Children of the Japanese State
The Changing Role of Child Protection Institutions in Contemporary Japan
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
In Japan today over 30,000 children are in the care of the state because their parents or guardians cannot, will not, or are not considered competent to look after them. Drawing on his long-term fieldwork in an institution for such children, Roger Goodman describes what happens to them in a country that has no professional social workers and little tradition of adopting or fostering children in need of care, and explains how, in the 1990s, the convergence of several factors in particular Japan's rapidly declining birth-rate, its signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its `discovery' of child abuse led to a new role for child protection institutions which had otherwise scarcely changed over the past 50 years. In the process, he provides the first full account in English of the development and delivery of child welfare in the world's second largest economy.
Authoritative but readable and relatively jargon free, Goodman's book is a valuable resource for specialists in family and education policy and is of potential interest to sophisticated lay readers curious to know more about Japan. * The Journal of Asian Studies *
... a carefully documented, beautifully written book. * The Journal of Asian Studies *
Since many studies on Japan by foreign researchers have targeted the middle class and their lifestyles, which strengthens the perception of Japan as a nation of middle-class people, Goodman's book is especially significant. This is particularly so now that confidence in middle-class life in Japan has been shaken. * Japan Quarterly *
A compelling, highly readable, and very well researched book ... This book is both important and timely because of current social and policy concerns about child abuse and the reforms that are taking place in the child welfare system ... invaluable contribution to the debate on social welfare in Japan. * Social Science Japan Journal *
Unlike many works based on personal experience, Goodman goes far beyond the walls of yogo Shisetsu, providing the reader with a complex picture of the historical, political and social context within which it functions. The book is richly detailed and contains a wealth of fascinating material. * Japanese Studies *
ISBN: 9780198234227
Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 15mm
Weight: 485g
264 pages