The Museum as Media Complex: How are stories of environmental pollution incidents told?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University (2018-2019); International Christian University (2016-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Ikeda Richiko 福岡女学院大学, 人文学部, 教授 (50276440)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: メディア / コミュニケーション / 公害 / 資料館 / マンガ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Kogai (health hazard incidents) museums undertake to convey the meaning of Kogai as a 'negative heritage.’In order to fulfill this purpose, these museums try not only to improve the quality of their exhibitions, but to provide kataribe (story-teller) sessions and guide services. They function as a media complex, and offer a place for primary school students to study Kogai through a variety of these media. The present research focuses the Kogai museum in Yokkaichi, which shares its exhibition area with a history museum. Sora-no Aosa-ha Hitotsudake, a book which included a manga about a nine-year-old girl who died from Yokkaichi asthma, was published in 2016. Copies of the book are available in the museum, as well as in public and school libraries in Yokkaichi, so a number of students have been able to read the comic before visiting the museum. This research reconfirms the importance of taking the museum as a media complex in order to pass on recognition of the diversity of Kogai.

Free Research Field

コミュニケーション学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

公害資料館は、地域の小学校の公害学習の場として欠かせない存在である。今回の研究では、その学習の一助となるべく公害マンガを収録した書籍を発表した。また、そのマンガを使った授業を行っている四日市と福岡の小学校教員、四日市の資料館の語り部／解説員との意見交換の場を一般公開のシンポジウムという形で行った。その成果報告書を研究代表者の本務校がある福岡市および隣接する小学校に配布した。四日市の小学校教員を通しても全国の多くの教員の手に渡った。こうした取り組みを通して研究成果の社会への還元を実施してきたことの意義は少なくないはずだ。