Perceptions of Poverty in Japan: In Contrast to the Studies in U.S.

1. 这项研究从2004年到2007年进行。本研究共收集问卷4052份，分别由半专业社区社工、单亲妈妈社工、社区居民、工会会员和在校大学生填写。他们来自北海道和东京。我们还详细采访了30人。在2004 ~ 2005年，我们发现研究者和被调查者对贫困的认知存在很大的差距。我们的研究表明，受访者缺乏相对贫困的概念，并受到发展中国家贫困形象的很大影响。他们不认为无家可归的人或福利家庭是穷人。在2006 ~ 2007年，关于贫困观念的几个事实变得更加清晰。具体如下：1)受访者不喜欢“贫穷”一词所传达的形象。2)他们对贫困的看法模棱两可；特别是在社会责任和个人责任方面，但他们没有意识到这一点。他们没有真正考虑贫穷对未来意味着什么。4)由于最近对残疾人及其父母的资助减少，人们对贫困的看法正在发生变化。5)穷人比其他人有更具体的贫穷形象。6)与工会成员相比，社会工作者更倾向于坚持个人责任。7)但是，当我们问工会成员如何摆脱贫困时，他们回答说“靠自己”。他们中的许多人觉得他们不信任政府、组织和社区。要通过包括媒体在内的教育策略来解决贫困问题，我们需要把上述事实作为一个基本前提来讨论。

1. This research was conducted from 2004 to 2007. We collected a total of 4052 questionnaires, which were filled out by semi-professional community social workers, social workers who work with single-mothers, community residents, labor unions' members and college students. They were from Hokkaido and Tokyo. We also interviewed 30 persons in detail.2. In 2004〜2005, we found a big gap between researchers and informants regarding the perception of poverty. Our research showed that the respondents were lacking a concept of relative poverty and were influenced a lot by images of poverty in developing countries. They didn't regard homeless people or welfare families as being poor.3. In 2006〜2007, several facts regarding perceptions of poverty have become more clear. Those are as follows; 1) respondents dislike the image conveyed by the term "poverty". 2) They have ambiguity regarding perceptions of poverty; specifically with respect social responsibility and individual responsibility, but they are unconscious of it. 3) They do not really consider what poverty means for the future. 4) Perceptions of poverty involving disabled people or their parents are changing because of recent cutbacks in finance for them. 5) Poor people have more concrete images of poverty than others. 6) Social workers are inclined to have opinions which insist on individual responsibility compared to labor unions' member. 7) However, when we ask union members how they escape from poverty, they replied "by themselves." Many of them felt that they didn't trust governments, organizations and communities.4. To tackle poverty problems through educational strategies including the media, we need to discuss the above listed facts as a basic premise.