The Case of Foreign-born Laborers in Japan : Social Capital, Health, and Well-Being
基于2015年对419名日本外籍劳动者的调查，研究发现社会资本显著影响其主观福祉，社会资本越高者幸福感和健康状况越好，对日本未来移民政策有参考价值。
The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare social capital and its effects on various aspects of the lives of migrant workers in Japan, specifically highly educated professionals. To date, there has been ample research on the foreigners living in Japan. However, where the research is lacking is in terms of quality of life, specifically regarding the relations between social capital, health and well-being. Reflecting a critical labor shortage in the years to come, Japan’s government has recently changed its rules and regulations regarding so-called white collar foreign workers in the hopes of making it more attractive, easier, and more accommodating to enter the country. Therefore, examining the current status of foreign-laborers already in Japan, and discovering what factors influence their position and overall well-being have significance toward future immigration policies. Based on an original survey questionnaire conducted in 2015 (N=419), the data shows that social capital as calculated by the resource generator has significant effects on the subjective well-beings of foreign-born laborers living in Japan. Specifically, it shows that individuals possessing higher social capital have several positive effects including: higher happiness and better health.