On the theoretical and empirical analysis of relationship between social capital and the involvement of residents in public transport

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17259
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Takasaki City University of Economics (2017-2018); Kanazawa University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Oguma Hitoshi 高崎経済大学, 地域政策学部, 准教授 (00634312)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ソーシャル・キャピタル（SC） / 認知的SC / 構造的SC / 住民参加型交通 / 階層線形モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research theoretically reviewed the relationship between social capital(SC) and the involvement of residents in public transport based on bibliographic survey or interviews. After that, empirical survey how SC effect on the civic engagement in public transport was conducted on the basis of questionnaire survey for 1,303 people from 8 communities of the Fukaya line, the Konan Bus of Ajigasawa town and the Aomori prefecture.
According to the result of analysis, it was found that the degree of civic engagement in public transport closely relate to the accumulation of SC. And the length of residence increases SC while community pride does not have the effect of raising resident’s involvement was indicated.Therefore, as a policy agenda for the promotion of civic engagement in public transport, the survey pointed out efforts to increase the exchange experiences through community festival and other event for a long period.

Free Research Field

社会福祉学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

公共交通は地域住民の支えによって運営されており、住民参加型交通はその典型例である。しかし、これまでは住民参加型交通という運行形態や公共交通一般における住民参加型交通の位置づけに焦点があてられ、住民が抱える認識や住民間の相互関係について踏み込んだ研究は行われなかった。
本研究は、SCの概念を用い、従来、最も重要でありながら置き去りにされてきた公共交通に対する住民の支えを住民の立場から明確することができた。そして、それをもとに住民参加型交通の成立条件や地域にとっての交通の存在意義を見出し、公共交通への住民参加が地域の活力向上にもたらす効果や今後の運営に対する示唆について解明できた。