Discorses of the Poisonous Modern and the Gentle Nature and Alternative Medicine: A research about the "code" and contexts promoting receptive attitudes to alternative medicine

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24730444
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Hirano Naoko 早稲田大学, 総合研究機構, 招聘研究員 (10608433)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 代替療法 / 代替医療 / 宗教 / ライフスタイル / 消費文化 / スピリチュアリティ / 健康

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research explored the social conditions promoting the use of alternative medicine in 2010s Japan. The efficacy of most alternative medicine are not scientifically verified. Medical professionals and scientists are often criticized them. However, they are accepted and used by many people in contemporary Japan. It is assumed that such receptive situation to the use of alternative medicine has some social background. Especially, it is important to focus on the widely shared discourses that modern and scientific things are poisonous and "natural" things is gentle for mankind. This research examined the relation of those discourses and the use of alternative medicine and other consumption behaviors by the sociological perspective and manner.

Free Research Field

宗教社会学