Population Ageing and Generational Conflicts in Politics

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05949
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Politics
• Research Institution: Waseda University (2017-2018); Kochi University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Endo Masahisa 早稲田大学, 社会科学総合学術院, 准教授 (80597815)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 世代間対立 / 少子高齢化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims at describing the conflicts among different age groups as well as exploring its dynamics in contemporary Japan at the micro level. Analyzing the survey datasets over the past three decades, we investigate to what extent the policy opinions are different among different age groups. While no such large conflicts regarding a variety of policy opinions are found, our new survey reveals that there is generational gap in perceptions in generational conflicts. Younger people are more likely to feel such conflicts than elderly people.

Free Research Field

政治学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世代間の利害対立は、年金制度の存立基盤がそうであるように世代間連帯を強調することで対立の回避や調整がなされる。世代間対立を認識しているということは、この世代間連帯レトリックの機能を低下させる可能性があり、自己の年齢集団（われわれ）と他の年齢集団（彼／彼女ら）の利益の区別を強調し、少子高齢化が引き起こす様々な問題への対処を難しくさせうる。有権者間の世代間対立について議論する本研究は、その意味で学術的にも社会的にも意義があると考えられる。