Genealogical Study of Possession-Social Control Capability in the Himalayan Region

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01200
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 04030:Cultural anthropology and folklore-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Tachibana Kenichi 立命館大学, 政策科学部, 非常勤講師 (30401425)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渡辺 和之 阪南大学, 国際観光学部, 准教授 (40469185) ; 山本 達也 静岡大学, 人文社会科学部, 准教授 (70598656)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 所有 / ヒマラヤ / アニミズム / シャマニズム / ヒンドゥー教 / 開発 / 存在論 / 圏論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we reexamined the existing concept of "possession = social controllability," and redefined possession as consisting of a vector, which is "perspective = power," and a combination of "giving and being given" at both ends of the vector, and the mutual relationship between these "giving and being given" entities, which is made into a one-way flow by history. The study was based on this view. From there, this study investigates possession and its history in the context of Nepalese animism and shamanism, Nepalese mountain Hinduism, Indian headhunting, Tibetan Buddhism, and modern development, and hypothesizes the diversity of possession forms and their genealogy in the Himalayan region.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

こんにち資本主義が前提とする私的所有がもたらす格差の拡大などの諸問題が論じられている。本研究では、ヒマラヤ地域の事例から所有とは何なのか、その根本から考えなおし、それが存在の問題にも深く関わっていることを示した。また、そのあり方が「与えるー与えられる」「光ー影」「見えるものー見えないもの」などに関わりつつ、地域や時代状況によって、変わっていくことを論じた。私的所有を相対化し新たな所有の可能性を探るための、ひとつのステップになった研究だと言える。