2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
An anthropological study on the practice of magic and its frame of concept in Southeast Asia and Oceania
| Project/Area Number |
16520512
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Cultural anthropology/Folklore
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| Research Institution | Chukyo University |
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Principal Investigator |
KAWADA Makito Chukyo University, School of Sociology, Associate Professor, 社会学部, 助教授 (30260110)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SEKI Kazutoshi Kyushu University, Faculty of human environment studies, Professor, 大学院・人間環境学研究院, 教授 (50179321)
SHIRAKAWA Chihiro National Museum of Ethnology, Department of advanced studies in anthropology, Associate Professor, 先端人類学研究部, 助教授 (60319994)
TSUMURA Fumihiko Fukui Prefectural University, Center for arts and science, Lecturer, 学術教養センター, 講師 (40363882)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2005
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| Keywords | Magic / Medical care / Science / Rationality / Causality / Modernity / Understanding |
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| Research Abstract |
This study aims at theorizing practice of magic such as witchcraft and sorcery and opening comparative perspectives in Southeast Asia and Oceania area. This study mainly has three problems to be investigated ; 1)to explore variation and commonality of practice of magic in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and to extend comparative perspectives with the study of magic in Europe and Africa, 2)to understand magic not as peripheral knowledge but contemporary knowledge which is between religion and scientific knowledge, and in this course, to focus on the frame of concept in the society concerned, 3)to resolve the restriction that the study of magic is reflected by the concept of magic and science in the society to which an anthropologist himself belongs, and to rethink the generation of anthropological thoughts. In the beginning, this study started with examining so-called ‘the modernity of witchcraft', which is famous theme in African study of witchcraft from the standpoint of Southeast Asian and Oceania study. However when we found ‘the modernity of witchcraft' deal with how magic and witchcraft work in a given society, the discussion shifted to true contents of the practice of magic. From the discussions for two years, basic characteristics of magic has been pointed out that switch and connect two poles of dichotomy such as knowledge/practice, tradition/modern, and science/daily life (non-science). The source of this characteristics can be based on human capacity of understandings, including ‘half understanding', for example, practice in doubt, and ‘anti understanding', practice with denial and refusal. This study concludes various type of understanding can be integrated into the practice of magic.
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Research Products
(14 results)
