Kogai, an endless environmental issue; a comparative environmental education research amaong Minamata, Chernobyl, and Canada

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04535
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Education
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: ANDO Toshihiko 埼玉大学, 教育学部, 教授 (40202791)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 環境教育研究 / 公害教育 / 水俣病 / チェルノブイリ原発事故

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed at studying out a framework of comparative environmental education research on Kogai issues through focusing Minamata disease (formally identified in 1956) and Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster(1986). Though I initially intended to conduct a fieldwork at Grassy-Narrows in Canada, my health condition made me give it up.
The following three points have been clarified through my survey both at Minamata city and at Khoiniki city in Belarus Republic; 1) 'The interaction between Kogai issues and Human Formation System' can be identified through informal/non-formal/formal education, 2) The role of museums/archives which aim at passing down memories is getting bigger as long time has passed since these disasters, 3)A regionally comparative historical research which can view geographical uniqueness and national contexts will be important for further research.

Free Research Field

環境教育研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本の環境教育研究は公害問題についての研究蓄積が不十分であり、とりわけ海外の事例との比較研究はほとんどなされてきていない。本研究は、その研究史的課題への応答として取り組んだものである。公害問題が当該地域の人間形成のあらゆる側面に影響をもたらすとともに、そのあらゆる側面からの公害問題へのアプローチがなされてきていること、だが問題をとりまくナショナルな文脈の差異によって、その影響やアプローチにも差異が見られることが明らかとなり、今後の研究のための出発点を築くことができた。今後双方の実践家や研究者の交流がいっそう進むことも期待される。