Consumption among Lower/middle Classes and Socio-cultural Representations in Modern India: Diversity/multiplicity of Market in the Light Industrial Products

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03138
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Asia and Africa
• Research Institution: Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: Oishi Takashi 神戸市外国語大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (70347516)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: インド / 軽工業製品雑貨 / 消費 / アジア間貿易 / 商人ネットワーク / 市場の多様性 / 硝子製品 / 嗜好品

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Putting focus on some particular sundry goods, both imported and domestically made, which took on some socio-cultural as well as political connotations in modern India, this research project titled “Consumption among Lower/middle Classes and Socio-cultural Representations in Modern India: Diversity/multiplicity of Market in the Light Industrial Products” has analysed the consumption practices among socio-economically lower class people as well as the diversity/multiplicity of market those commodities formulated. For this purpose, the research illuminated some concrete examples including particular ornaments (glass-made, etc), tobacco products, matches, etc., utilizing various original historical sources.

Free Research Field

アジア社会経済史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植民地支配下の近代インドでは、イギリスなど西欧諸国からもたらされた商品の普及が生じたが、他方、ナショナリズムや様々な社会・経済・文化的な志向・運動のなかで、モノや物品の消費、装着、所持に結び付いて、独自に様々な社会性を顕現させる動きが生じたと考えられる。本研究はこうした動きを指摘し、特に、社会経済的な中下層の人々の間で流通・消費の台頭を見た、相対的に安価でしかし意匠性や差別化なども確保された雑貨（国産品や輸入品（特に日本製品））に焦点を当てた。本研究の学術的意義は、モノや商品に帯同されたこうした社会性に、特定の装身品や嗜好品、生活雑貨の具体的な詳細に立ち入って検討・分析を加えたことになろう。