Japan Association for Social Policy Studies (JASPS) 146th Conference Rikkyo University , Tokyo, Japan 3-4 June 2023 DAY 1(3 June 2023) 9:30-11:30 Special Theme and Paper Sessions 9:30-11:30 Special Theme Session 1 Evaluation of community welfare plan focusing on the "theory evaluation". Chair/Coordinator： Takafumi UZUHASHI (Doshisha University , Professor Emeritus )
(Theme of the Session)
Evaluation of community welfare plan focusing on the “theory evaluation”. In the year of 2017, Social Welfare Law was revised for the municipalities to arrange the comprehensive support schemes for "the symbiosis community". In accordance with this, the discussion about governance of community welfare and its policy is paid attention enormously. We are literally facing the immense crustal change of community welfare. Currently arguments of main stream are converging to a kind of “sollen”(should or must in English i.e. normative ) discussion without any positive detailed scrutiny. We examine the following three research questions. What are the structure and characteristics of the community welfare plan formulated by the 1) municipalities in terms of “program evaluation” ? How is the community welfare functioning and expected to do so in the future ? 2) 3) What are the problems and challenges of the community welfare plan which should be overcome? We focus on the “theory evaluation” of community welfare plan this time, leaving the “process and outcome evaluation “ to the next presentation.
Satoko Tanaka (Prefectural University of Hiroshima
Theory evaluation of welfare plan in the community from the case of the Hiroshima prefecture Formulation of community welfare plan has changed from optional one to the effort obligation in 2017. It is important to make arrangement of the community-based integrated care system. It is required to make community welfare plan and set the target values and evaluate them for the promotion of the policy in the local government. The purpose of this report is to clarify the characteristics and subject of the community welfare plans from the viewpoint of the “theory evaluation”. The report picks up three cities for research target which are governmental designed city, around 100,000 population city and less than 50,000 population city. In addition, this report examines following three points. Does fundamental principle said as goal in the community welfare plan have consistency with each priority and suitability with evaluation indices? How does community welfare plan positioned as upper-level plan have relevance with the welfare plan for elderly, physically and mentally handicapped people, children with difficulties? How does it have relevance with community welfare active plan formulated by the councils of the social welfare?
Chihiro Uchiyama (Shizuoka University)
Theoretical evaluation of community welfare plan, based on the case of Shizuoka prefecture Community welfare plan is a kind of guiding principle for promoting community-based welfare by setting objectives and necessity input and activities. It is not an obligation to make this plan for government, for this reason, the rate of making plan is about 80.7 % (2020). On the other hand, the formulation rate reaches 100% in Shizuoka prefecture. In this report, three different targets are selected depending on its population scale, specifically, Shizuoka-city as the ordinance-designated city with 680,000 population, Mishima-city with around 100,000 population and Izunokuni-city with about 50,000 population. The purpose of this report is mainly to evaluate the community welfare plan from the theoretical point of view, that is, to check whether the plan has a logical structure or not. In addition, it is also important to clarify the relationship between community welfare plan and other plans like community welfare support plan by prefectural government, individual related plans, and community welfare activity plan by social welfare councils, from the point of relevancy and consistency. In this study, it is intended to clarify the structure and relevancy of community welfare plan from the theoretical point of view.
Hiromi Tanaka (Mukogawa Women's University)
Theory evaluation of the Community-based Welfare Plan: focusing on three municipalities in
Osaka prefecture
There are growing expectations for the use of data and the development of Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM) in the field of community welfare, with the aim of increasing financial and administrative efficiency and transparency. This study overviews the Community-based Welfare Plans in Osaka Prefecture and analyses them from the framework of theory evaluation, focusing on three municipalities with different population sizes, namely Osaka City (population: approx. 2.7 million), Minoh City (population: approx. 140,000) and Hannan City (population: approx. 50,000). In particular, a series of causal relationships linking policy objectives, measures and outcome indicators will be examined by using the logic model. The findings contribute to a more substantial policy cycle of community-based welfare policy and practices. 9:30-11:30 Paper Session 【A】 Employment Market Chair: Yoshiyuki CHIKAMA (Kagoshima Prefectural College) Kyoko SUZUKI (The Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training (JILPT), Researcher) "Dualism" in Japan and the compressed industrialization The paper reviews the discussions on the "dualism " in the Japanese labor market, based on existing literature, and examines its relation to changes in the labor market. The "dual structure theory" has been a framework for critical research on labor market issues in Japan for a long time after World War II. The "dual economy theory," "dual labor market theory," and "internal labor market theory," emerged in western countries, are originally different from one another, focusing on different phenomena. However, in Japan, they are all understood as something similar and mutually exchangeable under the concept of "dual structure theory". The "compressed" industrialization was the background to this understanding. What differences and inequalities in the labor market were targeted, what was taken out of the scope, and have these issues already been resolved? Through these questions, the paper aims to provide implications for the current policy on the labor market. Kohei HONDA (Hitotsubashi University, Graduate student) An Empirical Analysis of External Labor Market Deregulation and Rengo-Why do Rengo members welcome deregulation? The purpose of this study is to clarify why many Rengo  (national center of trade unions in Japan) members welcomed the deregulation of temporary staffing services in the 1990s. As a result, it is clear that the Rengo has a large number of external labor market deregulationist members. Second, It became clear that Rengo members have a managerial viewpoint: they are in favor of deregulation if it benefits management, and they are in favor of the deregulation of the external labor market if they believe that it will create an employment system that is more flexible and responsive to the needs of the workers. Third, Union members who are concerned that temporary staffing services will be greatly deregulated and their jobs will be replaced by temporary workers will oppose deregulation, while those who are not concerned will welcome it. Chair: Yumiko TANAKA (Fukui Prefectural University)
Yuko TAMIYA  (Kobe Gakuin University, Professor)
The concept of women in poverty and development of social security
Income security based on the assumption of a male breadwinner has been expanded in postwar Japan, symmetrically, as income security for households that have lost the male breadwinner. However, the reasons for the loss of the male-breadwinner were strictly classified, and the system was clearly divided into two separate systems based on the difference in marital relations: bereavement and separation. Furthermore, the latter has been kept at a low level. In other words, "widow poverty" was the main target of income security, and "female poverty" was never the main target. However, since the 2010s, there has been a gradual improvement in income security targeting single mothers with children. This policy shift was achieved by introducing a new concept of "child poverty" instead of "single-mother poverty". The new concept of child poverty places children at the center of the policy. On the other hand, it puts the gendered welfare and labor issues faced by single mothers in a subordinate category. This study examines what the child poverty concept has brought to the income security system and what has been left out, based on recent policy trends and discussions in previous studies.
