日本の児童・女性政策と心理学(<特集>社会的実践と心理学)

<p>Since Meiji Period, Japan followed the Western Nations towards modernization. At the same time, Japan promoted imperialism and patriarchy. The repeated wars resulted in setting a high value on 'motherhood'. During the WWII, the state-regulated prostitution since Edo period was expanded as 'comfort women system' that was enslaved prostitution in reality. Due to increase of orphans and street children, the Child Welfare Act was issued in 1947. On the other hand, the notion of Hospitalism was brought in and the 'three-year-old myth' was spread out. Although Japanese society experienced rapid industrialization, "Oil Shock" occurred in 1973. As the high economic growth began to fade, the social problems began to surface. Those problems include 'shinju' committing suicide - with her child/children, 'coin-locker baby' - mother abandoning her child/children, as well as children's domestic violence against parents, and rapid increase of school children resisting going to school. Those social problems were considered as mal-function of motherhood and a book called 'Bogenbyo (the illness caused by mothers)' became a best-seller. Decreasing birthrate and aging population became serious problems; and after 1990's, policies concerning mothers raising children were legislated one after another. In 2007, 'work, life, and balance charter' was laid down; however, the charter only created additional social problems as increase of temporary jobs and job market becoming gender oriented. Polarization between have and have not increased; single mothers, children and older single women have been reduced to poverty. In 1970's, women's liberation movement - called 'women's lib' - took place. In 1980's, women's study became a popular subject among scholars. Equal Employment Opportunity Law was issued in 1985 and Basic Act for Gender-Equal Society was issued in 1999. In response, there was a backlash against the movement, namely, the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem was enacted in 1999, and in 2000's, the attacks against sex education and gender free education became fierce. Therefore, it is critical to be aware of the nature of psychology which always contains risks to contribute to nationalism. Since the bubble economy collapsed and when Great Hanshin earthquake happened in 1995, the 'age of mind' has arrived. The cultural ministry distributed 'kokoro no nohto (notebook of mind)' to every grade schoolers. In 2006, Basic Act on Education was revised. After child abuse prevention law was issued in 2000, among the measures taken against abuse, the reinforced was not the responsibility of the nation and the states for the next generation but the power of the states for the surveillance and supervision of the parents. In 2005, the Act on Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities was enacted and the Special Needs Education began. Due to the fact that the range of target students was expanded, the range of the neurotypicals diminished; in result, the system contributed to standardization and control. While cognitive and neuroscience has been developed rapidly, neuro-technologies are in peril of misuse or worse perversion. Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 exposed the sore spots of Japanese social systems. Although, the situations where victims are left with cannot be resolved by pathology; the understanding of the political and social situations ought to be reflected onto academic psychological studies. When we look back, psychological examinations have been developed to select the most capable soldiers among youths and the psychological knowledge has been employed for the mind controls and the war tactics. To avoid the risks of misuse of psychology, as Parker suggested, reflectivity is the key, that is to say,</p><p>(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)</p>