지역주민생활조직과 외국인문제 - 川崎市川崎區 櫻本一丁目과 池上町 町內會 調査

Abstract

This paper tries to clarify the characteristics of Chonaikai, the neighborhood association which is peculiar in the Japanese society, through the surveys of Sakuramotoichome and Ikekamicho in the city of Kawasaki. It especially focuses on the problems how Chonaikai responds to the new changes of community life, and how the relationships between Chonaikai and the local government. There have been competing interpretations on these two issues; Chonaikai has been progressively adapted to the social change/ it has been conservative to the new changes; Chonaikai is autonomous to the government as the voluntary association/ it has been, in reality, one part of the government organs. In approaching these issues this paper treats the responses to the problem of foreigners.

The results of the case study show that Chonaikai is basically indifferent to the problem of foreigners, and negative to the proposals made by the government and citizeas" voluntary associations. Chonaikai, however, occupied important position in the decision making process of the government policies on the problem of foreigners, and the government tends to depend on the helps of Chonaikai in enforcing the policies. This study iadicates that Chonaikai exists as the conservative power resisting the new changes of community life rather than the driving power for these changes, and that it plays the role assisting the government administration, having close relationships with the government, though it is sometimes in the conflincting situation with the governemnt.