Tomoe NAITO (Seikei University, Lecturer)
Women's bargaining power and well-being within the household This study endeavors to make publicly visible the weaker members of a household. Society often examines the disparities among families; however, even when the living standard surpasses a certain threshold, certain members may still experience lower well-being due to variations in their positions within the household. However, it can be challenging to comprehend the extent to which these members are in a weak position within the household and how their predicament impacts their unhappiness. Therefore, this study quantitatively analyzes the disparities in strength among household members, with a particular emphasis on married couples. Specifically, the focus is on the distribution of bargaining power within the household. Given that the allocation of bargaining power within a household is contingent upon distribution factors such as age, years of schooling, and wage ratio (Browning et al., 1994), this study quantitatively examines which distribution factors can successfully explain the bargaining power of women in a household. By doing so, it aims to visualize the position of women in the household and evaluate the feasibility of supporting them.
Naoko SATO (Saitama University, Doctoral student)
Gender division in managerial positions: A Case of a Japanese city A In 2022, 185 of the total 1,058 managerial positions employed by local governments of City A were women, and the proportion of women among all managerial positions was 17.5%. However, only 32 female managers were assigned to the main office where major decisions are made, accounting for only 17.3% of all female management positions. This shows that most of the female managers are assigned to professional positions or branch office. This study deals with the career path and placement of female managers from a gender perspective and analyzes what is being treated as a “women's job” in the public sector. And this study shows that when women workers got promoted to manager, women managers are placed in "women's field" regardless of their career path and had difficulty using their skills and personal connections due to such personnel placements. 11:30-12:45 Lunch Break
SPECIAL THEME SESSION
Current Status and Issues Concerning the Minimum Wage System
13:00-17:00
Chair: Presenters: RINPEI Yoshimura (Aichi Gakuin University) Shuichi Nakazawa (University of Shizuoka) Hirohisa Yamagata (Senshu University) Takuya Iwasa (Senshu University) Discussant:   NORIO Hisamoto (Kyoto Tachibana University) In 2021, David Card at UCB won the Nobel Prize in Economics for their study of changes in the minimum wage and the volume of employment. Card's research empirically criticized the "common sense" perception of mainstream economics that minimum wage increases necessarily have a negative impact on employment and established the perception that minimum wage increases do not necessarily have a negative impact on employment. The Japanese Association for Social Policy Studies (JASPS) discussed the minimum wage system in the 13th annual conference in 1956 and in the 30th annual conference in 1964. The background to this was that the enactment of the Minimum Wage Law in 1959 and its amendment in 1968 drew public attention to the minimum wage. However, social interest in the minimum wage system declined after that, as the rapid economic growth of Japan began. Nevertheless, since the end of the 1990s, the minimum wage system has once again come to the forefront of public attention due to the growing "working poor" problem. In particular, the 2007 revision of the Minimum Wage Law stipulated "consistency with welfare standards" and prepared the way for subsequent increases in the minimum wage amount. In response to these changes, the minimum wage standard with the welfare standard was discussed in the 119th annual conference in 2009. Furthermore, the second Abe administration positioned raising the minimum wage as a major policy and recorded the largest government-led increase since the Minimum Wage Law was enacted. At the annual congress 2023, we would like to discuss the issues the "old and new" minimum wage system poses to us in the 21st century. Reconsideration the Minimum Wage System: A Review from a Cost-of-Living Perspective Shuichi Nakazawa (University of Shizuoka) Since 2016 the minimum wage has seen a steady growth of 3% or more per annum due to political initiatives. Consequently, this has resulted in a higher share of workers receiving wages at or around the minimum wage level and increased the political salience of the minimum wage issue. How well does the existing minimum wage system accommodate these economic and social shifts? This paper demonstrates that the minimum wage system requires a radical overhaul from a cost-of- living perspective. The author oversees a survey that estimates the minimum cost of living in 27 Japanese prefectures, a project initiated by the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and its regional affiliates. This paper critically analyzes the lack of emphasis on cost-of-living in the minimum wage system, based on the following two survey findings: (i) young people living alone requires 240,000-260,000 yen per month (including taxes and social insurance costs) to maintain a normal standard of living, and (ii) the cost of living does not vary significantly across Japan. This paper also explores the future of the minimum wage system with an emphasis on the cost of living. Negative impacts of minimum wage on employment and links between policies Hirohisa Yamagata (Senshu University) As is well known, labor economics has long suggested that increasing the minimum wage increases unemployment and is not necessarily desirable for society and the economy. This academic conference presentation provides an overview of previous research on minimum wage and employment and confirms changes in the history of research in recent years. The following points are examined. First, minimum wage has long been regarded as a supplementary wage to household budgets, which creates significant risks to society, and its positioning has become even more inappropriate in recent years. Second, the current minimum wage by prefecture is inconsistent with regional revitalization under the declining birthrate and aging population and could exacerbate labor shortages in rural areas. Third, the relationship between employment and economic conditions in Japan throughout the 2000s was peculiar. Employment issues must be examined comprehensively, considering not only minimum wage but also working hours, extra wages, SME policies, etc. Statutory Minimum Wages and Industrial Relations - An International Comparison Takuya Iwasa (Senshu University) Today, as low-wage employment expands worldwide, the role of the statutory minimum wage is attracting attention, and new minimum wages are being introduced or their levels are being raised one after another. This report introduces and compares trends in minimum wages and industrial relations in eight countries, including Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, Spain, and France. First, this report focuses on the interrelationship between minimum wages and industrial relations. There are two types of regulation of low-wage work: regulation by minimum wage (law) and regulation by industrial relations (collective bargaining agreements). Second, this report focuses on the method of determining the minimum wage. In many countries, trade unions and employers' associations are involved in determining the minimum wage level through councils and other means. However, the degree of autonomy and the involvement of governments and parliaments differ and change from country to country.
