Reflexivity of Mission and the Art of Mutual Support in a Volunteer Group for the Handicapped

Abstract

(Hisaichi-shogaisha Center) Support Center for the Handicapped in Kobe, a volunteer group formed immediately after the great Hanshin earthquake disaster, is based on the mission of supporting the handicapped since its founding. However, this mission is not a fixed objective but a constant process in which it undergoes reinterpretation by the staffs of Hisaichi-shogaisha Center. Staffs negotiate with one another for the interpretation of this mission when they are confronted with an issue. Through the reflexivity of the mission, staffs 'discover' the needs of the handicapped and assist them based on those needs. In the process, staffs developed an art of mutual support. I classify this art into two types, namely (a) working around the institutions of long-term care (this I call 'loophole finding'), and (b) playing dual roles, namely the role of the businessman and that of the volunteer (this I call 'mixed role'). Hisaichi-shogaisha Center attempts to realize mutual support by employing this art.