A Historical Anthropology Approach to Social Network in Community Reconstruction after Radiological Contamination

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370955
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Chukyo University
• Principal Investigator: Nakahara Satoe 中京大学, 社会科学研究所, 特任研究員 (00570053)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 放射線影響 / 暮らし / ネットワーク / 伝統的保存食 / リスク / 米国 / マーシャル諸島 / 核実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research demonstrates how the social network has played an important role in the reconstruction of the Rongelap community in the Marshall Islands, which suffered from the United States’ testing of H-bomb "Bravo" in 1954. In particular, the revival of one of the traditional preserved foods in the resettlement island has played a crucial role in constructing the network among the people who had been scattered throughout the neighboring islands. The construction of these relationships enabled the acquisition of the knowledge about the nature around the resettlement island, which in turn promoted preserved food production even more. As a result, the position of the resettlement island has been elevated in the gift relationships.

Free Research Field

文化人類学