Hello dear friends!
This is Choko, the new member of International Community Care and Lifespan Development lab. Since we warmly welcomed by our lab friends, nearly one month has been passed. Time passes quickly, while we are busy with focusing on daily study and work. Please receive today’s blog entry to relax your brain.
Children are always the future of a country. Being a mother is the most priceless job of human live. She is empathetic and loving, always giving of herself to her children. Mothers are full of never-ending kindness, make their society blossom like beautiful flowers. Without them how this world would be.
“Working mother” is still a new phenomenon in the society however the equal employment opportunity law, enacted in 1985 in Japan. According to the Japantimes “the number of female workers in Japan increased from 15.48 million in 1985 to 24.36 million in 2014. They also added “Workers in irregular positions, such as part-timers — whose share in Japan’s labor force has reached 40 percent — account for 53 percent of employed women.”
On last Friday (April 27), with the purpose of meeting with working mothers, six of us (Prof. Anme, Prof. Murata from the University of Kwansei Gakuin, School of Sociology, Ass.Prof. Yuko from the university of Morinomiya of Medical Sciences, Dr. Sugisawa from Health and Welfare Department at Ushiku city, Dr. Tanaka and I visited Mo house brand shop in Tsukuba. Very friendly staff, we felt warmly welcomed. This company has 45 staff and most of them are mothers with children from 0 to 5 and half of them voluntarily choose to work their children at work place. Their mottos is “Let's go out more. Let's smile more. During pregnancy, breast-feeding, and raising children, you want to do what you want to do”. Besides developing and providing eco-friendly products as well as operation about working style of Mo-House, they organize the community-based activities such as planning events, supporting child-rearing mothers where child rearing mothers’ can join and talk about their worries and concerns.
"The reason I started up Mo house is that I felt something wrong with breastfeeding in public. Child rearing is a natural behavior, but sadly it is often followed by the image of difficulties, inconveniences, worries, or guilty feelings. Why it should be that? It might be common feeling among mothers who are rearing children our times," says Yuka Mitsuhata, a specially appointed Professor, Social Collaboration center, Ibaraki University and founder of Mo House LLC.
Likewise, we have met a stuff who works for Mo house. She is mother of two and youngest child is 3.5 months. While talking with us, her eyes were filled with self-esteem. According to her, she manages the same work-home balance and this working experience builds up her social competence. It seems like when business purpose and community culture are in alignment, the empowerment comes true.
As a foreign researcher, I have seen that thanks to the professionals the empowerment already possible to everyone in Japan. Empowerment let us know our power-source personally and gives us confidence in our role in the community. As Prof. Anme defined the empowerment is respect for mankind and, belief in the potential capacity of all people and activities aimed fair and equal world where those potential abilities can be demonstrated is became practical in the society lives, I do believe Japan already practiced and started receiving the fruits of it.
With many thanks and best wishes,
Choko (Short term research student)
April 29, 2018
Special thanks to MO house LLC founder Ms. Yuka Mitsuhata and employees of this branding company for taking your time for us!
Simply say; mother’s work starts from breast-feeding her child. Her job description consists of 3-word only for her child: “I love you”. Her working hour is 24/7. She looks forward to the future with joy for family and community flourish.
こんにちは！
本日のブログは研究生のショウが担当させていただきます。
皆さんはいかがお過ごしでしょうか。お元気でいらっしゃいますか。
4月13日(金)、筑波大学東京キャンパスで2018年第１回みらいエンパワメントカフェが開催されました。
今回の講師はNPO法人NEWVERY高等教育事業部高等教育事業担当リーダーの稲村晋佑先生です。
稲村先生は「魅力ある大学づりによる若者エンパワメント」をテーマにして、興味深いご講演をいただきました。
稲村先生は現在日本の18歳人口の減少や学生中退などの現象から、
様々な事例を紹介しながら大学生の主導性に注目すべきことを強調し、
若者エンパワメント促進に役に立てる「教職学共創」の意義を説明しました。
稲村先生によりますと、若者エンパワメントを促進するために、学校側は学科の強みを把握し、
教職員のコミュニケーションを大事にして魅力ある大学を作るべきです。
大学改革や教職員連携、良い環境の提供などは全て大学生の支援力となります。
エンパワメント原則に従って、当事者（大学生）が目標を選択することや、
進む方向を把握すること、そして主導権と決定権を握ることなどを大切にします。
教職員が連携して大学生をサポートし、大学生たちの潜在力を引き出させることは、
稲村先生が追求しているエンパワメントです。
カフェの最後、稲村先生は自分自身の経歴から、一人の学生のためにも最後まで戦いたいという気持ちを述べ、
エンパワメント事業に力を注いている姿を現しました。皆さんは感動と感謝の気持ちで更なる拍手を送りました。
今回のエンパワメントカフェは多くの先生方にご参加いただき、
私たち学生は大変多くのことを学ばせていただきました。
お忙しい中、東京までお越しいただいた先生方へ、心より感謝申し上げます。
稲村先生、非常に貴重なお話を聞かせていただき、誠にありがとうございました！
ショウ
Hello everyone! This is Hanayo who is the new student in this Lab.
During the Sakura blossom season, I hope you can enjoy your life everyday.
Today we spent a very unforgettable and meaningful time together.
First, Prof.Anme held the workshop for us on how to use the empowerment knowledge in 10years.
We drew the pictures of our life in 10years and everyone made a presentation to describe their ideal dreams.
We all enjoyed our presentations especially the presentation from Prof.Anme.
She was drawing not only her common future, but also the universe.
We were all impressed by her empowerment future!
Ms.choko also provided us the wonderful ideal idea for her future.
Having finished the workshop, we held a welcome party to celebrate our entrance to master program.
I think it is a new journey and it will become a unforgettable memory in our life.
The empowerment lab is just like a warm home and our empowerment lab will share the happiness
and go through the difficulties together.
We are really looking forward to this new year.
M1 Hanayo Kasano
