Minamata: humanities and social sciences perspectives on regeneration

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23521010
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology/Folklore
• Research Institution: Kumamoto Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: HAGIHARA Shuko 熊本学園大学, 商学部, 教授 (60310033)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IIJIMA Shuji 九州大学, 人間環境学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60452728) ; NISHIMURA Akira 東京大学, 人文社会系研究科, 准教授 (00381145) ; YAMAMURO Atsushi 兵庫県立大学, 地域資源マネジメント研究科, 准教授 (90352286)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 水俣 / 再生 / 宗教 / 民俗 / 社会 / 人文社会科学 / 被害者 / 環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to investigate the origin and processes of regeneration in the region where people have experienced the impact of Minamata incident for more than 50 years. The research also aims to regenerate the humanities and social sciences which have become divided into many specialist fields, by rethinking the relationship between researchers and the objects of their research. We have focused on the logic of the“daily life”of the people so as to overcome the“victims versus perpetrators”framework which explains the incident. The research has generated two outcomes; one is the identification of new problematic issues in the experience of daily life. The other outcome is identifying the moment to regenerate the humanities and social sciences. The moment when people in the region try to create their vision of their future on their own initiative may be the moment when the humanities and social sciences will be able to regenerate by supporting the people to realize their vision.

Free Research Field

文化人類学、宗教学