New Research Issues in Welfare Sociology

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Other Title
  • 福祉社会学研究の今後の課題
  • 福祉社会学研究の今後の課題 : 関連分野の動向も踏まえて
  • フクシ シャカイガク ケンキュウ ノ コンゴ ノ カダイ : カンレン ブンヤ ノ ドウコウ モ フマエテ
  • 関連分野の動向も踏まえて

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Abstract

This article aims to raise some issues that need to be addressed by the field of welfare sociology, based on research trends both in and outside of the discipline. First, theoretical research should be developed more intensively in the field of welfare sociology. This is necessary because, on the one hand, current theories are considered unfashionable because of the transformation of social and economic conditions, and on the other hand, the development of social policies, or welfare state policies, has been unable to justify itself enough to convince the population to support them in the dominance of neoliberalism. Therefore, the time for evolving new theories has come. Second, the relationship between one's well-being and personal freedom has been in need of re-examination in situations where the trend towards utilitarianism has been strengthened by public policies. Libertarian paternalism, which is one of the policy approaches for trying to promote a certain way of life while feigning that individuals are free to choose, collides with the predominant view respecting an individual's freedom of choice and realization of personal well-being. Despite this, most people willingly accept libertarian paternalism. This fact indicates that people do not necessarily want free choice and neither do they consider their freedom irreplaceable. Moreover, the consequences of one's choice as well as one's freedom of choice are given great importance in social policy, as far as an individual's well-being is concerned. Therefore, libertarian paternalism could be seen as a new attempt at balancing freedom of choice with desirable consequences for one's well-being. In this sense, libertarian paternalism forces us to re-examine the conventional view, which emphasizes freedom of choice as it concerns an individual's well-being.

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