| dc.description.abstract | Despite Japan’s reputation as an economically advanced nation, it faces one of the highest relative poverty rates among OECD countries, with nearly half of all single-mother households living below the poverty line. This thesis examines why poverty among single mothers persists despite a formal support ecosystem and proposes a systemic redesign grounded in life-stage-aligned, user-centered principles. Drawing on historical-institutional analysis, organizational theory, fieldwork interviews, and auto-ethnographic insights, the study identifies deeply embedded barriers that reinforce fragmented, crisis-oriented support systems misaligned with real-life trajectories. In response, it introduces the "Single Mother Journey" framework, reframing single mothers not as a static category but as a dynamic population with distinct, evolving needs. Through this lens, the thesis exposes critical gaps in preventive support, labor market misalignment, and information accessibility. Building on these findings, it proposes a future-ready support ecosystem, positioning corporations, local municipalities, NPOs, and education institutions as collaborative actors. It presents mumtec, a conceptual digital platform designed to consolidate fragmented services, personalize interventions by life stage, predict crisis points, and generate adaptive policy feedback. The thesis moves beyond surface-level critique by connecting institutional analysis with practical system design to offer a scalable framework for inclusive innovation. Listening to the silent voices of single mothers navigating precarity is an ethical imperative and a strategic necessity for sustainable, resilient societies. | |
