<論文>多重債務者の救済活動 : ある「被害者の会」のエスノグラフィー

Abstract

This article is an ethnographic study of the process and structure of the activity of a self-help society. This society is organized by lawyers, judicial scriveners, consumer consultants, and consumers who find it difficult to meet their debts with their income. It was established in 1997 with the aim of helping such debtors clear their debt, in doing so, recovering self-confidence, and restoring the quality of their lives. I discuss the meaning of such self-help activity for debtors, as I specify the historical, interactional and structural features of the society. The first section contextualizes the group concerned within a broader social context, examining how the social movement for debtors has developed in Japan since 1977. The second section describes the interactional processes between people at the "regular meeting". The meeting, which is held from 1 pm to 5 pm twice a month, is composed of four parts: presenting oneself, a lecture, an individual consultation, and the exchange of results and impressions. This section profiles the debtors who come to the society for help, and gives a description of their legal status. The third section analyzes how the people commit themselves to the society, as a social world, from three angles: financial, human, and the practical business information. The financial report informs us that this society is jointly funded by membership fees and contributions collected from experts. Two existing networks of judicial scriveners and consumer consultants form the manpower foundation of the society. All the members work out various strategies to mobilize newcomers. A 'new staff chart' shows the distribution of work, which gives each member a role in the society. Inside and outside the group, experts exchange their knowledge and skills to clear the consumers' debts. They make further requests to the authorities to control creditors in order to allow the smooth settlement of debt. The final section summarizes the characteristics of their activity, and implies that debtors can get the opportunity to reconstruct their everyday reality and to change their lives through participation in the self-help society.