An International Comparative Study of Mutual Help Networks between Japan and Southeast Asia from the Viewpoint of Folk Sociology

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03860
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Ryutsu Keizai University
• Principal Investigator: Onda Morio 流通経済大学, 社会学部, 教授 (00254897)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 互助ネットワーク / 互酬的行為 / 再分配的行為 / 支援（援助）的行為 / 集団主義と個人主義 / 互助制度の社会的移出入 / 東南アジア的互助社会

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The action of mutual help as a spontaneous social order is divided into three types. One is reciprocity in helping to plant rice by exchanging labor. The second is redistribution. In exchange for the right to get goods from a common store, local people have the obligation to maintain common-pool resources. Finally, unidirectional help refers to support in funeral and wedding ceremonies requiring no monetary exchange. This study discusses the results of interview survey and fact-finding fieldwork, and explores both the commonalities and differences between Japan and Southeast Asia. They have similar patterns of mutual help action. While some customs have almost disappeared, they can still be clearly identified. One of them is micro finance. The invested money is small and managed by members and the way is characterized through nationalities and religions. The study concludes that modern societies might do well to reconsider mutual help in search of ways of reconstructing communities.

Free Research Field

社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

互助行為について日本と東南アジア（フィリピン、インドネシア、タイ、マレーシア）との国際比較によってその類似と相違から個々の互助ネットワークを明らかにし、互助制度が共通に見られる普遍性及び国や地域による差異が表れる固有性の社会構造を解明する点、またその制度の相互浸透による影響に着目する「社会的移出入」の仮説を検証する点で、さらに各国互助社会の通底にある共通の構造から「東南アジア的互助社会」を考察する点で、これまでにない先駆的な研究として学術的意義をもつと思われる。なお一般の人々に向けては、改めて人と人とのつながりや絆について考える契機を与える意味で社会的意義を有するものと考える。