Analysis of the Relationship Between Orientation Toward Coexistence or Division and School Educational Experiences in the Structure of Contemporary Japanese Social Consciousness

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K02571
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09020:Sociology of education-related
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Okamoto Tomochika 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 教授 (60318863)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 共生 / 分断 / 社会意識 / 社会調査 / 学校教育経験 / 社会科教育 / 共生社会 / 世代

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explores how the orientation toward "coexistence" or "division" is structured in contemporary Japanese society and how the experiences, knowledge, and awareness acquired in school education are related to this orientation through the analysis of social consciousness. To this end, the researcher conducted two social consciousness surveys, one in January 2021 and the other in February 2023, among adults throughout Japan.
During the study period, analyses of Japanese social consciousness were compiled and published in three collections of articles. In addition to the fact that the perception of the term "kyosei shakai (society of coexistence)" was influenced by the amount of educational experience, the tendency to emphasize intellectual curiosity and inquiry in studies and experiences during high school was significantly associated with a higher awareness of "society of coexistence."

Free Research Field

教育社会学、共生社会学、歴史社会学、社会意識研究、ナショナリズム研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学校教育は社会化の装置であるという点において社会の統合や凝集性を促すものであるが、他方で教育大衆化以降の日本の教育空間はより顕著な選別の場となり、人びとの社会意識の隔たりを広げる場ともなってきた。「共生」と「分断」への志向性の様態とその背景をみることによって、教育経験を通して伝達される社会統合の論理の社会的帰結を析出することが、本研究の目的である。
戦後社会の変動に伴って変遷をみせてきた中等教育段階の社会科教育内容の特徴を指標とし、それを学習者の世代や生活経験と照応させた分析を行うことで、「社会的凝集性の知識社会学的背景」を解明した点に、本研究の意義がある。