Reconsidering the definition approach in social problem research through case studies on the installation process of CCTVs in local communities

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26780278
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Asada Yoshitaka 京都府立大学, 公共政策学部, 准教授 (60642113)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 監視社会論 / 社会問題

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Japanese society has been assumed to be a “surveillance society” because of rapid the expansion of surveillance technologies and knowledge. Although some studies have understood this phenomenon as one side effect of changes to the social structure, this research project reconsiders that idea, focusing on concrete cases of installing CCTVs in local communities. As a result, this project clarified a model of the installation process in local communities and an interactive mechanism between local actors and CCVTs that constitutes the “surveillance society.” Through such concrete cases studies, this project also considered the definition approach of social problem research in Japan, and tried to explore a research method that enables researchers to examine not only the chain of discourse but also the practices and social background of a given issue.

Free Research Field

社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

事例の分析により、多様な関係者の絡まり合いと監視カメラがもつ意味の固定化の作用が相互に影響を及ぼし合った結果、監視社会化が進展するという具体的な過程が明らかになった。また、社会問題の記述に関しては、フィールドにおいて言及されないが、人びとの実践の基盤となっているものに目を向ける必要があり、それを批判的実在論の観点から検討できる可能性を明らかにした。さらに、本研究は、現代社会で頻発する不確実性と集合行動の発生に関する多様な現象とも共通するメカニズムに言及していることから、それらを理解するための基盤となりうることを指摘した。