2014 Volume 26 Pages 61-74
We, researchers of regional and community studies, are good at going to our field, hearing residents’ voices and finding some local problems. At the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, we did so, and at the Great East Japan Earthquake, we have been doing so, too. We had made many conference presentations and academic journal papers on these acheivements. However these actions rarely lead directly to the solution of problems, because the sense of academic society is often away from the practical world. Researchers who conduct a field work are expected to contribute practically to the field. This feedback is one of the social responsibility (engagement) of academics and researchers. We learned “co-presense” and “liaison” from some volunteers at the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. “Co-presense” means to closely access the sufferer sharing time and space. It starts from hearing earnestly what he/she says. By and by we can talk mutually and understand each other. “Liaison” means to pass on to the specialist who can solve the problem. It is required that we, researchers of regional and community studies, make efforts to tie research results to a practical solution. In order to do that, we have to develop our problem-solving skills or work with the designer to solve that problem. The academic society, I think, should take the lead to change ourselves.
