Introduction

: The Marketization of Care and the Reconfiguration of the Public Sphere

Abstract

We explore the trends and problems of the （post―） marketization of care in relation to the reconfiguration of the public sphere that has been induced by a nexus of community, family, market, and government. The marketization of care represented a paradigm shift from the traditional system of care provision for many advanced countries, while the actual content of the marketization and its impact on the reconfiguration of the public sphere in each country has been varied and dependent on the context of the care reform policy. Given these understandings, we have prepared three articles. The first article, by Professor Hiraoka, elucidates theoretical perspectives on the marketization of care, using this framework to describe the actual variety of marketization of care that has emerged. The second article, by Professor Nagasawa, explores the marketization of elder care in the UK and its impacts on the public―private relationship by focusing on the adoption of the quasi―market mechanism. The third article, by Professor Suda, focuses on the Long―Term Care Insurance system in Japan and examines whether and how an increase in chain―affiliated service organizations influences the role of local government. Research for these articles has been partly supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science （JSPS）, Grant―in―Aid for Scientific Research （KAKENHI） #15H03427 and #15H03433.