抄録

　東京大学社会科学研究所では,希望と社会との相互関係を社会科学的に検証する「希望学」研究を進めてきた.そこでは社会科学の観点から,全国アンケート調査及び,岩手県釜石市を対象とした地域調査などにより,希望の社会的位相について考察している.本稿は希望学プロジェクトが2006年1月に20歳から59歳の全国約2,000名に実施したアンケート調査を用いて,個人および世帯の属性が希望の保有に与える影響を実証分析した.調査によると,全体の約8割は将来に何らかの希望があり,約6割は実現見通しの伴う希望を有していた.希望の内容は仕事と家族に関するものが最も多かった.希望の保有は現在の幸福感と密接にかかわるが,その度合いは実現見通しの有無によって大きく異なる.希望の意義を生活の活力源等と肯定的にとらえる場合が約8割と高い一方,希望について否定的な考えを有する場合も少数ながらあった.

abstract

At the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, we have been conducting "Hope Studies" to investigate the relationship between hope and society from social science perspectives. We have been looking at social aspects of hope through nationwide questionnaires, a field study in the city of Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, etc. This paper offers a quantitative analysis of the impact of personal and household attributes on the possession of hope. The data are based on questionnaire survey of about 2,000 respondents aged 20-59 living in Japan in 2006. The survey found that approximately four in five respondents had some form of hope for the future and that three in five had expectations that their hopes would be realized. Many of these aspirations related to work and family. While the possession of hope is intimately linked to feelings of happiness, the extent to which respondents felt such happiness differed significantly according to whether or not they expected their hopes to be realized. Approximately 80% had a positive view of hope, regarding it mainly as a source of strength in lives while a small proportion has an opinion which is skeptical about value and role of hope.