Starting of Forestry and Forestry Women's Research

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13416
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Women's University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMICHI HITOMI 京都女子大学, 現代社会学部, 教授 (30254725)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 女性林業者 / 山村 / キャリア形成 / ジェンダー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I surveyed women engaged in forestry and forestry related industries in order to visualize women engaged in forestry and forestry related industries in Japan. Women engaged in these industries have become less visible due to the reduced demand for female workers as a result of the reduced demand for domestic timber due to a decline in afforestation work that was attributed to women.
In mountain villages, along with the decline in population, the outflow of women continues for higher education and work. From the study of women's movement in mountain villages, the introductory movement of women into mountain villages was for marriage, but now many young women are moving to engage in forest and forestry related industries. Women who want to work under the natural environment have got a new career path to enter forestry school.

Free Research Field

農村社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

山村に住み、森林・林業に関連する産業に従事する女性についての研究成果はほとんどないことから、本研究により、その実態が一部明らかになったことが学術的に意義がある。特に、山村からの女性人口流出の経緯、要因が明らかになるとともに、山村における婚姻、就業、教育におけるジェンダーなど、見えなかったジェンダーが明らかになった。
一方、女性の就業の道筋も明らかになり、女性のキャリア・パスの研究の必要という学術的課題が明らかになるとともに、林業分野での女性のキャリア・パス確立に向けた政策の必要という社会的意義もみられた。