Abstract
In order to present the issues in advancing research on poverty in children in Japan, this paper considers the trends up to the present for research on poverty and inequality in children. As the result of examining research based on quantitative data from longitudinal studies, research that subjectively followed the effects of poverty on children, and research based on reference observations in the home, the most current trends are thought to be represented by the "child-centred perspective" of T. Ridge and A. Lareau's research based on comparison of child rearing methods and hierarchical interactions within the family. However, neither of these approaches attempts to explain the process contributing to effects of family poverty on children, making apparent the necessity of future study on this point. Thus, an analysis was performed on the relationship between objective conditions such as family and education systems, and the subjective awareness of children, confirming the view that it is most important to have a clear understanding of "life chance inequality."
