Anthropology of privatization: Relative care and care market in post-welfare state Finland.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13456
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 04030:Cultural anthropology and folklore-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Erika 千葉大学, 大学院人文科学研究院, 教授 (90706912)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者ケア / 民営化 / 私事化 / フィンランド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to understand the progress of privatization within families and public eldercare organization, this study conducted participant observation on the impact of organizational reforms and optimization in municipal home care teams. In addition, I performed interviews with older adults who practice informal care and describe housing histories of the older adults to understand individual choice and family/relative relationships surrounding eldercare. In addition, I interviewed private firms that provide technology related to eldercare services about the concept of public interest and care from the perspective of a private company whose clients are governmental agencies. The results of these fieldwork revealed an increasing individualization not only of the elderly themselves, but also of the families, relatives, and caregivers who surround the older individuals themselves.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、高齢者の日常生活を成り立たせる多様なケアの配置において企業・親族・高齢者個人が相互に関係しあう様態を理解することで、複数の私的領域間のつながりを十全に示してこなかった他の人文社会科学領域の研究に対して有効な事例とロジックを提供する点で独自性を持つ。さらに、北欧型福祉国家として知られるフィンランドの新自由主義的な方向転換について、公的に発信されている情報ではなく人々の経験を記述することは、すでに介護の商品化が進んだ日本に対し、新自由主義への軟着陸がどのような妥協点において可能であるのかという喫緊の課題をめぐる創造的な知見をもたらすものである。