著者

新井 眞人

出版者

日本教育社会学会

雑誌

教育社会学研究 (ISSN:03873145)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.42, pp.200-214, 1987-09-30

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In this paper I attempted to investigate the reorganization processes of a traditional young men's group (Wakamono-gumi) from the viewpoint of historical sociology. The traditional young men's group called "Kosawada-wakazedan" in Kosawada village disappeared 30 years ago, but was regenerated in 1976. We visited Kosawada, a clan-type mountain village, and interviewed both active and retired Wakazedan members. We examined monographs done by previous folklore researchers, and gathered information from historical records, statistical data and other sources in order to approach the study from many angles. The results may be summarized as follows: (1) In the formation process of a big landlord, the social strata of the village was divided into the landlord class and the tenant-farmer class. The Wakazedan was also reorganized along the same lines, but later the two parts were integrated into one again. (2) Owing to the establishment of young men's associations sponsored by the government, some of the traditional young men's groups disappeared and others became mixed with the associations. However the Kosawada-wakazedan did not become mixed with them although they partly overlapped. Many young men who had dual allegiance participated in the meetings and events of the traditional young men's group rather than the association. (3) As Kosawada-wakazedan was incorporated into the social structure controlled by a big landlord, the disruption of the landlord-tenant-farmer system made the posiion of the Wakazedan vague and hastened its disappearance. Other factors accelerating its end were the movement of youth from the village to cities, an increase in the number of young men employed and many new voluntary youth groups. (4) The people felt apprehensive about the future of the village when the Wakazedan disappeared, causing a decline in the activities of young men's groups (Seinen-kai, Seinen-gakkyu) and in the traditional annual functions. As a result, some of the middle-aged men regenerated the Kosawada-wakazedan in order to develop the local community by revivint of traditional annual functions and providing opportunities for inter-generational communication. (5) Regardless of time and place, it would be impossible for a society to continue if there were no social intercourse among the generations. It may be said that the new Kosawada-wakazedan, which was regenerated in a village with a decreasing population, offers a model of the important social roles played by a group of young and middle-aged men in the intercourse among different generations in a village.