抄録
The objective of this study is to explore the applicability of the structural theories developed in the area of social movements and collective action to a Japanese historical case. Three theories originated in Europe and America - breakdown theory, class conflict theory, and resource mobilization theory - offer competing explanations for the rise of peasant rebellion, as well as different pictures of peasants and agrarian societies. The purpose of this study is modest: to contribute to the establishment of an empirical foundation for the following inquiry. How well do these three theories apply to the rise of peasant rebellion in premodern Japan?
A cross-regional study is performed using 2,045 cases of peasant uprising occurring during the period 1848-1877 across 631 counties in Japan. It employs multivariate regression analysis combined with the techniques of structural equations to examine the impact of structural factors on the occurrence of uprisings. The study shows that none of the three theories applies well to the experience of nineteenth-century Japan, suggesting differing compositions of social structural forces and their working in their formation of premodern popular protest between Japan and some European countries. A few possible routes are discussed for further investigation of the extent of the applicability and generalizability of the structural theories to the Japanese experience, and beyond.
