Socio-legal study on the function of voluntary association in the process of legal mobilization by citizens

1.探讨影响公民法律动员过程的社会因素是社会法学研究的重要课题之一。本研究从比较的角度考察了不同类型的志愿组织--非营利组织/非政府组织--对公民法律动员的影响。在德国，许多协会在消费者保护、租户保护、环境保护、社会福利、城市规划等各个领域都发挥着非常积极的作用，支持个人的合法动员。协会的这种活动是促进德国社会“合法化”的主要原因之一。与德国相反，在日本，志愿协会的作用传统上相对较小。但近年来，似乎出现了新的趋势。特别是20世纪90年代以后，各种类型的志愿社团在日本社会中发挥了积极的作用，其中一些社团，如地方当局信息披露领域的“世民监察员”，倾向于有意地将其活动导向法律制度。这种合法化社团的发展可能会促进未来日本社会的“合法化”。每个社会的法律动员程度不仅受到法律文化因素和/或制度因素的影响，而且还受到该社会中自愿社团的发展的影响。

1. It is one of the most important issues of socio-legal-studies to inquire the social factors that influence the process of legal mobilization of citizens. This study focuses the influence of the various types of voluntary associations - NPO/NGO - to the legal mobilization of citizens in comparative perspective.2. In Germany, many associations have very active role to support the legal mobilization of individuals in various fields, for example consumer protection, tenant protection, environmental protection, social welfare, urban planning etc. Such activity of associations is one major cause, which enhances the "legalization" of German society.3. Contrary to Germany, in Japan the role of voluntary association is traditionally relatively small. But in recent years, new trend seems to appear. Especially after 1990s various types of voluntary associations have taken the active roles in Japanese society, and some of them, such as "Shimin-Ombudsman" in the field of information disclosure of the local authority, tend to orient their activity intentionally towards the legal system. The development of such legalized association may enhance the "legalization" of the future Japanese society.The degree of the legal mobilization in each society is influenced not only by legal cultural factor and / or by institutional factor, but also by the development of voluntary associations in that society.