Eno-san's final defense | 江野さん博士論文公聴会

2025/08/06

8月6日，江野泰子さんの博士論文公聴会が行われました．論文題目は「持続可能な社会的発展のための地域活性化促進モデル：新潟県湯沢町の住民主体の地域づくりの事例研究」です．審査委員からは，本研究が地域における住民主体の活動と地域資源の開発・活用を結びつける価値共創システムの生成メカニズムを明らかにし，感情的資源としてのシビックプライドと，行為主体が資源統合者へ変容するアクター変容モデルを統合した理論枠組みを提示している点で，新規性と学術的貢献が高く評価されました．

調査はGrounded Theory Approachによる質的単一事例研究として，新潟県湯沢町で15名への半構造化インタビューと現地観察を実施．観光資源を有する中山間地で，移住者や関係人口を含む多様な住民が関係性を築き，役割を変えながら資源統合を進める過程が丁寧に描かれています．分析では，住民間の相互作用がシビックプライドを育み，それが資源統合行動を促す循環的メカニズムを解明．さらに，移住者や関係人口が新たなネットワークや視点をもたらし，地域活性化の触媒として機能することが示されました．

本研究は，感情的資源と行動変容理論を融合し，地域住民の役割変容と価値共創のダイナミクスを包括的に説明した点が独創的です．理論構築にとどまらず，地域マネジメントの実践指針となるモデルを提示しており，実務的にも意義が大きいと評価されました．今後は異なる地域での適用によるモデルの検証が期待されます．

On August 6, Ms. Yasuko Eno held her doctoral dissertation public hearing.

Her dissertation, titled “A Regional Revitalization Promotion Model for Sustainable Social Development: A Case Study of Resident-led Community Building in Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture”, was highly praised by the examination committee.

The committee recognized the novelty and academic contribution of the study in clarifying the generative mechanism of a value co-creation system that links resident-led activities with the development and utilization of regional resources. The research presents an integrated theoretical framework that combines “civic pride” as an emotional resource with an “actor transformation model,” which explains how actors evolve into resource integrators and how residents’ active participation develops into value creation.

Employing a qualitative single-case study based on the Grounded Theory Approach, Ms. Eno conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants and carried out field observations in Yuzawa Town. The detailed analysis illustrates how diverse residents — including migrants and those with peripheral ties to the region — build relationships, change roles, and advance resource integration in a mountain region with tourism resources. The findings reveal a cyclical mechanism in which interactions among residents foster civic pride, which in turn promotes resource integration behavior. Moreover, newcomers and related population members bring fresh networks and perspectives, functioning as catalysts for revitalization.

The study’s originality lies in integrating emotional resources with behavioral change theory to comprehensively explain the dynamics of role transformation and value co-creation among residents. Beyond theory-building, it proposes a practical model that can serve as a guide for regional management. This contribution is considered highly significant both academically and practically, with potential applicability to other regions in the future.