Population Politics and Reproduction in postwar Okinawa

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gender
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University (2019); Okinawa International University (2016-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Sawada Kayo 奈良女子大学, 生活環境科学系, 准教授 (60454998)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 人口 / 出生 / 生殖 / 家族計画 / 沖縄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to explore the historical process of population and reproduction in postwar Okinawa focusing on the era before its reversion to Japanese administration. The research achievement is as follows: (1) The archives, historical documents, life-history materials, and so forth, related to population and reproduction in postwar Okinawa were collected and investigated, (2) The differences and connections of the historical process of population policies and family planning between Okinawa and mainland Japan were analyzed in the global and local contexts, (3) The attitudes and practices of Okinawan women in reproduction were compared to the statistical data of mainland Japan.

Free Research Field

人口社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、第一に、関連すると思われる資料群から戦後沖縄の出生・生殖関連資料および文献を探索し、収集・整理した点にある。第二に、戦後沖縄の人口と生殖の歴史的過程をグローバルとローカルの二つの水準でとらえ、日本本土との違いとつながり、および出生・生殖の意識と実践を実証的に探究した点である。本研究は、日本やアジアの人口・生殖の比較史的・関係史的研究の進展に一定の貢献を果たすものと考える。