Ethnographic Study of Rural Communities in South East China

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 11691037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A).
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: 文化人類学(含民族学・民俗学)
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUTA Azio Kanagawa University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Professor, 外国語学部, 教授 (60120862)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HASHIYA Eiko Niigata University, Faculty of Humanities, Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (80189513) ; SUGA Yutaka Tokyo University, Institute of Oriental Culture, Assistant Professor, 東洋文化研究所, 助教授 (90235846) ; HIROTA Ritsuko Kanagawa University, Faculty of Business Administration, Assistant Professor, 経営学部, 助教授 (70260990) ; 伊東 睦子 筑波大学, 歴史人類学系, 講師 (60302337) ; FURUIE Sinpei Tsukuba University, Faculty of History and Anthropology, Professor, 歴史人類学系, 教授 (40173520)
• Project Period (FY): 1999 – 2000
• Keywords: Natural Village / Separate House System / Taoism / Divided Home / Landowner System / Ancestor Worship / Reform and Openness / Ethnography

Research Abstract

During these two years (1999-2000), Major topics of our project are focused on developing the method of intensive field researches, and making of the ethnography in Chinese villages. At the first research (1999) , we investigated extensively around Qingpu Prefecture, Jiading Ward and Songjiang Ward in Shanghai. Thereafter, we determined the intensive research fields on Jinglingqiao Village, Sicun Village, Lianjian Village and Lianzhuang Village in Songjiang Ward. We stayed there about one month, made ethography of South East Chinese Villages as a report of investigation. As a result, we could describe the traditional and modern folk customs in South East Chinese Villages, for example, social structure, lineage system, political organization, subsistence, rites of passage, ceremony, festival, belief, oral literature, food, clothing and housing.
We could succeeded to understand these subjects in rural villages of Southern East China where have transformed rapidly by the general policy of reform and openness. Especially, we could peruse and copy the statistical data that had been formerly difficult to look and take a picture. The method of this research consists of an interview, and we could also get the document that was equivalent to an interview. This will be contributing to a research for the future.