2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Family Change and Social Security Policy
| Project/Area Number |
17530424
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Social welfare and social work studies
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| Research Institution | OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
SAKAGUCHI Masayuki OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMAN LIFE SCIENCE, PROFESSOR, 大学院生活科学研究科, 教授 (70111010)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TOKORO Michihiko OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMAN LIFE SCIENCE, LECTURER, 大学院生活科学研究科, 講師 (80326272)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
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| Keywords | SOCIAL SECURITY / FAMILY POLICY / PUBLIC PENSION / BRITAIN |
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| Research Abstract |
This research project aims to clarify the issues in Japanese social security system involving family changes. Japanese social security systems has been based on 'male breadwinner model' of family, in which a man (husband) is supposed to take full-time job, and a women (wife) is responsible domestic work such as giving care for children and the elderly parents at home. However, drastic family changes have been in progress since the 1980s. The fertility rate is declining rapidly, while the number of divorce is increasing. The social security system is no longer fit for the current Japanese family which is diverse. This is particular the case for the lone mother family, who are in struggle between work and child care. Public pension system is also in crisis, not only because it cannot be supported by smaller size of working population, but also because of change in public consensus over the fair treatment in the system. This project conducted a micro-simulation study over the life courses of women, and tried to find out to what extent the public pension system treating them differently. The result is that the public pension system is still in favor of a traditional male breadwinner model. Divorced lone parent is likely to face poverty in later life as public pension is reduced by the divorce. The recent change in rules over dividing pension at divorce would still not guarantee enough financial resources for them. This project also studies on British social security policy development, which started policy reform for family change earlier than Japan. A work centered policy approaches are implemented, which would be a key to integrate diverse family life. But it is too early to judge the outcome of the policy, and relevance for the future Japanese policy development.
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