The ISS staff jointly determine themes for institute-wide research project and carry out interdisciplinary research by combining expertise in law, politics, economics and sociology, and collaborating with other researchers outside of the Institute, at home and abroad. After several years of study, the outcomes will be published.
Comparative Regionalism Project(CREP)
This study aims at identifying unique as well as common features of East Asian regionalism by comparing it with those in Europe (EU) and in the Americas (NAFTA and Mercosur): common comparative parameters are set in legal and institutional aspects, political forces and economic dynamics.
Notably, the present study compares not only the role of national governments in fostering regionalism but also the role of other non-state actors including local governments, private firms and civic organisations.
The final goal of this study is to present a draft Charter of East Asian Community, which may contribute to the institutionalization of East Asian regionalism in the near future. Annual conferences and monthly seminars have been held for the study since 2005. On-going research results are being published on the ISS web under the title of CREP (Comparative Regionalism Project).
Social Sciences of Hope
The traditional social science had a premise that each individual cherishes some kind of hope and acts to realize it. However, the prerequisite that every one has some hope may not always stand up in contemporary Japanese society.
This study aims at the experimental research in hopology which treats hope a product and a driving force of society on the assumption that the shape of each individual’s hope is influenced by social environment, and the individual’s hope makes an impact on social trends on the contrary.
Specifically, we are planning to analyze data collected by nationwide social surveys, to realize a comprehensive survey for Kamaishi city in Iwate Prefecture who shared the same fate with iron and steel industry that had experienced a rise and decline, and to execute an international comparative investigation on the social position of hope.
