Study on Social Reconstruction after the Gorkha Earthquake, Nepal

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23129
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0104:Geography, cultural anthropology, folklore, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Museum of Ethnology (2023); Kyoto University (2019-2022)
• Principal Investigator: ITO Sanae 国立民族学博物館, グローバル地域研究国立民族学博物館拠点, 特任助教 (20849608)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ネパール / 南アジア地域研究 / 災害人類学 / 文化人類学 / 復興 / 地震 / 災害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarifies the relationship between the government and grassroots civil society networks after the earthquake in Nepal. Multiple perspectives have been incorporated by combining field surveys with the collection and analysis of information through the Internet and other means. We found that (1) civil society networks were constructed in collaboration with local communities, which made it possible to carry out tangible reconstruction activities, and (2) the rise of nationalism seen immediately after the earthquake from both the government and local communities, led to an emphasis on “Nepali culture” in the reconstruction process. Thus, the findings reveal that civil society and local communities, or civil society and government initiatives, were in fact coexisting and cooperating.

Free Research Field

南アジア地域研究、文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の意義は以下の3点である。①震災直後に国際的なＮＧＯ等への不信感を背景として広がったナショナリズムが、復興過程において、国、あるいは民族の「文化」を強調する復興の動きへとつながる可能性を示した点。②復興過程における政府とローカル化された市民社会的なつながりとの関係は、必ずしも対抗的なものとは限らず、混在し、併存しうるものでもありうると示した点。③現代的な市民社会の在り方について、具体的な事例に基づき詳細に示した点。