We Are Not Garbage!

This book offers a full history of a homeless movement in Tokyo that lasted nearly a decade. It shows how homeless people and their external supporters in the city combined their scarce resources to generate and sustain the movement. The study advocates a more nuanced analysis of movement gains to appreciate how poor people can benefit by acting collectively. It also draws attention to potential difficulties faced by lower-stratum movements aided by external allies. In particular, the study highlights how actions of the state can undermine the relations between aggrieved allies in such a way as to limit gains. The book is the first in English to detail homeless mobilization in Japan. It also addresses the origins of increased homelessness and development of homelessness policy in the country. Besides homelessness, it covers a number of current social issues, including economic globalization, social exclusion, and politics over space. <p>1. Introduction 2. A Review of Literature 3. The Rise in Homelessness and Pre-Movement Interaction 4. Brokerage and the Initial Period (February 1994 - January 1996) 5. Repression and the Transitional Period (January 1996 - October 1997) 6. Certification and the Final Period (October 1997- December 2002) 7. Summary and Conclusions. Appendices.</p>