Tomofumi Oka

Oka, T., & Tanaka, S. (2019). Self-help groups for family survivors of suicide in Japan: How they operate their meetings for sharing their experience. Paper that will be presented at the 9th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health at the University of York on 22-26 July 2019.

"The Professor’s Dilemma: When Japanese University Research Ethics Committee Guidance Hinders Qualitative Inquiry in Partnership with People" Presented at The Qualitative Report's 10th Annual Conference (TQR2019) at Nova Southeastern University on January 16th through 18th, 2019. Summary: Japanese universities have only recently introduced research ethics committees (RECs) in social science disciplines. Without considering the growing literature claiming that qualitative research can be hindered by RECs, my university now requires all postgraduate students to obtain REC approval if they plan to conduct research on human subjects. This places me, as a professor of social work, in a dilemma: although the REC’s guidance can hinder qualitative research projects, I am required to tell my students to follow their guidance. In this paper, I share my experience of helping a student get REC approval and discuss the problems we faced. My concerns can be summarized as follows: first, cultural differences between Japan and the West are ignored in the REC approval process. For example, in a high-context culture such as Japan’s, any written contract between a researcher and a research participant tends to be considered a mere formality. Second, the authoritative approach of RECs can intimidate both researchers and research participants. Third, in my student’s case, her participants were social activists with Alzheimer’s disease who wanted to be involved in the research process as research partners. The REC, however, classified her research participants as vulnerable.

The knowledge base of self-help groups in Japan: Experience, popular psychology, and indigenous/religious knowledge (Tomofumi Oka, 2018). Paper presented at the 3rd International Social Development Conference 2018 (Organised by School of Applied Psychology, Social Work and Policy, Universiti Utara Malaysia), EDC Hotels & Resorts, Sintok, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia, 8-9, August, 2018.

A comparative cultural literature review of bereavement and social work with Malay Muslims and Japanese Buddhists (Nur Atikah Mohamed Hussin, & Tomofumi Oka, 2018). Paper presented at Progressive Connexions, 1st Global Conference, The End of Life Experience: Dying, Death and Culture in the 21st Century, Lisbon, Portugal, 17-18, March, 2018.

Conducting phenomenological research on self-help groups: How to understand an experience that you do not share? (Tomofumi Oka, 2018). Paper presented at the Qualitative Report's 9th Annual Conference (TQR2018), Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 11-13, January, 2018.

Spirituality and Indigenous Social Work: A Cross-Cultural Study of Muslim Malaysia and Buddhist Japan (Tomofumi Oka, & Nur Atikah Mohamed Hussin, 2017). Paper presented at Borneo International Social Work Symposium 2017, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 12-13, October, 2017.

Developing Experiential Knowledge of Self-Help Groups under the Influence of Professional and Indigenous Knowledges (Tomofumi Oka, 2017). Poster presented at the 16th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action (Division 27 of the American Psychological Association) in partnership with the Global Alliance for Behavioural Health and Social Justice (GABHSJ), the University of Ottawa and Wilfrid Laurier University, Ottawa, Canada, 21-24, June, 2017.

Practice research with leaders of self-help groups: Empowering people through knowledge production (Tomofumi Oka, 2017). Poster presented at 4th International Conference on Practice Research, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 22-24 May 2017.

The Diversity of Indigenous Wisdom on Grief: Exploring Social Work Approaches to Bereavement (Tomofumi Oka, Nur Atikah Mohamed Hussin, and Anneli Silvén Hagström, 2017). Poster presented at The IAFOR International Conference on the Social Sciences – Hawaii, The Hawai‘i Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., January 5-7, 2017.

An Application of Indigenous Japanese Knowledge to Family Survivors of Suicide: An Intervention Informed by the Global Definition of Social Work (Tomofumi Oka, 2016). Poster presented at 8th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health, June 19-23, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

[Invited Plenary Speech] Equal Partnership, Indigenous Wisdom, and Readiness to Respond: Working with Self-Help Groups (Tomofumi Oka, 2016). Paper presented at 8th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health, June 19-23, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Making Peace with Grief through Indigenous Wisdom: A Case Study of Japanese Family Survivors of Suicide (Tomofumi Oka, 2016). Paper presented at 12th Global Conference: Care, Loss and the End of Life, March 11-13, Budapest, Hungary.

