Name
YAMAGUCHI, Aya
Degree
Ph.D. (Socio-information and Communication Studies)
Status
Assistant Professor
HP (URL)
https://researchmap.jp/ayamaguchi13
Research Topic
Socio-legal Study on Middle–aged and Older Adults’ Preparatory Actions for Legal Challenges in Old Age and Support from Legal Professionals
My research focuses on older adults’ access to justice, especially facilitative factors and barriers in accessing legal services. The results suggest that it is difficult for older adults, particularly those who have difficulty forming judgments or communicating with others to access not only legal professionals but also administrative and social service agencies. Based on these results, I suggest that providing support from a younger age may be effective in improving legal access. In this regard, I explore middle-aged and older adults’ preparatory actions for legal challenges in old age and their perceptions toward such actions. I also attempt to identify how legal professionals provide support to meet their legal needs.
Education and Academic Employment
[Academic Positions]
2022–present Assistant Professor, Waseda Institute for Advanced Study
2019–2022 JSPS Restart Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Tokyo
2015–2019 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Tokyo
2013–2015 JSPS Research Fellow (DC2), University of Tokyo
[Education]
2017 Ph.D. in Socio-information and Communication Studies, University of Tokyo
2011 M.A. in Socio-information and Communication Studies, University of Tokyo
2009 B.A. Rikkyo University
[Teaching Experiences]
2022–present, Part-time Lecturer, Kokugakuin University (Sociology of Law A and Sociology of Law B)
2021–present, Part-time Lecturer, Shibaura Institute of Technology (Constitution of Japan)
2021, Part-time Lecturer, Tokyo Metropolitan University (Information Literacy),
2014 to 2017, Part-time Lecturer, Tokyo Metropolitan University (Information Literacy)
Fields of Research Interests
Sociology of Law, Middle Aged and Older People, Access to Justice, Legal Challenges, and Preparatory Actions
Academic Publications
[Book]
- Yamaguchi, A. (2020) Kōrei sha no Tameno Hōteki Shien (Legal Support for Elderly People: Access to Legal Consultation and the Role of Specialized Agencies), University of Tokyo Press (in Japanese).
[Selected Journal Publications]
- Yamaguchi, A. (2020) Hōritsu Sōdan Riyō Mae no “Tamerai” tono Kanren Yōin (The Factors Related to Hesitation before Accessing Legal Consultation), Hō to Jitsumu, 16, 13-43 (in Japanese).
- Yamaguchi, A. (2019) How Do Japanese Elderly Access Legal Services? An Analysis of Advice-Seeking Behaviour, Asian Journal of Law and Society, 6(2), 281-305.
- Yamaguchi A. (2019) Kōreisya heno Hōteki Shien ni okeru Minsei-iin no Kinō ni Kansuru Kenkyū (The Role of Minsei-iin in Solving the Elderly’s Legal Problems), Hōsyakai-gaku (The Sociology of Law), 85, 209-241 (in Japanese).
- Yamaguchi, A. (2017) America niokeru Kōreisha-hō no Dōkō (Current Situations of Elder Law in the United States), Hō to Shakai Kenkyū (Japanese Law & Society Review), 3, 119-133 (in Japanese).
- Yamaguchi, A.(2014) Japanese Law Students’ Perceptions of Dispute Resolution, Contemporary Asia Arbitration Journal, 7(1), 165-194.
Other Interests
Dancing
Affiliated Academic Organizations
The Japanese Association of Sociology of Law
Japan Socio-Gerontological Society
Japanese Society of Law and Forensic Social Services
Japan Association of the Law of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
The Association for Kyosei Studies
Awards
2020: The Excellent Article Award, received from the Japanese Association of Sociology of Law
