多層的効力感尺度に基づく自治会の潜在力に関する研究

～群馬県前橋市を事例として～

抄録

In recent years, with the promotion of decentralization, civil society organizations such as NPOs are expected to voluntarily solve local collective action problems. There are limits, however, in the activity of an NPO or a volunteer organization organization, such as the difficulty in forming an agreement in connection with business solutions and spheres of activity. Therefore, a comprehensive and farreaching organization is needed for solving local collective action problems. It is said that nowadays Neighborhood Associations (jichikai) are no longer in operation. However, considering that there are 300,000 Neighborhood Associations in Japan, and over 40% of Japanese citizens are members of such an association, Neighborhood Associations are still functioning. Is it possible that Neighborhood Associations bear the key role of local governance?

This study aims at providing empirical evidence illustrating the potential of Neighborhood Associations based on the multi-level efficacy scale proposed by Israel, Zimmerman et al. (1994). This article endeavors to develop a scale to assess how Neighborhood Associations work in the key role of local governance and to assess the potential of Neighborhood Associations. To examine our proposition, we conducted a questionnaire survey and employed Structural Equation Modeling.