Idiosyncratic versus mutually shared experiential knowledge: The rise of the tōjisha (self-helper) in Japan (Tomofumi Oka, 2015). Poster presented at 15th SCRA (Society for Community Research and Action) Biennial Conference, June 25-28, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Massachusetts.

Survivor Spirituality and Popular-Therapeutic Spirituality: A Comparison of Two Types of Spirituality Common among Japanese Family Survivors of Suicide (Tomofumi Oka, 2015). Paper presented at 5th Global Conference: Spirituality in the 21st Century, March 18-20, Lisbon, Portugal.

Danshu-Dojo: A Qualitative Examination of a Japanese Therapeutic Community For Alcoholics (Richard Chenhall and Tomofumi Oka, 2014). Paper presented at 16th International Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Meeting, October 2-6, 2014, Yokohama, Japan.

Decreasing membership of Japanese self-help organisation: A case study of alcoholism and anxiety disorders (neurasthenia) (Masato Miyoshi, Tomofumi Oka, & Richard Chenhall, 2014). Poster presented at 11th ISTR (International Society for Third-Sector Research) International Conference, July 22-25, Münster, Germany.

What are the relationships between self-help/mutual aid groups and professionals? Case studies from five countries (Tomofumi Oka, Carol Munn-Giddings, Thomasina Borkman, Jürgen Matzat, & Rolando Montaño Fraire, 2014). Paper presented at 11th ISTR (International Society for Third-Sector Research) International Conference, July 22-25, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.

“Grief Is Love”: Criticism of Professional Grief Care By Self-Help Groups for Family Survivors of Suicide in Japan (Tomofumi Oka, 2014). Paper presented at 10th International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society, June 11-14, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Spirituality of Japanese Alcoholics’ Self-Help Groups: Zen Buddhism and Life-Long Discipline for Abstinence. (Tomofumi Oka, & Richard Chenhall, 2014). Paper presented at 4th Global Conference on Spirituality in the 21st Century: Theory, Praxis and Pedagogy, March 18-20, Prague, Czech Republic.

Danshu-dō [The Way of Abstinence]: Reincorporating spirituality into a Japanese self-help organization for alcoholics. (Tomofumi Oka, & Richard Chenhall, 2013). Poster presented at 14th SCRA (Society for Community Research and Action) Biennial Conference, June 26-29, University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

“Grief is love”: Understanding grief through self-help groups organised by the family survivors of suicide. (Tomofumi Oka, 2011) Paper presented at the 2nd Global Conference: Making Sense of Suffering, November 9-11, Prague, Czech Republic.

Oka, T., Tanaka, S., Ake, H., & Kuwabara, S. (2011). Self-help groups for family survivors of suicide in Japan: For empowerment, not grief care. Presented at the 21st Asia-Pacific Social Work Conference, Tokyo, July 15-18.

“New Life”: Study of a Japanese self-help group for alcoholics. (Tomofumi Oka, & Richard Chenhall, 2011). Poster presented at 13th SCRA (Society for Community Research and Action) Biennial Conference, June 16-19, Chicago.

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

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

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

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, 2010). Paper presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, on February 17-20, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

[Invited Plenary Speech] The power and potentiality of peer-led self-help groups in comparison with professional-led support groups: Self-help experiences in Japan (Tomofumi Oka, 2010). 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 January 8-10.

[Roundtable] Challenges of conducting cross-cultural research with mutual help groups. (Tomofumi Oka, Thomasina Borkman, & Richard Chenhall, 2007). Presented at Society for Community Research & Action 11th Biennial Conference, The Hilton Pasadena Hotel, Pasadena, California, USA, on June 7-10.

Leader's Narratives of Organizational Issues in US and Japanese Self-Help Groups (Tomofumi Oka with 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.

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.

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.

『社会福祉実践理論研究』14, 75-80.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 4th Qualitative Health Research Conference in Vancouver, Canada on February 19-21.