Common Cultural Foundations and People's Lives in the Maritime Areas of the East China Sea: Comparative Case Studies of the Japan-Korea Borderlands

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01870
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Kim Myungmi 静岡大学, 情報学部, 教授 (50422738)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 東シナ海域 / 基層文化の再考 / 日韓の境界領域 / 生活文化 / 同年齢集団 / キンドレッド / ムラの宗教的センター / 女性の役割

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of the following four research subjects: (1)same age groups, (2)kindred or both paternal and maternal relatives, (3)a small shrine or sacred place as a village religious center, (4)the role of women. The four subjects were presented from the perspective of cultures embedded in everyday life by the preceding research which critically reconsiders the fundamental cultures shared in the maritime areas of the East China Sea. For this case examination, I conducted fieldwork in villages or similar fields where cultures deep-rooted in community life are assumedly maintained. These research fields are located near the border between Japan and South Korea. As a result, I found that the four research subjects apply to many cases. This result supports the new argument for common cultural foundations which underlie the surface of local cultures beyond the Japan-Korea border and moreover spread throughout the maritime areas of the East China Sea.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義としては、地域に根差した人々の生活に深く埋め込まれた基層文化を捉えるための新たな指標の有効性を事例検証したことで、海域研究の課題である民衆生活の次元における海を介した交流の諸相の解明に寄与し、海域研究の進展に繋がりうるフィールドデータを提示できたのではないかと考える。
社会的意義としては、東シナ海域の基層文化についての新たな知見・方法の事例検証を通して、従来の国民国家の枠組みを基調とする「地域研究」や比較研究で見落とされてきた日韓共通の文化的基盤の存在を示唆したことで、グローバル化時代に一層重要となる国境を越えた交流の推進や平和構築に寄与しうる点があるのではないかと考える。