Comprehensive Research on Shusho Structures in Early Modern Society: The Shin Buddhist Religious Belief in Social Discrimination

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02192
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Religious studies
• Research Institution: Himeji University
• Principal Investigator: WADA Koji 姫路大学, 教育学部, 教授 (40572607)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 浄土真宗 / 被差別寺院 / 種姓観念 / 浄穢観念 / 身分

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research clarifies early modern society’s worldview of class distinctions and considers its shusho structure.
First, I clarify the mid-Edo period townspeople’s views of these social classes as well as their conception of shusho. I subsequently consider how the early modern period’s shusho qualities were rooted in social discrimination from the middle ages onward and were based on views of purity and defilement, owing to the creation of separate sectarian affiliation records for certain individuals, including headquarters and branch temple lists.
Following the above investigations, it became clear that the foundation of shusho social status structures derived from ideas of purity and defilement has underpinned social discrimination during the early modern period. It also became evident that a concept of social status akin to shusho led to the persistence of social discrimination during the modern and contemporary eras.

Free Research Field

宗教学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

部落差別の解消は国民的課題であり、人権教育の重要課題となっている。本研究は部落差別の解消に資するもので、近現代の差別残存の要因である浄穢観念と結びつく種姓的身分観の状況を明らかにしたものである。さらに、そうした近世身分社会で葛藤しながらも力強く生きる被差別民の信仰状況や宗教を基軸にした豊穣な人間性の科学的研究成果を現代に還元しようとするものである。
本研究では部落差別解消の教育・啓発において、民衆意識のなかに身分制を支える種姓的構造があったことの提言を行うことができた。