早稲田大学大学院アジア太平洋研究科
博士論文審査報告書
論 文 題 目
原題名 Original Title
Subjective Well-being and Adaptation of Newcomer Chinese Immigrants in Japan
英訳
In Japanese 在日中国人新移民の主観的ウェル・ビーイングと適応感
申 請 者
姓Last Name Middle
Name 名First Name
氏 名
Name Zhang Jie
学籍番 号 Studen
t ID
4012S006-5
２０16 年 1 月
1. Absract of the Dissertation
In 2015, over 650 thousand Chinese nationals legally live in Japan and an additional 100 thousand have become naturalised Japanese citizens since the 1980s. Several studies have described Chinese immigrants' economic and social life in Japan, but not enough attention has been paid to their psychological well-being. This dissertation examines the levels of subjective well-being (SWB) and the process of adaptation among newcomer Chinese immigrants in Japan, and discusses the major influences on their SWB and adaptation outcomes. The study employs both quantitative and qualitative data. It first uses the Japanese General Social Surveys (JGSS) 2008 to evaluate Japanese people’s attitude towards Chinese immigrants in order to gauge whether attitudes of the host country towards immigrants influence the latter’s SWB. It then uses the multicultural survey in Shizuoka Prefecture (2009) to examine the determinants of SWB and adaptation among newcomer Chinese immigrants in comparison with other immigrant groups. Furthermore, to explain the results of the quantitative research and to obtain more detailed information, this dissertation study collects interviews with newcomer Chinese immigrants to understand their perceptions of Japan, issues in their social relations with Japanese people, life satisfaction and their adaptation process in Japan.The results show that Japanese natives are more likely to accept Chinese immigrants as colleagues or neighbors rather than close relatives. Newcomer Chinese immigrants present lower life satisfaction than immigrants from Brazil, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam, while they are more likely to be satisfied with migratory lives than Korean immigrants. Furthermore, Chinese female are likely to confronting gender barriers in Japan than male, and education as well as employment status present negative impact on life satisfaction among newcomer Chinese immigrants.
2. Outline of the Dissertation and Summary of the Chapters Chapter 1. The Sardines
This chapter introduces the aims of present study and the central questions of the research. It explains the subject group and the structure and significance of dissertation.
Chapter 2. Literature Review: Immigration SWB and Chinese Immigrants in Japan
This chapter surveys the literature on Chinese immigrants in Japan and introduces the characteristics of groups of different legal statuses. It also reviews the literature about SWB and migration and establishes a model to investigate how the social environment and social
Chapter 3. Methodology: Mixed-Methods
Based on the model established to investigate how social environment and social resources impact on SWB among newcomer Chinese immigrants in Japan, this chapter introduces the methodology of dissertation.
Chapter 4. Japanese Acceptance Attitudes toward Chinese Immigrants
By following the models established in Chapter 2 and the methodology in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 examined Japanese attitudes toward Chinese immigrants. This chapter uses Japanese General Social Surveys (JGSS) 2008 to examine whether the Japanese people are likely to accept immigrants from China, and identifies the factors that shape their attitudes. Findings show that Japanese people are more likely to accept Chinese immigrants as colleagues or neighbors rather than as close relatives. Females, older Japanese and less education have less accepting of Chinese.
Chapter 5. Subjective Well-being of Newcomer Chinese Immigrants in Japan
This chpater investigates the predictors of adaptation and SWB of Chinese immigrants by comparing with other countries’ immigrants in Japan. The main findings from the quantitative study are: a) newcomer Chinese immigrants presented lower life satisfaction than most other countries under investigation; b) they were dissatisfied with their economic situations and worried about their children’s education and their own life in old age; d) education, length of stay and economic capital presented negative effect on life satisfaction among Chinese immigrants, whereas better language proficiency can help Chinese residents to gain higher level of life satisfaction in Japan.
Chapter 6. Narratives of Newcomer Chinese Immigrants in Japan
This chapter uses quantitative data to explain findings that Chinese women have lower subjective well-being than men, and more education leads to less happiness. The qualitative data shows that disjuncture from pre-migration life, the uselessness of education gained in China and obstacles of childcare during full-time employment impair Chinese women’s sense of well-being. Moreover, better educated Chinese are more likely to feel distressed by perceived or experienced unequal treatments and discrimination.
