KIMURA Atsushi
Osaka Sangyo University, Journal of Economics, 12(2) 25-53, Sep, 2010 Peer-reviewed
In recent years, social welfare policy has shifted from securing the minimum standard of living, towards a `Work Support' policy concerned with labor and unemployment issues. It is safe to say that social welfare policy has expanded. But, the expansion of social welfare replaces and substitutes social policy, also marks a retreat of social policy, and does not mean an expansion of social security in the broader sense. Such awareness of these issues is scant in the field of social welfare studies. Most social welfare studies define the subject of social welfare as the `needs in life' that people have individually, and do not define the subject of social welfare as being `life problems' derived from labor problems. Such functional definitions may actually contribute to the lack of awareness of the issues. The aim of this study, based on an awareness of the above-mentioned issues, is to clarify the following. 1) To clarify what the `life problems' are when defined as social problems, which have continuity with labor problems or a unity with labor problems. 2) To clarify, the aspects of these `life problems' that become the political task of social welfare, and why they become part of the political task of social welfare. Concretely, life problems as defined by functional theory are examined critically, and life problems as they are framed in social scientific theory are evaluated positively. Especially, the `labor-life problems' theory of Takeo Mitsuka is examined in detail. The purpose of these theoretical examinations is to contribute to the development of social welfare practices.