DAY 2(4 June 2023)
9:30-11:30 Special Theme and Paper Sessions
9:30-11:30 Special Theme Session 2 Trends and Prospects of Evaluation and Related Systems for Long-term Care Services in Sweden, Korea, and Japan Chair/Coordinator : Koichi Hiraoka (Faculty of Human Welfare, Tokyo Online University ) (Theme of the Session) Trends and Prospects of Evaluation and Related Systems for Long-term Care Services in Sweden, Korea, and Japan It has been widely recognized that evaluation plays an important role in the improvement of the quality of services and the governance of the service delivery system in long-term care (LTC). In Japan, the progress in the evaluation of LTC services has entered a new phase as the implementation of the performance evaluation of local governments' three-year plan for LTC services was made obligatory with the recent revision of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act. We may find similar developments in the progress in this field in other developed countries. In this session, considering these developments, we examine the new developments in the evaluation and related systems regarding LTC services in Sweden, Korea, and Japan from a comparative perspective. The first presentation investigates the changes in the evaluation system in Sweden amid recent advances in the privatization of LTC services. The second presentation examines the present status of quality management through the evaluation system in Korea, and its future prospects. The third presentation analyzes how performance indicators are utilized in the municipality three-year plan for LTC services in Japan through the examination of these planning documents and the survey data of municipalities, and discusses the challenges facing the social administrations of municipalities in using these indicators.
Yayoi SAITO（Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University）
Recent trends of evaluation systems in elderly care in Sweden
Municipalities in Sweden have introduced a voucher system in home care service (valfrihetssystem) in Sweden. It has also become quite common for municipalities to contract out their residential care to private (for-profit) company. 118 care residences out of a total of 148 are contracted out to for- profit companies in Stockholm in 2023. The National Housing Agency started to give subsidy not only municipal care residences, but also these residences in general housing market. Number of completely privately-run "sheltered housing" (trygghetsboende) are also increasing. This new type of residence for elderly aims to prevent social isolation by allowing residents to interact. There are municipalities which try to attract them instead of building residences for elderly by themselves. How is the quality of eldercare services evaluated in Sweden, when we see this trend of privatization? How people discuss evaluation of service quality? This paper will examine to clarify these questions based on the field survey.
KIM Jimi (Kyungnam University )
The Current Status and Challenges of Korea's Long-term Care Evaluation System for the
Elderly
The social welfare evaluation system in Korea, including long-term care for the elderly, was introduced in 1998 to promote transparency of public financial resources as government subsidies for social welfare service providers increased. Since this evaluation system was an evaluation of private non- profit organizations entrusted with service provision by the government, it was an evaluation in a state where management of service quality was secured to some extent. A new evaluation system, however, was introduced in 2009 and implemented mandatorily from 2011 as vouchers were used in the field of long-term care for the elderly due to the quasi-marketization of the services in Korea. What should be noted here is the management method for service quality in the new evaluation system. Unlike the past, Korea's new long-term care evaluation system for the elderly evaluates providers who have freely entered the service market, the quality management of long-term care services for the elderly has no choice but to rely on this evaluation system. Given these circumstances, the government's intervention and control are being strengthened in Korea's current long-term care evaluation system, voices of dissatisfaction with various restrictions are high in the field of long-term care for the elderly accordingly. This report aims to clarify the current status and challenges of Korea's long-term care evaluation system, based on an analysis of the government level including National Health Insurance elderly. Koichi HIRAOKA（Faculty of Human Welfare, Tokyo Online University）、 Masako SATO  (Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, WASEDA University ) Utilization of Performance Indicators in the Municipality Plan for the Long-Term Care Insurance – Present Status and Challenges in Japan The evaluation of local government plans for Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) has entered a new stage in Japan, as the performance evaluation in the Preventive Care Programs included in their plans was made obligatory with the revision of the LTCI Law in 2017, and the central government has begun to encourage local governments to effectively use performance indicators in the planning of long-term care services in general. Numerous local governments, in their Eighth LTCI plans (2021-2023), have adopted quantitative indicators to measure the extent of the achievement of their planning targets. Considering these circumstances, this study aims to investigate the present status of the utilization of performance indicators in the Municipality Plan for the LTCI through the examination of the planning documents of selected municipalities, and the analysis of nationwide survey data of municipalities in urban areas. The examination of planning documents focuses on the fields of services where indicators were formulated, the number and types of outcome indicators adopted, and the extent of the utilization of needs survey data. The analysis of survey data centers on the original approaches to performance evaluation adopted by municipalities, and the problems confronting municipality LTCI departments. Finally, this study discusses the challenges faced by local governments regarding the effective LTCI utilization of performance indicators their plans. in 9:30-11:30 Special Theme Session 3 Reality and Problems of Part-time Work by Japanese Students: Core Workforce, Shift System and “Black” Jobs Chair/Coordinator : Tsuyoshi TAKANO (Ritsumeikan University) (Theme of the Session) Reality and Problems of Part-time Work by Japanese Students: Core Workforce, Shift System and “Black” Jobs “Arbeit” means “work” in German, but in Japan “arbeito” generally refers to part-time work done by students, which is generally considered to be different from the "part-time" work done by housewives or retirees, for example, but it is actually the same. Since recruitment ads cannot exclude applicants by age or gender, jobs are described as "arbeito", "part-time" or "freeter" to target different kinds of job seekers. The "arbeito" jobs offered to students are strictly employment contract positions, and are never filled using contracted (temporary agency) labor. Why is that? The restaurant and retail industries rely so heavily on part-time student workers that these employees often make up the majority of their labor force. However, due to the pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in the number of self-service check-out, customer order entry, and serving robots systems, reducing the number of "arbeito" positions. Are part-time student workers becoming the core workforce? Or are the student employees who often perform these jobs going to be replaced by machines? Moreover, many of these part-time student workers, who are not eligible for paid leave, were unable find sufficient work shifts due to the pandemic. Why isn't the shift system regulated by law? If part-time student workers make up the main labor force of these industries, why are they allowed to be treated as disposable workers, subjected to the shift system, and employed in "black" (exploitive) part-time positions? In this session, we would like our two presenters to explain the actual work situations and problems that part-time student employees encounter in Japan, to describe some labor consultation cases in Germany, and to suggest possible solutions that will improve the working conditions of these employees.
