2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Studies on Forest Commons from the aspects of Communication and Theory of Civic Society
| Project/Area Number |
14360086
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
林学
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| Research Institution | Shimane University |
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Principal Investigator |
KITAO Kuninobu Shimane Univ., Life and Environmental Science, Professor, 生物資源科学部, 教授 (50026390)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MITSUI Shoji Mie Univ., Bioresources, Professor, 生物資源学部, 教授 (20262991)
KATO Morihiro Univ.of Tsukuba, Agriculture and Forestry, Associate Professor, 農林学系, 助教授 (70177476)
TSUCHIYA Toshiyuki Tokyo Univ.of Agriculture and Technology, Symbiotic Science & Technology, Associate Professor, 共生科学技術研究部, 助教授 (50271846)
INOUE Makoto The Univ.of Tokyo, Agricultural and Life Sciences, Professor, 農学生命科学研究科, 教授 (10232555)
YAMAMOTO Nobuyuki Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Researcher, 林業経営政策領域, 研究員 (90284025)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | Commons / Communal Forest / Civic Society / Management of Regional Forest / Symbiotic Recycle Society / Decentralization / Public Participation / Forest Governance |
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| Research Abstract |
In order to approach the goal, we practiced mainly the following research works : 1)inviting totally three prominent scholars on "Commons" : a philosopher ; a sociologist ; and an economist, to have frank discussion with the project members ; 2)having five internal intensive discussion meetings on definition of "Commons" concept and its availability for natural resource management ; 3)group research tour visiting common lands and related public and private organizations in England ; 4)on-site survey in each member's research field.
As outputs of the project, we promoted and managed a concurrent session on "Forest Commons" at the second half general meeting of the Japanese Forest Economics Society held at University of Tsukuba in the fall of 2004. Moreover an academic book was published and one more will be published soon by the members.
As the title of the project shows, focal point of the study was some kind of reconciliation between Communitarism and theory of "civic society". In other
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words, we tried to combine our traditional academic knowledge and recognition on Iriai communal forest which is the well-known type of "tight" commons in the world with our increasing concerns with recent prevailing civic movement protecting and managing man-made or semi-natural woodlots. We might also concern with expanding sphere of definition of commons using the word like "global" commons or "cyber" commons. Major disputed points were those : 1)should commons be productive? ; 2)should commons be local or regional? ; 3)what is the relationship between commons and governance?
In consequence, we have not succeeded to directly solve the questions and to connect the traditional commons and the newly emerging commons yet. Preferably, we can say that the term "commons" is used quite variously and how to define it depends on users. As we sub-titled the session at the last fall's JFES conference "Using Commons concept as a tool for understanding", we can conclude that the idea of commons on ownership and natural resource management is very crucial for establishment of local environmental governance. Less
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