Political Anthropology on Buddhism and Slaughter in Multi Layered Religious Sphere of Contemporary Bhutan

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26760015
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Keio University (2016-2017); National Museum of Ethnology (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: MIYAMOTO Mari 慶應義塾大学, 商学部(日吉), 講師 (60570984)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 屠場 / 仏教復興 / 放生実践 / 肉食 / デモクラシー / ブータン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While the new political system of Bhutan disfranchised all religions personalities and excluded them from public political sphere, Buddhist monasteries and monks are conducing grand Buddhist rituals to save the animals and increasing its influences on the society. In those situation, "savage" indigenous rituals and worships involving the sacrifice of animals have been gradually marginalized and the sense of repulsion for carnivorous eating and slaughter is expanding. This study aimed to describe how the society redefine the conventional pastoral custom of slaughter and the presence of slaughterer in the society though the dispute between the slaughter renunciation movement and increasing economic demands for slaughterhouses.

Free Research Field

政治人類学、南アジア地域研究