Japanese Papers

• 'Grief is love': Understanding grief through self-help groups organised by the family survivors of suicide. Paper presented at the 2nd Global Conference: Making Sense Of Suffering, Prague Czech Repbulic,November 9-11, 2011.

• Research on Self-Help Organizations in Japan: Working with a Sense of Duty ("Giri"). (Tomofumi Oka & Richard Dean Chenhall) International Journal of Self-Help and Self-Care 5(4), 371-392, 2011.(If you need it, email me.)

• Self-help groups for family survivors of suicide in Japan: For empowerment, not grief care. (Tomofumi Oka, Sachiko Tanaka, Hidehiko Ake, & Shôko Kuwabara). Poster session presented at the 21st Asia-Pacific Social Work Conference, Tokyo, July 15-18, 2011. Translated leaflets of self-help groups (Ai-no-kai, Mizube-no-tsudoi, Shimane Wakachiai-no-kai "Niji")

• "New Life": Study of a Japanese self-help group for alcoholics. (Tomofumi Oka, & Richard Chenhall). Poster session presented at the 2011 Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Conference, Chicago on June 16-19, 2011. Poster(PDF)

• The "New Life" model of a Japanese self-help group for alcoholics. Sophia University Studies in Social Services, 35, 16-35, 2011

• Action research for developing a worldview of self-help groups of the family survivors of suicide in Japan. Poster session presented at the fist European Conference for Social Work Research, St Catherine's College, Oxford, England on March 23-25, 2011, Poster(PDF), Handout(PDF)

• An ethnographic study on the anti-professionalism of self-help groups for family survivors of suicide in Japan. Poster(PDF), Poser sessioni presented at Ninth International Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR), Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey on July 7-10, 2010

• Do members of self-help groups in Japan consider the medicalisation of their problems and conditions to have liberated them or pathologised them? Three case studies (Tomofumi Oka, & Mikihiro Hayashi). Paper presented at 2010 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development: The Agenda at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, on 10-14 June 2010. PDF

• Three developmental models of self-help groups for alcoholics: The Western "recovery", the Japanese "ripening" model, and the Aboriginal "decolonizing" models. (Tomofumi Oka, & Richard D. Chenhall). Paper presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, on 17-20 February 2010, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. PDF

• The power and potentiality of peer-led self-help groups in comparison with professional-led support groups: Self-help experiences in Japan. Invited Plenary Speech presented at The International Conference on Promoting Chronic Care: Towards A Community-based Chronic Care Model for Asia at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, on 8-10 January 2010, [Chinese]

• An Initial View of Self-Help Groups for Japanese Alcoholics: Danshukai in its Historical, Social, and Cultural Contexts. (Richard D. Chenhall, & Tomofumi Oka). International Journal of Self Help and Self Care, 5(2), 111-152, 2009. (If you need it, email me.)

• Qualitative Social Work Research in the Asia-Pacific Region. (Robyn Munford, Tomofumi Oka, & Murli Desai). Qualitative Social Work, 8(4), 419-425, 2009.

• Research on Self-Help Organisations in Japan: Working with a Sense of Duty (giri). (Tomofumi Oka & Richard Chenhall). Paper presented at ISTR 8th International Conference, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, on July 9-12, 2008.

• [Roundtable] Challenges of Conducting Cross-Cultural Research With Mutual Help Groups. (Tomofumi Oka, Thomasina Borkman, & Richard Chenhall). Presented at Society for Community Research & Action 11th Biennial Conference, The Hilton Pasadena Hotel, Pasadena, California, USA, on June 7-10, 2007.

• Different things under the same name? A research dialogue on self-help organisations between a Japanese social worker and an Australian anthropologist. (Tomofumi Oka & Richard Chenhall, 2007). Sophia University Studies in Social Services, 31, 39-64. PDF, HTML (English), HTML (Japanese abstract)

• Leader's Narratives of Organizational Issues in US and Japanese Self-Help Groups (Tomofumi Oka and Thomasina Borkman, 2006). Paper presented at the 5th International Conference of Social Work in Health and Mental Health, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China, on December 10-16, 2006.

• Principles of Family Support Services of Medical Self-Help Groups (Tomofumi Oka, 2005). Poster session presented at Society for Community Research & Action 10th Biennial Conference, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA, on June 9-12, 2005. Download: Abstract, PDF, Poster.

• Participatory Action Research with Self-Help Groups in the US and Japan (Thomasina Borkman and Tomofumi Oka, 2005). Paper presented at Society for Community Research & Action 10th Biennial Conference, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA, on June 9-12, 2005. Download: Abstract.

• The Free-Rider Problem in Self-Help Groups for Parents of Children with Rare Diseases: How "Selfishness" is dealt with in Mutual Help Organizations in the Japanese Cultural Context (Tomofumi Oka, 2003). Paper presented at the 32nd Annual ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action) Conference, in Denver, Colorado, USA, on November 20-22, 2003. Download: Summary, Paper.

• Self-Help Groups for Parents of Children with Intractable Diseases: A Qualitative Study of Their Organisational Problems. PhD Dissertation. Cardiff University School of Social Sciences (University of Wales, Cardiff). 2003. Published by Dissertation.com in the US.

• Qualitative Research in Social Work (Tomofumi Oka and Ian Shaw, 2003). in N. Hisada (Eds.), Shakai Fukushi no Kenkû Nyûmon [Introduction to Social Work Research]. (pp. 115-147) Tokyo: Chûô Hôki. (Original in Japanese).

