COMPARATIVE STUDY OF JENDAR STRUCTURE IN LOCAL POLITCS BETWEEN JAPAN AND BRITAIN

2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15402040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Women's University
• Principal Investigator: TAKEYASU Hideko Kyoto Women's University, Faculty of Study for Contemporary Society, 現代社会学部, 教授 (70131414)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KASUGA Masashi Kobegakuin University, Faculty of Human, 人文学部, 教授 (90152660)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2005
• Keywords: LOCAL POLITICS / COUNCILLOR / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / WOMEN AND POLITICS / GENDAR EQUALITY / WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION TO POLITICS / UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN

Research Abstract

This research aims to identify the various factors to facilitate the increase of number of women councilors in Britain (in particularly, Scotland), to identify the factors which prevent women from participation to local politics and to learn how to increase the number of women councilors in Japan from comparing to Scotland.
It is certain that the social and political environment around women has been changing in Japan. Nevertheless the proportion of women (in total number of) councilors is still only 7% after the 15th general local election of 2003. It is lower than the proportion of women in the Parliament which is itself the lowest level among developed nations. Scottish local government and democracy is currently undergoing significant reform. This research examines back ground, characteristics and attitudes of Scotland's 1,222 existing councilors. The councilors examined here were elected to Scotland's 32 unitary all purpose authorities which replaced in 1995 the previous two-tier structure of 9 Regions and 53 Districts that were created after the 1975 reorganization on mainland Scotland. Women's representation at local, Westminster and European level has been low historically in Scotland. However, in recent years gender equality has become an intrinsic part of a broader agenda of creating a more democratic, open, accountable and representative political system in Scotland.
The followings 4 points are identified by this research: 1.Gender differences in Scottish counselors are found in a few items, 2.Gender differences in Japanese councilors are definitely bigger than ones in Scottish councilors, 3.Differences of election system and the structure of local politics between two areas influence to create these differences, 4. The differences of party system in local politics and single vote system function as powerful structural factors, 5.Gender structure in both areas works as social environmental factor.