Haruki KONNO (NPO POSSE )
Labor Issues Regarding Student Workers in Japan: An Investigation of Actual Working Conditions and Development of an Analytical Framework The working conditions of high school and college students at their part-time jobs has been an issue in Japan since 2013. Factors contributing to this problem include decreasing parental incomes, increasing college tuition, a lack of scholarships for students and worsening labor management practices. Although many studies have featured detailed accounts of the actual working conditions of these workers, the framework used to evaluate this issue requires further consideration. This presentation outlines problems with the working conditions of student workers in Japan, and then examines several issues which need to be considered in order to better understand this situation. First, welfare and industrial relations approaches to improving their working conditions will be analyzed comparatively. The issues one must consider when addressing the problem, and the methods used to resolve it will vary significantly based on the approach one chooses. Second, the labor process and management methods used to control the workplace are examined, as well as modifications implemented during the COVID 19 pandemic. Yoko TANAKA  (University of Tsukuba ) A Comparison of Student Part-time Jobs at Fast Food Chains in Japan and Germany—Using
McDonald's as a Case Study
The restaurant industry in Japan has the highest percentage of non-regular workers among all industries. The book "Let's Create a Team that Employs only Student Part-timers", for example, shows how Japanese restaurant industry attempt to motivate their employees to work with dedication, on the premise of paying the minimum wage, no raises or bonuses. In the fast food chains with a large number of employees, non-regular, student part-time workers are discriminated in terms of status and treatment, compared to regular employees. Fast food chains in Germany, on the other hand, do not utilize this kind of divide and discrimination between regular and non-regular employees, even though these companies operate the same type of restaurants in the same way. The only difference between regular and part-time workers in Germany is the number of hours worked per week, and the wages are proportional to the working hours. All other working conditions are the same. There is also an internship system for students, where they can get a good salary and learn professionally. In Japan, it is assumed that restaurants would not be able to function or be profitable without the use of cheap, non-regular workers. This is not the case, however. In this presentation, I would like to show how fast food chains can be operated without the use of non-regular workers, by comparing the personnel and restaurant management practices of McDonald's stores in Japan and Germany.
Discussant: Ayami KAMURO  (Atomi University )
9:30-11:30 Paper Session 【C】 Social Welfare Chair: Miki SUZUKI (Rissho University) Mami TAKAHASHI (Ochanomizu University, Doctoral student) Intersectionality and Compounded Difficulties in Housing Programs: An analysis of the Municipal City Residential Support Council The purpose of this research is to consider compounded difficulties in municipal housing programs from the perspective of intersectionality The concept of intersectionality explains the uniqueness of lived experiences and elucidates the complexities of social inequality and discrimination observed at intersections of diverse categories such as gender, ethnicity, and class. This concept also illuminates that social inequalities and unfairness do not occur within a single category; rather they transpire through interactions between multiple classifications. Intersectionality-based policy analyses enable researchers to identify how standard policy approaches fail to recognize human diversity and consequently marginalize valuable populations. Incorporating the notion of intersectionality into public policymaking allows the apprehension of differences and enables policymakers to comprehend and implement equitable approaches. This study focused on a municipal housing program targeting populations excluded from traditional home-owning policies, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, citizens of other nations, and single parents. Results of interviews conducted with members of a city residential support council illustrate how the intersections of these categories and housing-related insecurities interrelate and create compound challenges. Akira MATSUBARA (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Takayuki KONDO (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Wenshuo ZHAI (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Miyu ISHHSIZUKA (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Rina KATO (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Ayano KOIKE (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate Students), Aya ABE (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Professor) Empirical analysis of children's participation in community activities In the discourse of child poverty and social exclusion, the "community" is expected to be an alternative to home and school. Since organizations of various sizes and participation styles exist in local communities, it can be said that children have choices of which and how to get involved, which cannot be said for their family and school. Recently, there has been much attention paid to study support activities and children's cafeterias run by citizen groups and NPOs as community activities for children. On the other hand, more traditional community organizations such as neighborhood associations (“Chonaikai”), children's centers, and community centers which are more ubiquitous and have much higher coverage rate of residents, have a high potential to become a major media through which children are connected to their "communities". Therefore, in this paper, we empirically analyze features of children who are likely to participate in traditional community activities and whether participation in these community activities is related to children's wellbeing, using data from the Child Living Standard Survey conducted by local governments. 9:30-11:30 Paper Session 【D】 Social Security Chair: Akiko MATSUE (International University of Health and Welfare) Sungjoon CHOI (The University of Tokyo, Graduate Student) Application and Limitation of Employment Insurance to Informal Labor: Through the development of the Whole Nation Employment Insurance in South Korea In 2007, the “Whole Nation Employment Insurance” plan in South Korea is setting the goal of expanding the coverage of employment insurance from wage workers to informal workers such as self-employed and platform workers. As part of this, from December 2020, the “Artist Employment Insurance,” which concludes people engaged in culture, arts and entertainment, has been introduced. The current situation is that it has not reached the point of expansion to platform workers or reconstruction of self-employed parts. This paper examines why it is difficult to apply the informal workers to Employment Insurance, through the case of the “Whole Nation Employment Insurance.” Employment Insurance was designed on the premise that wage workers would be enrolled, but informal worker's characteristics which is 'difficulty in determining income,' 'unstable wage,' 'ambiguity in unemployment status,' and 'large out- of-pocket burden on insurance fees' are considered to form a gap with the system.
