1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Environmental Problems in Japan and Developing Countries : A Comparative View from World System Theory
| Project/Area Number |
06801024
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
社会学(含社会福祉関係)
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| Research Institution | Nara University |
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Principal Investigator |
HIRAOKA Yoshikazu Faculty of Social Research, Nara University, Assosiate Professor, 社会学部, 助教授 (40181143)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1994 – 1995
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| Keywords | world system / comparative study / copper-mining / social mobility / Asio case / PASAR case |
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| Research Abstract |
From world system perspective, this study tries to compare environmental problems in Japan and developing countries.
Since the Industrial Revolution, various environmental problems have been caused by the industrialization process. Figures of environmental ploblems depend on their historic and geographic location in world system that shapes theprocess of industrialization. Guided by this idea, following two cases are compared and considered : the pollution ploblem in Asio copper-mine during Meiji era, and a similar ploblem caused by PASAR (Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Company), a copper refining factory in LIDE (Leyte Industrial Estate) in the contemporary PHilippines.
The following findings are obtained about the causes and consequences of the above two ploblems. First, as a backgroud of the problems, demand for the copper wire was increased due to the expansion of world wide electrification. The expansion took place in Europe and U.S.a. in the former, in Asia in the latter case. The way pollution occured was different as well. The Asio pollution was due to the lack of anti-pollution technology at that time. On the contorary, PASAR company did not adopt the adequate technology for the sake of cost reduction that, in turn, can be attributed to the intensified competition in world system. In spite of these differences, in both cases the government approved the company's action, and oppressed the victims' protest movement.
Second, the farmers and fishermen were pushed out from their homeland, because of the pollution in both cases. Although farmers moved to new places to continue farming in the Asio case, those who were expelled away had to change their jobs and became part-time unskilled workers in the PASAR case. The discrepancy between the two is attributed to different phases in world system.
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Research Products
(2 results)
