現代日本研究センター　次世代研究者フォーラム

Early-Career Scholar Forum

<Title>
The Marriage of Politics and Economy: Elite Fusion in the Age of Modernization

<Speaker>
Tomoko Matsumoto （Associate professor at Tokyo University of Science）

<Moderator>
Sawako Shirahase （Director of TCJS）

<Abstract>
What impact did modernization have on elite society? Previous research indicates that many feudal elites from pre-modern societies managed to maintain their status within elite circles even amidst the process of modernization. However, the mechanisms through which these feudal elites sustained their position in elite society, as well as the integration of newly emerged business elites into this framework, has not been fully explored. This study aims to address these inquiries by examining the network structures established by elites through kinship and marriage. By constructing new data on the kinship and marriage relationships among feudal political elites and new business elites in early 20th century Japan, a pivotal period for its modernization, this study seeks to shed light on the origins and transformations of the ties between feudal elites and business elites throughout the modernization process.

<About the speaker>
Tomoko Matsumoto (Ph.D., The University of Tokyo, 2016) is an associate professor at Tokyo University of Science. Her research revolves around public opinion, representation, and economic inequality. Her work has appeared in journals such as British Journal of Sociology, Electoral Studies, European Journal of Political Economy, and Japanese Journal of Political Science.