2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Theoretical inquiry of attenuation of public space and individualization of society

Research Project

Project/Area Number	19530428
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Sociology
Research Institution	Gunma University
Principal Investigator	ITO Kenichi Gunma University, 社会情報学部, 准教授 (80293497)
Project Period (FY)	2007 – 2009
Keywords	社会学理論・学説史 / 個人化 / 公共圏 / マクドナルド化 / リスク社会
Research Abstract	The aim of this research project is construction of integrative theoretical model of attenuation of public space and individualization of society. We believe we could exhibit a central idea, even if it was not a complete theory. The central idea is almost the same as Beck (1986) proposed, but our own is that some other changes, which Beck did not necessarily mentioned, like changes of communities, penetration of new communication media into everyday life, or modification of consumption, are describable as "unintended effects" of institutionalization or systematization of our life. We believe this idea is the key not only to total explanation of contemporary social change but also to a kind of integration of various social theories, and which could give us a viewpoint to understand the meaning of present tendencies which our societies face.