Who and what do sociologists teach and what kind of people will be created?

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14310074
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: FUJISAKI Hiroko Ochanomizu University, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Professor, 生活科学部, 教授 (70334563)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAOI Atushi Osaka University, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Professor, 大学院・人間科学研究科, 教授 (70011335) ; AMANO Masako Tokyo Jogakkan University, Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Professor, 国際教養学部, 教授 (10071086) ; OKUMURA Takashi Rikkyo University, Faculty of Social Relations, Professor, 社会学部, 教授 (30211816) ; MATSUDA Motoji Kyoto University, Graduate School of Letters, Professor, 大学院・文学研究科, 教授 (50173852) ; WATANABE Noboru Niigata University, Faculty of Humanities, Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (50250395)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2004
• Keywords: sociological education / sociologist / educational effects / educational evaluation / educational career / educational program / image of "society" / popularization of higher education

Research Abstract

This study was conducted for three years beginning 2002, based on the study regarding sociological education requested to the sociological education board by the Japan Sociological Society. The status of sociological education has not been fully clarified, and the study on evaluation methods for the educational effects has been also delayed. The theme of this study is to reflectively review the status of sociological education from three viewpoints : the educational practice and philosophy by sociologists ; the evaluation and request toward sociological education by students ; and the modality of typical education programs that represent part of the service content.
Sociologists were selected as informants in consideration of the variety of age, gender and educational career, and interviews were conducted covering two aspects : the education they have received and the education they have provided. As a result, it was found that sociologists' educational efforts vary depending on age gen eration as well as their careers in education ; the younger generation and who have been experienced in teaching sociology as a general education subject, made more efforts on original educational techniques. Student surveys were mainly conducted using questionnaires for students who majored in sociology, with cooperation from four national universities and three private universities. As a result, it was confirmed that attenuation of students' sociological interests is evident reflecting the social situation in recent years as well as popularization of higher education, and it is therefore necessary to contrive the kind of method to present the importance for students to learn sociology in an easy-to-understand manner. As to educational programs, practice of social research (especially field work) and graduation thesis guidance were covered to review the present status and issues. Although all of these are subjects that burden both students and teachers, in some cases they were confirmed to have significant educational effects that cannot be acquired through regular lecture courses.