Heran LI (Rikkyo University, Graduate student)
A Research on "Self-help, Mutual help, and Public help" in the Development Process of the Unemployment Insurance System in China In China, which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the problem of unemployment among young people has become serious due to the strict implementation of the Lock Town policy, and the amount of unemployment insurance benefits has reached a high record until the end of 2022. Despites, China's unemployment insurance system still provides low levels of benefits while being criticized for its relatively low replacement rate. Not only, it has also been pointed out that the establishment of job training system, which thought as an in-kind benefit of the unemployment insurance system, is outdated, and there is an urgent need to design a unified system nationwide. The born of China's unemployment insurance system is linked to the inevitable pain of transition, and the shift in the government's view of the unemployment problem from workers' self-responsibility to a common social risk. First this study will clarify the history of the establishment of the unemployment insurance system in China and the position of the Chinese government on the unemployment problem in each era, Then the problems of the unemployment insurance system will be indicated. Finally, this study will acknowledge the problem of low benefits in unemployment insurance by the view of "self- help, mutual assistant, public assistant". Lunch break and Education Session 11：30-12：45 Theme: What are reasons to attend international conferences? Chair: Mayuko KITAI (Matsuyama University) Presenters: Masato SHIZUME (Ritsumeikan University) Shintaro MATSUNAGA (Nagano University) 12:45-14:45 Special Theme Session 4 Breaking New Ground in Asian Social Policy Research Coordinator : KIM Sung-won   (University of Tokyo ) Chair : LI Lianhua   (Tokyo Keizai University)
(Theme of the Session)
Breaking New Ground in Asian Social Policy Research
Founded in 2009 to understand the reality of social policy in Asia, as well as to research Japanese social policy, JASPS's Section on Japan-East Asia Social Policy has participated in a great variety of academic activity, resulting in a considerable amount of outcome. The section has renamed itself to JASPS's Section on Asia with this in mind, in line with its objective of taking research on social policy in Asia to a new stage. With the original objectives of the section in tact, the following three perspectives have been added. Firstly, regarding the subject of research, in addition to previous subcommittee activities centered on East Asia such as Japan, China and South Korea, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam should be considered, in light of their experience of remarkable development and substantial amount of change in social policy in recent years. Secondly, regarding research perspectives, we should actively evaluate the unique new challenges that Asian countries and regions see, stepping away from the idea that they must catch-up, which has been implicitly assumed previously. Thirdly, regarding the recognition of the status quo, it is important to emphasize the reality of Asian countries and regions where new challenges are likely to be made, with weak path-dependent constraints which stem from the fact that they developed relatively recently. Based on the above points of view, this subcommittee, organized to commemorate the renewal of the subcommittee, consists of the following three reports aimed to present challenges to open a new horizon for Asian social policy research. • Purpose of the session: Research on Asia so far, Research on Asia from now on (LI Lianhua) • Report 1: In What Direction is the Korean Welfare State Heading? (KIM Sung-won) • Report 2: “Welfare China”: Building A Multi-level Social Security System (ZHU Min) • Report 3: Challenges of the Southeast Asian Social Security System: Case of Thailand (OIZUMI Keiichiro)
KIM Sung-won   (University of Tokyo )
In What Direction is the Korean Welfare State Heading?
In the past, when comparative welfare state research covered Korea, its characteristics were often explained by productivist welfare capitalism and developmental welfare state theory. In other words, (1) Economic growth has been seen as their top priority, and the development of their social security system has been delayed, (2) Labor movements and left-wing forces that promote the development of the social security system have been suppressed under authoritarian regimes, (3) As a result, many of the roles of the social security system have been replaced by roles within individual families. These points have often been emphasized as common characteristics of not only South Korea, but also other Asian countries and regions, distinguished from welfare states in Western countries. What is important to note is that none of these three characteristics can be seen after more than 20 years since the late 1990s, when it is said that Korea started to become a welfare state. If so, can it be said that South Korea is converging to western welfare states? In this report, based on the analysis of the current situation, it will be made clear that South Korea is attempting a new challenge, with what could only be described as 'Korean-style' and not a simple convergence, as well as that this challenge should be interpreted as a movement towards a 'non-welfare state' rather than one aiming for a 'welfare state'.
ZHU Min   (Chiba University of Commerce)
“Welfare China”: Building A Multi-level Social Security System
In the late 1990s, China first created a social security system in urban areas to deal with the mass unemployment resulting from radical state-owned enterprise reforms. After that, in the wake of SARS, a social security system was also created in rural areas, and in the 2010s, a universal system was established. Ten years have passed since then, and China's economic and social environment has changed significantly, including the development of the digital economy and the declining birthrate and aging population. The Xi Jinping administration believes that China should avoid blindly catching up with Western countries and aims to build a multi-level social security system with Chinese characteristics. This report introduces recent trends in social security system reform in China, then considers the characteristics of China and what they mean.
