Two Peak Periods in the Debate about“Attachment Disorder” in Foster CareThe History of Foster Homes in Japanfrom the late 1940s to 2000s
2020 Volume 17 Pages 13-29
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2020 Volume 17 Pages 13-29
The purpose of this paper is to explore the history of the debate about “attachment
disorder” in foster care, especially in foster homes, from the late
1940s to 2000s in Japan. This corresponds to the time from the early post-war
period, in which most children in foster homes were war orphans; the period of
high economic growth, during which family policy had begun to be shaped; the
period of stable economic growth (from the 1970s to ’80s), when child abandonment
and infanticide were serious social problems and the necessity of foster
home reformation had been advocated; to the era of child abuse （from the
1990s to present）.
Attachment disorder is a political concept constructed in the modern era, referring
to the modern concepts of child and family. The history of debates about
attachment disorder tracks the views of foster homes and family in each period.
This paper describes two peak periods in the debate about attachment disorder
and the concept of child development in foster homes in each period.