Chapter 7. Conclusion
This chapter summarizes the findings and discusses the policies that could improve Chinese immigrants’ level of SWB in Japan and help them adapt into Japanese society.
3. Discussions and Comments from the Oral Defense
ZHANG Jie’s disseration committee convened on October 29, 2015 to conduct the oral examination of this dissertation. The oral defense lasted for about 90 minutes. The committee acknowledges that this dissertation addresses an important social issue and has policy and theoretical relevance. It also appreciates Ms. Zhang Jie’s efforts in employing mixed methods in her dissertation research. The committee’s major comments and questions are as follows:
1) This dissertation’s literature review section introduces theories on Subjective Well-being (SWB), but how these different theories are logically connected and how they inform the analyses are not clearly explained. Without laying out the theoretical background of the research, the contribution of this case study cannot be fully understood.
2) The theories that have informed the choice of variables used in statistical analyses need to be specified, and more explanations are needed for how indicators used in the statistical analyses are related to the mechanisms by which immigrants’ SWB are generated.The dissertater was asked to explain the models, the samples, and the interpretation of the statistics.
3) The qualitative data needs further analysis to convey deeper meanings. There is only a weak connection between the quantitative and the qualitative sections.
4) The language of the dissertation needs major editing and proofreading.
During the defense, Ms. Zhang addressed questions about the statistical models and the interpretations of statistical results. She was advised to undertake efforts in revising the dissertation according to comments and suggestions the committee had raised. In the revised version, she modified every chapter according to suggestions. In particular, she a) reorganized the literature review to reflect the connections between different theories; b) provided clearer hypotheses and more coherent explanations of the variable choices and added extra statistical analyses; c) significantly improved the narrative analysis to make a strong connection with the quantitative findings and to provide more thematically organized findings; and finally d) copyedited the dissertation with the help of native English speakers.
As a result, the revised dissertation has satisfactorily addressed the issues the committee raised during the defense.
4. Evaluation and the Result of Examination
This disseration addresses an important social issue—the subjective well-being of one of the
influence immigrants’ adaptation in host society. It has empirical originality, theoretical significance and policy relevance. Its mixed-method approach is noteworthy. The committee believes the revised dissertation has reached the criteria for that of a doctoral dissertation and recommends that Zhang Jiebe awarded the doctorate for her work.
申 請 者 名 ： ZHANG Jie 博 士 論 文 審 査 委 員 会
主 査 Ch ie f Exam i n e r：
氏 名 N am e: LIU-FARRER Gracia ㊞( S i g n a t u r e )
所 属 A ffi lia tio n: Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies
職 位 Tit le: Professor
学 位 De gr e e: Ph.D. in Sociology 取 得 大 学 Co n fe r r e d b y： University of Chicago 専 門 分 野 S pe c ial ty: Sociology
副 査 H e ad De pu ty Ex am in e r:
氏 名 N am e: ROBERTS Glenda ㊞( S i g n a t u r e )
所 属 A ffi lia tio n: Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies
職 位 Tit le: Professor
学 位 De gr e e: Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology 取 得 大 学 Co n fe r r e d by： Cornell University 専 門 分 野 S pe c ial ty: Anthropology
副 査 De pu ty Exam in e r:
氏 名 N am e: 竹 ノ下 弘 久 ㊞( S i g n a t u r e )
所 属 A ffi lia tio n: 上 智 大 学
職 位 Tit le: 教 授
学 位 De gr e e: 修 士 （社 会 学 ） 取 得 大 学 C o n f e r r e d b y：慶応義塾大学
専 門 分 野 S p e c i a l t y: 社会学
副 査 De pu ty Exam in e r:
氏 名 N am e: 塩 原 良 和 ㊞( S i g n a t u r e )
所 属 A ffi lia tio n: 慶 応 義塾大 学
職 位 Tit le: 教 授
学 位 De gr e e: 博 士 （社 会 学 ） 取 得 大 学 Co n fe r r e d by： 慶 応 義塾大 学
専 門 分 野 S pe c ial ty: 社 会 学
２０16 年 01 月 25 日