OIZUMI Keiichiro   (Asia University )
Challenges of the Southeast Asian Social Security System: Case of Thailand Southeast Asia has developed rapidly since the end of the previous World War. Its development since the 1980s is especially remarkable, with its short-term modernization referred to as 'compressed development.' Since the Social security systems of Southeast Asian countries have been developed amid rapid changes in their industrial structure (industrialization), demographic trends (declining birthrate and aging population) and political system (democratization), certain problems have subsequently emerged in terms of their inclusion and integration. In addition, the welfare states of Southeast Asia (a social security system for all citizens) is likely to be different from those of Europe and the U.S. due to financial constraints stemming from low income, as well as the acceleration of economic globalization. This report presents the current situation and characteristics of social security in Thailand from the above perspective. The main points of view are the following. (1) the scale and characteristics of Thailand's informal sector (population not covered by social security), (2) the process of the development of Thailand's social security system, (3) the direction of Thailand's expansion of life security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussant 1: UZUHASHI Takafumi (Doshisha University, Professor Emeritus ) Discussant 2: SAWADA Yukari    (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) |12:45-14:45 Special Theme Session 5 Management and Gender Chair/Coordinator : KANAI Kaoru  (Saitama University)
〈Theme of the Session〉
Management and Gender
The percentage of women in management positions in 2020 shows 13.3% in Japan, lower than Korea's 15.7%. In Sweden and the U.S., the ratio of women in management positions exceeds 40%, while in the U.K., France, and Finland, it is in the upper 30%, and in Germany and the Netherlands, it is in the upper 20%. The percentage of women in management positions in Germany is 28.1%, also higher than Japan, but at a lower level among EU countries. Both in Japan and Germany, they have been promoting policy measures to increase the number of women in management positions. To determine whether these measures lead to an increase in the number of female managers, it is important to clarify the management and gender issues in each employment system. Therefore, the purpose of this session is to clarify the gender issues on management positions in Germany and Japan, where the ratio of female managers is at a low level. First presentation considers how male- centered top management system in Germany changed in recent years. Second presentation focuses on the differences in organizational structure between traditional life insurance companies and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan, clarifies how the manager-subordinate relationship differs their management style between male and female combinations. Third presentation attempts to identify the advanced efforts of municipalities that have significantly increased the percentage of women in management positions over a short period, or are making efforts to do so, based on their established plans and workplace work style reforms.
Yoko Tanaka  (University of Tsukuba)
Increase in Female Managers in German Companies
In Germany, the "Chef Sache" initiative by former Chancellor Angela Merkel encouraged the active appointment of women to management positions, particularly since the 2010s. Historically, German major manufacturing companies, just like Japanese ones, had a  conservative corporate culture in which it was natural for men, especially engineers, to be promoted to directors and executive officers. Top management has historically been monopolized by men, to the extent that statistics have been released showing how many "Thomas" (a male name) are sitting at the top of companies. In this paper, I would like to clarify how this male-centered management system has changed in recent years, what was the impetus that prompted this change, what are the working styles of female managers, and what are the limits of that, with a comparison with Japan in mind.
KANAI Kaoru   (Saitama University)
The Role of Managers in the Life Insurance Sales Field-Focus on Organizational Structure and Gender In recent years, the role of managers has changed worldwide under changing business environment, making it more necessary for managers to be "people leaders". According to a study by O.C. Tanner, one-on-one meetings with managers increase employee's engagement by 54% and productivity by 31%, and decrease employee's burnout by 15% and depression by 16% (Gerson & Gratton, 2022). Traditionally, managers in the life insurance sales field in Japan have been largely tasked with the role of people leader for their commission-paid sales staffs, training and motivating them to achieve individual sales goals, while also building team cooperation. In this presentation, we will conduct a comparative study of how managers at a traditional life insurance company with more than 90% female sales staff and a late- stage life insurance company with more than 90% male sales staff differ in the way they manage their subordinates, focusing on differences in organizational structure and gender.
Rei SEIYAMA (Ibaraki University)
Increase in Female Managers in Local Governments ~ intermunicipal disparity and Advanced Initiatives While the government's goal is to have 30% of women in leadership positions by 2020, the average percentage for prefectural governments remains low, at 11.8%. Even in Tottori Prefecture, which has the highest percentage of women in management positions, the figure is 22%. Contrastingly, at the city level, 39 municipalities have reached the government target of 30%. Many of these advanced local governments have experienced significant increases in the percentage of women in management positions over the past five years. This report examines why the percentage of women in managerial positions (hereafter referred to as "percentage of women in managerial positions") varies so greatly depending on municipalities, and how municipalities with very high percentages of women in managerial positions managed to raise this level significantly over a short period in Japanese local government workplaces. I plan to identify the advanced efforts of municipalities that have significantly increased the percentage of women in management positions over a short period, or are making efforts to do so, based on their established plans and workplace work style reforms. Discussant: OTSUKI Nami (University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo) 12:45-14:45 Paper Session 【E】 Labor Chair: Koichi MATSUO  (Aoyamagakuin University)
JaeYoul SHIN  (Waseda University, Assistant professor)
Study on food delivery workers' working conditions
The purpose of this study is to describe the working conditions of food delivery workers and to explore the policies necessary to improve the working conditions of food delivery workers in Japan. Since February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid expansion of the food delivery service industry and a sharp increase in the number of food delivery workers, but few studies have accurately examined the working conditions of food delivery workers. Therefore, this study uses interview data and the collected documents to present the working conditions of food delivery workers. In particular, regarding labor income, I try to measure and estimate the labor income of food delivery workers based on simulation results using the compensation standard provided by the food delivery company and the actual income data of individual food delivery workers. In addition, this study uses interview and fieldwork data to examine all the problems that happened at the delivery site. Based on these results, I will clarify the working conditions of food delivery workers and search for necessary policies for food delivery workers.
Takeshi NISHIMURA  (Matsuyama University, Associate Professor)
The Impact of Health Care Policies on Health Care Labor since the 2000s
In line with future trends in the aging of society, the Regional Medical Care Visions, which was institutionalized in June 2014 under the Amendatory Law to the Related Acts for Securing Comprehensive Medical and Long-Term Care in the Community, estimates future medical care demand for general and medical treatment beds and the required number of beds for each functional category of beds (highly acute phase, acute phase, convalescent phase, chronic phase), and future medical care such as home medical care. The report also estimated the future demand for medical care and medical treatment beds, clarified the ideal medical care system in 2025, and indicated the direction of measures necessary to realize this ideal system. In addition, responding to the cap on overtime work that began in April 2019 (May 2020 for small and medium-sized enterprises) because of the revision of the Labor Standards Law has also become a major issue for hospitals, and the promotion of "task shifting" and other measures have been raised as policy issues. In this presentation, while focusing on the situation at the five hospitals of the Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, we would like to examine the impact of changes in healthcare policy since the 2000s on medical labor from three perspectives: trends in public hospital reorganization, trends in work-style reform, and responses to Covid-19 infection.
