会福祉学部, 講師 (30366950)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2005
• Keywords: poverty / social exclusion / public assistance policy / income maintenance policy / international comparative Study

Research Abstract

Poverty is one of the most urgent issues in public assistance policy. But the meaning and definition of poverty is confused, and the experience of poverty is diversified. There is no single concept of poverty in this social divided and post-industrial society, but the subject of social welfare studies and public assistance policy in Japan reflect dominant and old conceptualizations. Some studies on poverty in UK, France and EU point out that 'social exclusion' (and 'Underclass') is an important concept to understand the recent poverty problem. Social exclusion draws on thinking in the real life accounts to emphasize aspects of poverty such as powerlessness, loss of dignity and respect. In so doing, we can embrace the relational, cultural dimensions of poverty as well as material. Wider understandings of poverty, as the concept of social exclusion, makes important links between poverty and other concept like capabilities, social divisions and citizenship. Today the subject of social welfare study and public assistance policy in Japan need a broader understanding of poverty as social exclusion.
In many welfare states, political conditions where public assistance policy has been constructed is changing radically. Reconstruction of public assistance policy needs to be suitable for new social problem that is called social exclusion. To cope with social exclusion, welfare states have introduced some policy innovations. For example, US federal government have replaced AFDC with TANF and UK government have adopted welfare-to-work as its slogan. OECD proposes Active Social Policy that emphasise on workfare program. New trends of social policies that aims social inclusion for excluded citizens.
This study reviews these international trends and some policy problems of public assistance. And it examines a possible relationship between public assistance policy as inclusion/activation scheme and support of work.