A Medical Anthropological Study of Children in Military Environment: Focusing on the Violent Contexts continuing from the Battle of Okinawa

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01224
• 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: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kitamura Tsuyoshi 大阪大学, 大学院人文学研究科(人文学専攻、芸術学専攻、日本学専攻), 教授 (00454116)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 沖縄 / 医療人類学 / 子ども / 軍事環境 / 沖縄戦

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through this research, while learning much from overseas studies, I was able to examine how children's environments changed due to the loss of human and social capital caused by the Battle of Okinawa and social changes associated with the militarization of the living environment under U.S. military rule, and to some extent clarify the actual psychological impact of the military environment on children. At the end of the research period, the total number of outputs is nine: four journal articles, two conference presentations, and three books. Although the research was conducted under various unforeseen restrictions imposed by the Corona pandemic, it was extremely significant that we were able to conduct our research while maintaining a strong awareness of the connection between research and society through exchanges with researchers in many fields and encounters with the tojisha.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、沖縄を取り巻く精神保健上の問題の中でも、子どもに対する暴力、ならびに、子どもによる暴力について取り上げ、特に前者について沖縄戦とその後の軍事環境による精神的被害との関わりのもとで検証しようとするものである。戦争（状態）と子どもの精神的被害との関連について検証する研究は少なく、本研究では、この問題に沖縄を事例として医療人類学的にアプローチした。家族やコミュニティの回復に向けた支援のあり方を考えるためにも、戦争という最大級の人災が人びとの心に与えてきた長期的影響について、家族やコミュニティの歴史を紐解くことで明らかにしようとする本研究の学術的・社会的意義は大きいといえる。