Holistic Well-Being and the Empowerment of Children and Women

Where Finland and Japan Intersect

Where Finland and Japan intersect, new possibilities for well-being emerge. This book is the outcome of an interdisciplinary collaboration born from an international research network linking Japanese scholars--whose work was deeply shaped by a major disaster--and Finnish researchers engaged in child and family welfare and gender equality.

While Finland strives to uphold its welfare traditions amid the tides of neoliberalism, Japan continues to confront the challenges of post-Great East Japan Earthquake recovery and persistent gender inequities. Centering on the empowerment of children, youth, and women, contributors weave together theoretical discussions from social welfare, early childhood education, family support, and gender equality with community-based practices and case studies.

By bridging the experiences of two societies with distinct historical and cultural contexts, the book brings into focus diverse approaches to sustainable community-building and cultural transformation. In a time when the environments surrounding children and women are undergoing rapid change, it asks: What do we mean by well-being, and how can we build a society that enables people's capabilities to flourish? Drawing on academic rigor and practical insight, this forward-looking volume offers a new vantage point for thinking across cultures, localities, and institutions about the intertwined challenges at the nexus of welfare, education, and community.