An anthropological study of the emotions of conflict and existential time in the New Guinea Highlands

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13285
• 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: Kobe University (2022-2023); University of Hyogo (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: FUKAGAWA Hiroki 神戸大学, 国際文化学研究科, 准教授 (00821927)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 文化人類学 / 身体 / 社会性 / 言語 / 感情 / 時間 / 紛争 / パプアニューギニア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to develop the framework of conflict processing and emotional dynamics that the applicant has been studying in Papua New Guinea into a new “anthropological approach to existential time” that sheds light on “biographical life” spanning the past, present, and future. From this perspective, this study will elucidate the social mechanisms by which emotional words uttered in the context of conflicts and their resolutions, as well as “dying words” left behind with pain by people in conflict with their loved ones, affect the present of the people around them and have lasting effects into the future.
By theorizing the case and its mechanisms as an original body-emotion language theory, this research will promote the advancement of conflict resolution research, emotion research, language research, and so on.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年の社会性をめぐる文化人類学の議論が、形式的な関係概念により事例を分析する「関係主義」を主とするのに対し、本研究は、社会生活を形式的な関係概念を軸に論理的に説明し尽くすのではなく、個々の人格が、自らの置かれた社会環境・歴史・生の時間に比して、自らの実存、自らの「伝記的な生の企て」をときに卑小なものとして、ときに巨大なるものとして再測定させ、新たな物語や文脈が開かれる契機を構成する言語に光を当てる。従って、本研究は従来の紛争・感情研究や時間の人類学に新たな知見を加え、人間の実存と未来投企の具体的な可能性を示す点で、学術的にも社会的にも貢献しうる。