著者

渡邊 洋之

出版者

SHAKAIGAKU KENKYUKAI

雑誌

ソシオロジ (ISSN:05841380)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.54, no.3, pp.19-35,177, 2010

---

Ecological problems caused by introduced species have today drawn worldwide attention. However, the subsequent claim that every introduced species should be eradicated has recently been questioned: some scholars have pointed out the possible connection between such a claim and racism directed against immigrants. A harmful species introduced from a different country or region and named after its place of origin, they argue, can reinforce feelings of prejudice towards immigrants who came from that place, and vice versa. The aim of this paper is to disentangle this intricate relationships between flora and fauna and human society through the case of a plant called "Taiwan-gusa", the name by which I knew it in my childhood, by exploring the reasons why the plant was so named. First, this paper regards the names given to introduced species as catachresis, which enables us to see not only borrowing and adoption between one sign and another but also the gap which always exists between a sign and the object it signifies. The paper then shows that the plant has many other names in various dialects, most of which are related to objects of fear or causes of misfortune: diseases, wars, natural calamities, and so on. Considering that "Taiwan-gusa" is one of these names, we could see here evidence of the social prejudice surrounding Taiwan and its people, in which they have often been associated with fear and misfortune. If we accept that the names of living things are catachresis, then a name related to a certain place name cannot avoid being affected by the figurative meanings and images attached to the place, including social prejudices. We should be aware of the phenomena caused by catachresis as we consider the measures to be taken with regard to introduced species.