Survey of the actual situation of "8050 problem" and research of effective support measures according to life stage

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02130
• 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: Aichi University of Education
• Principal Investigator: Kawakita Minoru 愛知教育大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (30397492)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的孤立 / ひきこもり / 生活困窮者 / 8050問題 / 多職種連携

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cases of households requiring support for both elderly people in their 80s who need care and middle-aged and unemployed children have been reported and have become known as the "8050 problem." It is not enough to simply understand these issues as "aging of hikikomori". We critically examined the fact that the concept of "hikikomori" could not discuss various social isolations, and proceeded with the work to develop a concept that could consider a wide range of social isolations. At the same time, when conducting a citizen survey of local governments, we created question items that take into consideration not only the lack of going out, which has been regarded as the substance of "hikikomori," but also the experience of unemployed periods and the hindrance of independence from parents. From the analysis results, the diversity of isolation risks by gender and life stage is becoming clear.

Free Research Field

社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社会的孤立の課題は縦割り的な専門分野や行政組織のなかで、それぞれ断片的な視点から扱われてきた。精神保健福祉における「ひきこもり」、若年者の就労支援における「無業者」、高齢者の支援現場における「8050問題」などである。こうした把握方法が支援の盲点に陥る対象者を生み出している。特に思春期・青年期の心理的課題とみなされる「ひきこもり」は広範な社会的孤立を扱う概念として不十分である。多様なライフステージの課題に通じる社会的孤立の概念を彫琢し、社会的側面、心理的側面、生物学的側面に配慮しながらデータ分析を実施することで、若年者支援、障害、介護などの専門家による多職種連携を促進することが可能になる。