Thesis Defense Summary

Name:	Nidya Kartikasari
Degree Title:	Ph.D. in International Relations
Date of Conferment:	September 4, 2013
Title of Dissertation:	Effects of Labor Immigration Policies on Indonesian Migrant Workers in Japan and South Korea
Chief Examiner:	Yoko Iwama
Committee:	Takashi Shiraishi, Keiichi Tsunekawa, Jun Honna(Ritsumeikan Univ.), Tetsushi Sonobe

1. Summary
   In her dissertation, Ms. Kartikasari tries to explain the reason for different living conditions of Indonesian migrant workers in Japan and Korea. Chapter one discusses the theoretical outline of the thesis, giving out hypotheses about how states are likely to behave about migrant workers according to each major theory. She has undertaken an extensive field work about the living conditions of　Indonesian migrant workers in the two countries. This forms the basis of Chapter two, which covers the working life, private social life, religious life, and pattern of remittance of the workers. The differences of the life of Indonesian workers in the two countries are quite striking.
   Chapter three deals with how the domestic debates over foreign workers have evolved historically in Japan and South Korea. The moves of governments, business, labor union, civil society, local governments, and public opinion are considered in this chapter. Although sharing similar social and cultural backgrounds, Japanese and South Korean societies have shown totally different attitudes towards migrant workers. Japanese society has been marked by much higher anxiety towards foreign workers, whereas the South Korean society has been much more relaxed and tolerant about foreign workers. The two countries adopted similar immigration policies in the early 1990s in the form of trainee system, but since then, the migrant workers’ treatment have developed quite differently in two countries.
   Chapter four explains the Japanese and Korean labor immigration policies. Japan has modified its Technical Internship Program in July 2010 and has made it into Technical Intern system. But the basic restrictive nature remains unchanged. South Korea has introduced Employment Permit System in 2004 and has abolished Industrial Training System in 2007. The workers under the Employment Permit System enjoy full workers’ rights, whereas trainees are not recognized as workers and hence are not protected under labor laws.
   This and other differences in the labor policy regime have resulted in extensive differences in the lives of Indonesian workers in the two countries which are discussed in Chapter five and six. Finally, chapter seven gives conclusion and policy recommendations for both countries.
2. Presentation and result

   平成25年4月11日(木)の博士論文発表会に引き続き、主査である岩間陽子教授、副査である、白石隆教授、恒川恵市教授、外部委員である本名純教授（立 命館大学）、および博士課程委員会委員長である園部哲史教授により審査委員会が開催された。この際、本論文につき、次のような意見が出された。

（１）第一章に関して、国際関係の理論をより取り込んだ形にする、インドネシアの移住労働者に関する文献を補充する、研究の方法論をより明確にする、といった改善が必要。

 

（２） “The Debate over Labor Immigration Policies in Japan and Korea” という章を新たにたてて、日韓の移民労働に対する政策を、内政上の制度的要因がどのように影響しているかを分析する。その際に、中央政府、政府の形態(大 統領制と内閣制)、経済界、労働組合、市民社会、地方政府、世論などの要素を分析する。

 

（３）第六章 “Effects of Policies on Indonesian Migrant Workers in South Korea” (前第五章)において、不法滞在者だけでなく、合法的労働許可取得者の生活状況についても分析する。

 

（４）第七章において、日本における労働者の生活状況改善のために、具体的な提案を強化する。

 

全体として、本学の博士にふさわしい内容であると全員の意見が一致し、上記で指摘された諸点について修正   したうえで、博士（Ph.D. in International Relations）の学位を授与すべきであるという判断が下された。論文修正後の措置に関して、主査が修正された最終版について承認することを審査委員 が了承した。修正された最終版が提出され、指摘された問題点が修正されたことを主査が確認した。

 

Thesis is available here