Comparative Sociological Research on Autonomous and Sustainable Local Public Finance

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26380656
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Kanto Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Yoichi Yuasa 関東学院大学, 社会学部, 教授 (80382571)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 財政社会学 / 旧産炭地 / 原子力エネルギー / 財政の持続可能性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aimed to analyze the relationship between local public finance and local community from the sociological perspective. Taking some cases of former coalfield and nuclear host municipality, this research has analyzed on the mechanism of public finance disruption and the actual situation of dependency. In former coalfields, harmful influences of pit closure on local community had converged on local public finance that leads to the disruption of the finance. Supports from the national governmentIn had not worked enough. In nuclear host municipalities, the sustainability of local public finance is not sure because of high dependency on benefits from nuclear facilities. "A cycle of addiction" can be found in these municipalities. Further, the location of final disposal for high level radioactive waste has discussed in terms of decision making procedure based on providing financial benefits.

Free Research Field

環境社会学、財政社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で取り上げた旧産炭地や原子力関連自治体を含め、多くの地方自治体が財政危機に苦しむなど多くの課題を抱えており、その原因や破たんにいたるメカニズム、依存状況の解明は社会的にみて重要である。学術的には、こうした地方財政の問題を地域社会との関わりから捉えようとする研究が少ないことから、本研究は、社会的に重要でかつ学術的に手薄な領域に取り組むものであるという意義を有している。