A Study on the Conflict and Sublation of Community Governance and Social Education in the Kominkan Reorganization Trend

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14054
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09010:Education-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Tomoko 東北大学, 高度教養教育・学生支援機構, 准教授 (90632323)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 社会教育 / 生涯学習 / 公民館 / 民主主義 / 自治 / 学習環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the actual situation in local governments regarding the formal and informal mechanisms of "autonomy" in the operation of “Kominkan” and the relationship between "autonomy" and social learning under these mechanisms, and explored the characteristics of the learning generated in social education practices and the institutions that make this possible.
Although “Kominkan” has had the aim for realization of democracy as their main objective since their conception, repeated internal and external changes in conditions have often made it impossible or difficult for them to contribute to the realization of "autonomy" in the community. This study clarified the necessary elements and effective methods from the perspective of learning environment design on how to generate and activate social learning based on such facilities, independent of their legal status, while considering network, dialogue, conviviality, etc. as key concepts.

Free Research Field

教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの公民館研究は、条例上の位置づけとして「公民館」であることや、そこに専門職員として公民館主事や社会教育主事が配置されていることなど、所定の前提の下、社会教育制度の枠内で議論される傾向にあった。一方、規制緩和が進む中で、地域の学習の拠点となる施設は、必ずしも条例上の公民館ではなかったり、そこに社会教育の専門職員が公式に配置されていない等の事例も多くなってきた。本研究では、そのような制度的な位置づけを前提とするのではなく、いかに社会的な学習を促進するかという学習環境や学習支援手法に着目することで、より幅広い実践に対して有益な知見を提供することができる。