Comparative Research on Educational Opportunities and Life Course in the Post-Fordist Era

在日本，从1990年代初到2000年代初被称为失去的十年。自20世纪70年代以来占主导地位的日本生活过程的标准化模式从这一时期开始逐渐发生变化。在此期间，20世纪70年代初出生的第二次婴儿潮一代开始进入劳动力市场，由于泡沫经济的崩溃，获得好工作的机会恶化。本研究的目的是考察90年代以后日本人生活方式的变化，并从比较的角度来阐明日本福利制度的现状。首先，本文回顾了20世纪70年代以后的生命历程研究，指出了后福特主义生命历程模式在西方国家的特点。然后，报告了使用日本社会综合调查和社会分层调查对妇女和老年人进行分析的结果。自1990年代中期以来，在职老年人的收入水平急剧下降。在经济困难的情况下，一些不太富裕的儿子或女儿不离开家。老人和孩子通过共同生活相互支持，尽管与孩子一起生活不会带来很高的生活满意度。与孩子同住的日本模式，如今已成为不富裕阶层的一种生存策略。关于妇女的生命历程，20多岁和30岁出头的工作生活模式与第二次婴儿潮一代相比发生了变化，尽管妇女劳动力参与的M形轮廓仍然存在。全日制就业人数正在减少，非全日制和其他非正规就业人数正在增加。这项研究表明，妇女的生命历程的急剧分化。研究表明，日本的家庭福利制度正在向自由主义福利制度转变。终于来了本研究为生命历程政策提供了新的思路。

In Japan, the period from the early 1990s to the early 2000s is known as the lost decade. The standardized patterns of the Japanese life course dominant since 1970s have changed gradually from that period. During that period, the second baby boomers born in the early 1970s started to enter the labor market, in which the chances of getting a good job deteriorated due to the collapse of the bubble economy. This study aims to examine the changing patterns of the Japanese life course after the 1990s, and to clarify the current state of the Japanese welfare regime from a comparative perspective. First, this study reviews the life course research after the 1970s and points out the characteristics of Post-Fordist life course patterns evident in Western counties. Then, the study reports the results of analyses for women and the elderly, using Japanese General Social Surveys and Social Stratification Surveys. The income level of the working elderly has declined sharply since the mid-1990s. Under the economic hardship, some less affluent sons or daughters do not leave home. The elderly and children support each other by living together, although living together with children does not lead to high life satisfaction. The Japanese pattern of living together with child now turns to be a kind of survival strategy among less affluent strata. Concerning the women's life course, work life patterns in their twenties and early thirties have changed from the second baby boomers, although the M-shaped profile of women's labor force participation remained. Fulltime employment is declining and the number of part-time and other irregular employees is growing. This study demonstrates the sharp differentiation of women's life course. The changes shown in this study suggest that Japanese family-oriented welfare regime is now heading for a liberalist welfare regime. Finally. this study proposes a new idea for the life course policy.