Researcher and Faculty Information

Yasutaka Ito Kouki Ito

ITOH Kohki

Research Topics: Sociology Social Issues Community Studies Social Research Methods School refusal/reclusion

comment: So far, I have conducted sociological research on school absenteeism and "hikikomori," as well as other social issues such as poverty, social exclusion, and difficulties in living.
I myself have experience, and as a researcher I have adopted not only orthodox styles such as interviews and participant observation, but also styles such as first-person research, autoethnography, and personal histories.
The main subjects of the current survey are hikikomori groups (self-help groups, study groups for those involved, parent groups, etc.) active mainly in the Kansai and Kyushu regions.
I am constantly involved in the field, interviewing the people I meet about their life histories and life stories, and also conducting surveys and social activities together with the people in the groups I am involved with. Through these activities, I am thinking about the possibilities of working in the community, both as a researcher and as a person involved in the community.

Main publications and papers: (Single author) Sociology of Hikikomori: Research by and about Hikikomori, Difficulties in Living, and Activities by Hikikomori, Koyoshobo, 2022

Main classes taught: Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Social Research Methods, Community Studies