Social and human capital among Japanese-Turkish families in Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between social and human capital regarding religious and language education among Japanese-Turkish families in Japan. The parents consider that it is their duty to pass on Islam to their children. Since Islamic education has a large influence on the children’s identity formation, parents give it a high priority. Concerning language, there is a tendency for the children to acquire Japanese as a primary language and English as a secondary language, despite the fathers’ desire to pass on Turkish. Turkish communities in Aichi Prefecture are composed of complex elements including place of origin, social and economic status, and ideologies of religious leaders followed. Intermarried families covered in this research obtain different social capital from each community. Even in the families who do not have the advantage of human capital, religious and language education is maintained in the community, where human and social capital mutually complement one another.