Cultural Analysis of Disability : "Paradox of Blindness" in the Japanese Folk Society

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives of cultural analysis of disability which have been recently developed. For this purpose, firstly, I will try to make clear the features of these perspectives by finding their origin and the way in which they have come to be developed. Secondly, from these perspectives, I will examine the Japanese socio-scientific studies on disability and criticize them in order to prove the significance of these new perspectives. Thirdly, I will deal with Japanese folk tales and the oral traditions of the blind. I will identify these representations as the culture of the blind in Japan, and I will employ a cultural analysis to clarify the whole picture of these representations. Fourthly, I will make a historical study of the traditional blind guilds, looking at their exclusive vocations, which carried their own oral traditions (as mentioned above) praise of the supernatural blind founder of each guild. Fifthly, by employing the data from my own field research, among the rural societies in the North of Miyagi Prefecture in north eastern Japan, on the guild of blind female spirit-mediums, which is still functioning even now, I will try to clarify the social characteristics of this guild. Through these surveys I will examine the validity of the anthropological approach to the problem of disability. I will be able to clarify the native cultural system of welfare in the community, which includes people with disabilities. Finally, as a conclusion, I will examine and criticize Goffman's theory.