Another Minority in France: The Black Population, National History, and Historical Perceptions

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01046
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03040:History of Europe and America-related
• Research Institution: Musashi University
• Principal Investigator: Hirano Chikako 武蔵大学, 人文学部, 教授 (00319419)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 国民史 / 植民地史 / 黒人史 / フランス史 / 歴史認識 / 人種主義 / マイノリティ / ジェンダー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explores how a national history that includes the Black population should be written, taking into account the fact that their presence has been virtually ignored in French national history. Black populations have always been present in French history, even if they were often rendered invisible. Previous research has been almost entirely limited to the Atlantic slave trade and slavery, but recently, historians in France have begun to pay more attention to this topic, which is inextricably linked to our historical perception of the past. By focusing on Black people, a minority group today, we are able to shed light on the problems faced by other marginalized groups, such as women and those affected by gender issues. As a result, this research has adopted a intersectional perspective.

Free Research Field

西洋史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

一般に、フランスのマイノリティと言えばムスリムといったステレオタイプの見方があり、黒人はさほど意識されないことが多い。しかし現代フランス社会において黒人も一つのマイノリティ集団であり、歴史的にも彼らはつねに存在してきた。本研究では、歴史叙述のなかで等閑視されてきた黒人を主題に複数の論文を公刊し、黒人を含めた国民史の書き換えへの手がかりを提供してきた。また黒人に密接に関係する「人種主義」の歴史について新書一点を、大学生および一般向けの通史一点を上梓し、新たな視角からのフランス史、すなわち現実により近い多面的なフランス史の可能性を、学界のみならず広く一般社会に向けて具体的に発信することができた。