Yusuke TAKAHASHI (Ehime University, Associate Professor)
Various Factors affecting Workers' Mental and Physical Health
Workers' stress and mental health problems are closely related to the labor market and related social policies. Among various government measures, work style reform, corrections around employment disparities, the realization of an acceptable work-life balance, and measures taken against stress are all urgent issues in need of greater attention. This study verified the factors determining the psychosomatic symptoms of workers, with a discussion then being carried out that considers the flexibility of working styles and hours, working and economic conditions, as well as the causes of “work and family stress” from a work-life balance perspective. While we found that working hours and taking vacations influence employees' psychosomatic symptoms, when there is an employment contract period, the behavioral responses of men are higher and, for women, their psychological responses are particularly small. Meanwhile, when it was possible to choose one's working days, the respondents' psychological responses decreased; however, in cases where it was possible to choose one's working location, respondents' responses, other than their psychological ones, increased. 12:45-14:45 Paper Session【F】 Life and Family Chair: Huimin YANG (Doshisha University) Quan MING(Yokohama National University, Graduate student),Naoko SOMA  (Yokohama National University, Professor) A Study on the Emergence of Double Responsibilities of Care in China East Asian societies have compressively experienced social changes in population, family, and the formation of welfare state and its reorganization compared to those of western which have gradually gone through the changes. This increases the possibility for certain generations to bear both childcare and elderly care simultaneously. There have been realizations in China that the generation born under the one child policy may be faced with double pressure of performing both childcare and elderly care. This means that this generation can be considered as a potential group who will face with double responsivities of childcare and elderly care. However, there is a lack of literature on double responsibilities of childcare and elderly care in China. This paper focuses on the structural factors of double responsibilities of childcare and elderly care in China. By comparing China with Japan and Korea, this research examines the characteristics of emergence of double care in China. First, we examine the demographic trends by comparing healthy life expectancy, average life expectancy, and the characteristics of the trend toward delayed marriage. Then, we also compare institutional aspects such as childcare policy and elderly care policy of the three countries. Through this study the structural factors and features of double responsibilities of childcare and elderly care in China are identified. Harumi TOIDA  (Hitotsubashi University, Graduate Student) A Study on Determinants of Parent-Child Separation in Special Adoptions of Disabled Children While policies for the prevention of child abuse are being developed, when abuse is discovered, the intervention of child guidance centers and other agencies may result in the separation of parents and children. On the other hand, cases exist in which parents choose to separate from their children through special adoption. This report examines the reasons for the separation of parents and children when children are handicapped based on a case in which a normal child was raised by his birthparents while his sibling, a child with Down's syndrome, was placed for special adoption, as told by the staff of an infant home and adoption supporters. Unlike traditional adoption, special adoption means the separation of parent(s) and child to the extent that the child is removed from the family register. From the survey administered in this study, we learned that some parents had a strong desire for removal from the family register. The decision to separate from a child is left to the parents, who are considered healthy, and the disabled child follows their decision. However, this action can be viewed as discrimination against the disabled child. Conversely, it can be viewed as a way of "preventing abuse in anticipation of future abuse" that the parents feel they may commit. 15：00-17:00 Special Theme Session 6 Transfer of Japanese employment practices under a non-union auto company Chair/Coordinator : Taichi Ito  (Osaka University of Economics )
(Theme of the Session)
Transfer of Japanese employment practices under a non-union auto company Japan's major automotive industry has plant locations in the southern states of the United States. This is due to "right-to-work" laws, which are legally unfavorable to the formation of labor unions. The objectives of this meeting are, first, to discuss the legal relationship between labor rights and employment relations in the U.S. and, second, to discuss the transfer of Japanese-style employment practices under non-union conditions through a survey of Japanese auto plants located in right-to-work states.
Taichi Ito   (Osaka University of Economics )
The Role of "right-to-work" laws in U.S. Industrial Relations
The U.S. industrial relations system was founded on the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (the Wagner Act) and modified by the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947 (the Taft-Hartley Act). Within the Taft-Hartley Act, the law that has the function of weakening labor unions is the Right-to-Work Act. Since the Right-to-Work is implemented on a state-by-state basis, states that have adopted the Right- to-Work are known as Right-to-Work states. These Right-to-Work states are mostly located in the southern United States and other states with strong Republican parties. The purpose of this report is to discuss the legal role of employment rights in the U.S. industrial relations system.
Toshiro NOMURA   (Kagoshima Prefectural College )
Difficulties and Factors of Transferring the Foundation for TPS Implementation to US Labor Rights States More than 40 years have passed since the Toyota Production System (TPS) and Lean Production began to receive significant attention from researchers in the field of production management (Browning & de Treville, 2021). Initially, Lean production was thought to be much the same as TPS (Holweg, 2007; Womack, Jones, and Roos, 1990). Since the concept of Lean became popular, many researchers and practitioners have turned to various factors outside the scope of TPS. However, little is known yet about how Toyota is strengthening the foundation of its implementation. The primary purpose of this report is to delve into Toyota's practices in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States to develop theoretical insights into the Foundation for TPS Implementation and its transfer. The second purpose is as below. In Southeast Asia and Europe with labor unions, the Foundation for TPS Implementation is being transferred smoothly, whereas in the United States all factories are located in labor rights states and there are no labor unions, the transfer is facing difficulties. I will pay attention to these two facts, and consider the factors. 15:00-17:00 Paper Session 【G】 Welfare State Chair: Takafumi MURATA (Kyoto Prefectural University)
Satoshi TAKAHASHI (Iwate Prefectural University, Professor)
Normative theory of the welfare state based on the "differentiated social contract" and "constitutive social rights" The use of the "social contract" as a conceptual device aimed at social solidarity is not limited to legitimizing the political order as a whole. In the field of social policy, there are instances in which institutions demand contributions from the people in accordance with social contract theory. This situation originates from the basic task of social policy (and indeed the welfare state itself), which is to create some kind of equilibrium, based on the assumption of inherent imbalances in life. This paper focuses on aspects of the social contract that can be differentiated at the institutional level rather than those that apply uniformly across the entire political order. We consider a range of equilibrium devices in contradistinction to institutional realms and develop policy issues, primarily around the following two areas. The first is constitutive social rights theory. Social rights are based on society, and delineating the scope coverage depends on the institutional accumulation of society. We discuss circumstances in which balancing resources accumulated by individual institutions constitutes social rights. The second is a discussion of the obligations and responsibilities that accompany solidary policy theory. In broad terms, the function of the welfare state can be considered as a counterbalance to the theory of self-responsibility in life, but we discuss its meaning in terms of functional differentiation from the perspective of the so-called institutional responsibility theory.
