Empirical research on the re-categorization process of local third sector organizations by national infrastructure organizations

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02098
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU Hiroyuki 千葉大学, 大学院人文科学研究院, 教授 (50282786)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: サード・セクター / NPO / 地域集団 / 中間支援 / フィールド / 地域社会 / 食支援 / 食料支援

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our nationwide surveys of food support activities revealed the following key points during the COVID-19 pandemic:1) Many new activities related to "children's meal delivery services" and "food pantries" have emerged, with a focus on economic effects rather than just social effects.2) "Children's cafeterias," "children's meal delivery services," and "food pantries" are more fluid compared to "meal services for the elderly".3) Donated ingredients and food from companies and others are distributed through local routes and intermediary organizations (infrastructure organisations) routes, with the latter involving a more diverse range of entities.
The results of our survey in South Australia on Meals on Wheels and food banks showed the following: Compared to the situation in Australia, the development of food support activities in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by a shift from meal services to food relief and the creation of the latter activities by the former.

Free Research Field

地域社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地域集団論やサード・セクター論において長らく「地縁型」と「テーマ型」が主な対比軸となってきたが、コロナ禍における食支援活動の展開から、それらの定型的特質に対して、新たに形成された小集団の非定型的特質を把握するとともに、それら小集団の創出や存続可能性の条件を、集団単位ではなく、小集団の創出に随伴して構築された寄付食材・食品の流通経路というシステムに求め、その特徴を捉えた。理論的には、アーリのモビリティ論を援用しつつ、この集団とシステムを含む集合体を、セクター横断的にさまざまな主体が共通のissueをめぐって境界変動的に構築される「フィールド」とみなすことで、地域社会の変動論の展開を試みた。