-開拓部落の展開と村落構造-

-講組織を中心として-

抄録

It is a well-known fact that the “Ko groups” have been studied as one of the most important social groups in Japanese rural communities.
The purpose of this monographic study is to clarify how these traditional “Ko groups” adapt to the re-setlled village community in Hokkaido area. There are three Ko groups in the re-settled village community called “Tonami” where I researched. These are, (a) “Tonami-Hoonko”, (b) “Tonami-Oko” and (c) “Zaike-Hoonko”. I analyzed these Ko groups in connection with the social structure of the re-settled village community.
The following points have been revealed :
1) “Tonami-Hoonko” is organized by all members of the re-settled community and it has social functions of unity and independency as a whole, which are the most important practice for the re-settled community;
2) “Tonami-Oko” is organized by each member of the six “Noji-Kumiais” which are composed in the re-settled village community, and this Ko group has an important function of social bond as neighborhood;
3) “Zaike-Hoonko” is practiced by each household and this member is organized by kinship, and this “Ko group” coheres more firmly each relatives within the re-settled village community as well as outside, because this “Ko group” has social bond both Ko and kinship.
From the above mentions, it can be concluded that these traditional “Ko groups” have important integrative functions and meanings in the life of a re-settled village community.