農村地域における中高齢還流者の地域社会活動に関する研究 ＩＩ 中高齢還流者の生活実態

Abstract

This is to follow the previous article in which we showed that the number of returnees will increase in the near future and that they can play an important role in revitalizing local communities. The present paper is concerned with the analysis of their characteristics, and their contributions to farming and social activities in local communities. A mail survey was conducted in Oita andIwate prefectures concerning two types of aged members (50 and above) of farm families; (1) those who had always lived there and quit their off-farm employment about ten years before, (2) those who had been away and return to their native places about ten years before. This article focuses on the former group because there are few in the latter category. Aged returnees tend to have a high level of education and special skills, and a high proportion of them are alone or part of a nuclear family. It is shown that aged returnees are apt to hold many types of office, introducing unconventional forms of office holding and community power structure. The main reason for their readiness to hold office is perceived obligation to do community had been freed from them until they became returnees. They are expected to perform roles by the established residents. Our result indicate that within the context of the present trend of an aging agricultural labor force and rural population it is time to look into ways to tap the talents and abilities of aged returnees for the maintenance and development of local communities.