Ecological anthropology from the perspective of communication process : Studies in the African tropical rain forest

生态人类学（EA）一直被认为是一门处理生存数量数据的学科，特别是在日本。然而，事实上，在EA中经常观察和分析传播现象。在本研究计划中，我们的目的是从EA和通信过程的角度来调查非洲热带雨林中的人类生活。每项研究活动的结果如下：项目负责人木村研究了狩猎采集者和农民的日常社会互动。这一研究成果已被发表在一本名为《共存感》的书中。研究生（大石、志摩和稻井）也研究了农民、狩猎采集者和渔民之间的相互作用。在这些研究中，传播过程不仅在“媒介学”的框架下进行研究，而且还与人们的文化和生存活动相联系。寺岛和北西分别从理论和实践上对影响狩猎采集者日常生活基础的平等主义和分享进行了研究，并将研究结果出版成书。市川、北西、大石、稻井等人对民族关系、国家与地方关系进行了研究，并积累了大量的事例。寺岛、市川、小松等人也研究了动物群、植物群等自然知识的获得和代际转移。从这个研究项目的建议是，沟通方面的EA可能是这样的前沿之一。我们可以取得一定程度的成就，但今后需要进一步加强努力。

Ecological anthropology (EA) has been, especially in Japan, considered to be a discipline which deals with the quantitative data of subsistence. However, as a matter of fact, communicational phenomena are frequently observed and analyzed in EA. In this research project, we aimed to investigate the human life in the African tropical rain forest from the viewpoint of EA and communication process. Results of each research activity are shown as follows.Daily social interaction of hunter-gatherers and farmers were studied by Kimura, the project leader. The result has been published in a book titled "Sense of co-presence". Graduate students (Oishi, Shima, and Inai) were also researched the interaction among farmers, hunter-gatherers, and fishers. In these studies, communication process was not only investigated in the framework of "media study", but also analyzed in relation to the people's cultural and subsistence activities. Egalitarianism and sharing, which affect the basis of hunter-gatherers' daily life, were studied theoretically by Terashima, and practically by Kitanishi, and the results of these studies were also published in a book. Inter-ethnic group relationship and the relation between state and local area was investigated by Ichikawa, Kitanishi, Oishi, and Inai, and an abundance of case examples was heaped up. Terashima, Ichikawa, and Komatsu were also studied the acquirement and inter-generational transition of knowledge on the nature, such as fauna and flora.Currently, EA researchers are required to find out new methodological frontier. Suggestion from this research project is that communicational aspect of EA might be one of such frontiers. We could have a certain level of accomplishment, but further intensification of the efforts is required in the future.