• The island-within-a-lake model of self-help groups: The paradox of personal fellowship and organizational membership (Tomofumi Oka, 2002). Paper presented at the 31st Annual ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action) Conference, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on November 13-16, 2002. Download: Summary, Paper, Presentation, and Handout.

• The Free-Rider Problem and Organizational Messes in Self-Help Groups: Justification, Accusation and Exposure Stories (Tomofumi OKa, 2000). Paper presented at the 29th Annual ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action) Conference, in New Orleans, USA, on November 16-18, 2000, <download>, Research Abstracts, B04.1.

• A Research Report on Problems Confronting Leaders and Members of Parent Groups (Tomofumi Oka, ed, 2000). Tokyo: The Research Team of Oya-no-Kai Renrakukai.

• The History, Concepts and Theories of Self-Help Groups: From an International Perspective (Tomofumi Oka and Thomasina Borkman, 2000). (Original in Japanese). The Japanese Journal of Occupational Therapy 34 (7), 718-722.

• Member Checking of Results of Focus Group Interviews (Tomofumi Oka, 1999). Paper presented at the International Human Science Research Conference in Sheffield, UK on July 26-29, 1999.

• Using Focus Groups to Identify the Management Problems of Self-Help Groups and Their Solutions (Tomofumi Oka, 1999). Paper presented at Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference in Edmonton, Canada on February 18-20, 1999. Presentation

• A Reseach Report on Groups for Parents of Children with Rare and Serious Diseases: Their Organisational Problems and the Solutions Available to Them. (Tomofumi Oka, ed, 1998). Tokyo: The Research Team of Oya-no-Kai Renrakukai.

• Self-Help Groups in Hong Kong: An Email Interview with Cecilia Chan (Tomofumi Oka, December 1998) (original in Japanese). Normalization: the Welfare of People with Disabilities 18 (12), 51-55.

• Self-Help Groups in Germany: An Email Interview with Jürgen Matzat (Tomofumi Oka, November 1998) (original in Japanese). Normalization: the Welfare of People with Disabilities 18 (11), 52-56.

• Self-Help Groups in the U.S.A.: An Email Interview with Ed Madara (Tomofumi Oka, October 1998)(original in Japanese). Normalization: the Welfare of People with Disabilities 18 (10), 46-50.

• Parents' Groups for Children with Rare and Serious Diseases: A Combined Use of Focus Group Interviews and Participatory Action Research.(Tomofumi Oka, 1998). Paper presented at the 4th Qualitative Health Research Conference in Vancouver, Canada on February 19-21, 1998. Summary(PDF), Paper(PDF)

• Self-Help Groups in Japan: Trends and Traditions. (Tomofumi Oka, 1997, original in 1994). Japanese Journal of Social Services, 1, 121-139

• Japan. (Tomiko Hayashi and Tomofumi Oka, 1996). In J.Steyaet, D.Colombi, & J.Rafferty (Eds.). Human Services and Information Technology: An International Perspective (pp.163-172).Hants, England: Arena, Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
  

• Self-Help Groups in Japan: Trends and Traditions. (Tomofumi Oka, 1994).[Books.Google] In F.Lavoie, T.Borkman, and B.Gidron (Eds.). Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups: International and Multicultural Perspectives (pp.69-95). New York: The Haworth Press, Inc.
  

• Self-Help Groups in Japan: Trends and Traditions. (Tomofumi Oka, 1994). Prevention in Human Services 11(1), 69-95. If it is needed, please send me an e-mail. t-oka@sophia.ac.jp

• Self-Help Groups of Japanese Alcoholics: Their Movements and Cultural Influences (Tomofumi Oka, 1994). Paper presented at the International Conference on Addiction and Mutual Help Movements in a Comparative Perspective in Toronto on September 12-16, 1994. Paper

• Selbsthilfe in Japan (Tomofumi Oka, 1993). In K.Balke & C Reis (Hrsg.) Selbsthilfegruppen-Unterstützung in Europa (pp.101-113). Frankfurt am Main: Eigenverlag des Deutschen Vereins für öffentliche und private Fürsorge.

• The Concept of Self-Help Groups in Mental Health: Sharing, Independence, and Emancipation (Tomofumi Oka, 1993). Paper presented at 1993 World Congress: World Federation For Mental Health in Chiba, Japan on August 26, 1993. Paper.

• Self-Help Groups of Japanese in Tokyo (Tomofumi Oka, 1992, Nov.23)

• Peer Group Supervision in Social Work Education. (Tomofumi Oka, 1991). In Asian-Pacific Region Social Work Education Association & Sociology Department of Peking University of China (Eds.). Status-quo, Challenge and Prospect: Collected Works of the Seminar of the Asian-Pacific Region Social Work Education. (pp.445-451). Beijing: Peking University Press.
  

• Self-Help in Japan. (Tomofumi Oka, 1991). Paper presented at International Expert Meeting "Support for Self-Help Groups in Europe". in Frankfurt am Main on September 02-05, 1991.
  

• Reports (August, 1988): (1) How did we help a self-help organization for single fathers? A case study, (2) The intergroup coordination: a relationship between a self-help group and a volunter group, (3) A workshop for self-help groups in Osaka, (4) What was brought to my mind after visiting Europe.

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