臨床的学校社会学の可能性  [in Japanese] A Prospect for the Clinical Sociology of the School  [in Japanese]

The aim of this paper is to draw an outline of the 'clinical' sociology of the school, which is quite a new research area in our discipline. To begin with, the notion of 'clinical' is examined. It is claimed that it has two connotations : one is to contribute to the solution of various 'educational problems' and the other is to be based in the 'field' where educational processes of some sort are eventually taking place. It is observed that the former is to take priority, but the latter is the actual choice to be persued initially for it should be after we accumulate research findings for a particular educational problem that we could say anything in order to solve it. Then, the way in which we could be based in the 'field' is discussed. Four phases in the whole research cycle are identified as the areas where we could collaborate well with the people in the 'field'. They are : setting up the problem, collecting the data, analysis and reporting, and utilizing the research outcomes. It is mentioned that action research is a promising research method to facilitate useful collaborations. To conclude the paper, a strategy for setting up a link between research based in the 'field' and the solution of 'educational problems' is shown. That is to investigate, by means of ethnographic research methods, the meanings of educational experiences of the 'minorities' such as children with learning difficulties, handicapped children, and children with different ethnic backgrounds. Through that, we could elucidate the characteristics of the dominant school culture which can be seen as not only the causes of their maladaptation to the school but also the backgrounds of the various 'educational problems'.