Mobility and Society in Hunter-Gatherers of Peninsular Malaysia

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13461
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 04030:Cultural anthropology and folklore-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: KAWAI Aya 東京外国語大学, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 助教 (30818571)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 狩猟採集民 / モビリティ / 親族・家族 / モティリティ / 空間

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Under environmental changes such as deforestation and the opening of roads, people's livelihoods have shifted from a nomadic to a mobile base-based lifestyle, where men tend to travel farther to obtain forest products as a source of income, while women and children are more likely to stay in their bases. Those differences in motility are discussed as leading to gender roles. Furthermore, this study indicated that the relationship between these people has changed as mobility and fluidity of group members have decreased and relationships with specific people have strengthened, in contrast to the previous idea that hunter-gatherers are egalitarian who establish social relationships broadly and expansively by wide sharing practice.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

モティリティとモビリティを区別し、モティリティの差異とジェンダー役割との関連を指摘した点は、移動技術の発展・普及とともに議論が高まってきた「移動と社会」というテーマに狩猟採集民研究を結び付けただけでなく、定住ではなく遊動生活を送ってきた人々への移動技術の影響という点において意義がある。
またこれまで、広く食物を分かち合い、拡張的に関係を築く平等主義であると論じられてきた狩猟採集民だが、遊動性と集団メンバーの流動性の低下とともに、特定の人々の関係が強化され広く平等な関係が構築されているわけではないことが明らかになり、現在の狩猟採集民の実態を示した点においても意義がある。