Consideration of Challenges Regarding Mothers' Political Participation: Focusing on Political Movements of Care Workers

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23268
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0108:Sociology and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Motohashi Rie 大阪大学, 大学院人間科学研究科, 招へい研究員 (50846748)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ケアの倫理 / 母親業 / 母性 / 政治参加

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study revealed the difficulties and possibilities of political participation for caregivers, which are often overlooked by existing models of political engagement, through interviews with women in Japan who burdened maternal caregiving responsibilities. The research argues that there is a need for a framework of "political care" and support tailored to caregivers, wherein their needs as both caregivers and recipients of care are voiced and attentively addressed. This framework is posited as a necessary social condition to facilitate the political participation of caregivers.

Free Research Field

社会学、ジェンダー論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、ケアの倫理に根差した議論が注目され、ケアの営みの重要性が認知されつつありますが、ケアを担う人、特に母親業のような私的かつ家庭内でおこなわれるがゆえに見えないケアを担う人がいかに政治参加していくのかについては議論が不充分でした。本研究では、ケアに根差した政治、社会を構想するために重要な、ケアする人が政治参加にいかなる困難を抱えているのかを母親業を担う人の運動や日々の経験の語りから考察し、私たちのもつ政治観そのものの変化の必要と、ケアする人の声が聞き届けられる支援体制の必要性を論じました。