Hiroshi NAKASHINA (Chukyo University, Associate Professor)
Community Mutual Aid and "Public-Private Integration" in the Transformation of the Idea of Respect for the Aged: A Historical Review of Postwar Welfare Policies for the Elderly This paper examines the administrative measures for welfare for the aged, mainly in the 1960s, when the concern for the aged was beginning to shift from poverty to quality of life, from the perspective of the "public-private partnership" that developed mainly between the Social Welfare Bureau of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Council of Social Welfare, and attempt to clarify the composition behind the change in ideology. In the postwar Japanese society, where not only "respect for the aged" and "care for the aged" but also "a shift in philosophy from respect for the aged and care for the elderly to welfare for the aged" had been considered self-evident, "welfare for the aged" suddenly began to be emphasized in the late 1950s and 1960s. However, even after the enactment of the Law for the Welfare of the Elderly (July 1963), a policy system was conceived in which the focus of measures was regarded as the private sphere, relying on the prewar spirit of respect for the aged and community-based mutual assistance. At the center of these discussions were the "mood creation" and "middle-up" schemes of Shintaro SETO and Mikio MORI of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare. This paper approaches these questions by asking two questions: "Why were mutual aid and public-private partnerships necessary in the process of ideological transformation?" and "Why were SETO and MORI at the center of this process? Tomoari MATSUNAGA (Yokohama National University, Professor)
A New Perspective on the 1942 Beveridge Report
This presentation considers William Beveridge's social and economic thought from a new perspective, and tries to clarify his hidden intention of making his famous 1942 Report. Firstly, I argue against Professor Jose Harris's influential thesis that Beveridge's economic thinking fluctuated between free-marketeer and state socialist. Beveridge was very consistent in that the economic planning made by “the Economic General Staff” free from democratic pressure would be first-best. Secondly, I demonstrate that Beveridge's making of his 1942 Report was motivated by his ambition to become “the Economic General Staff” in charge of man-power policy of war-time and post-war Britain.
Chair: Miyuko KITAI (Matsuyama University)
Mieko YASUDA (Hanazono University, Professor)
Changes in the Food System of the Senior Citizens and the Current State of Meal Delivery Services People's food systems are diversifying, and the food of the senior citizens is also undergoing this change. Support for the meal systems of the senior citizens at home who require nursing care is also diversifying, including meal preparation by helpers, provision of meals at day services, and meal delivery services. Private companies are also entering the meal delivery service market, and as a result of advances in refrigeration technology and streamlining of distribution, meal delivery services can be provided at inexpensive prices. As a result, a few private companies have an overwhelming share of the market for meal delivery services for the senior citizens, and as government subsidies are reduced, handmade meal delivery services are in the process of being drastically reduced. On the other hand, handmade meal delivery services have been provided by some social welfare social welfare service corporations and housewives' groups (through the establishment of non-profit organizations, etc.), mainly through citizens' movements. While many of these groups have ceased their activities, there are also cases where they have continued with efforts to expand and diversify their business, or have converted to other businesses. This report will discuss the current situation and challenges, taking into account the desirability of food and policies for the aging population.
Hyunkyung KIM (Ochanomizu University, Doctoral student)
Restructuring of welfare mix under long-term care system in Korea: A case study of Municipality B in Seoul The long-term care insurance (LTCI) system was introduced in Korea in 2008, and marketization and pluralization of the LTCI system are in progress. Under the LTCI system, elderly care services are provided by various private-sector providers. This study aims to explore the changes in the welfare mix in metropolitan areas of Korea under the LTCI system through a case study of Municipality B in Seoul. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine managers of care service organizations, home-visit, and daycare service providers. Based on the interview survey, this study first reviews the characteristics of the elderly care service provision system and private-sector providers in Korea; second, analyzes the role of government, providers' activities, and the relationship of each sector organization under the LTCI system; and third, discusses certain trends and problems of the marketization of the LTCI system in Korea. Yusuke MIYOSHI (Embassy of Japan in Thailand, Researcher for Economic Affairs) The Present Situation and Future Possibilities for Establishing a Long-Term Care System in Thailand: Focusing on Ageing in Middle-Income Countries and Changes in Care Providers In Thailand, where the ageing population is expanding rapidly, various measures are being taken to meet the increasing need for long-term care (LTC). Previous research has reviewed trends in LTC policies administered by the government and their governance. However, in recent years, the number of care providers other than those provided by government has been growing in Thailand. The purpose of this research is to provide a comprehensive description of the current situation of LTC in Thailand based on a review of previous studies, an analysis of the national census and interviews with relevant institutions. The Thai government is currently developing a community-based care system for older people with the assistance of various volunteers, although family members and relatives remain the primary caregivers. In addition, the care market is expanding, with an increasing number of paid caregivers, including domestic workers, offering care and a growing number of both formal and informal residential care facilities. While the government provides minimal coverage, a liberal welfare system for LTC is being developed in which the family is at the core, and care from the market supplements the care needs of the elderly.