It is generally recognized that the number of 41 families has been allowed to continue their existence up to the present day, indicates the co-opperative tendency of Hatsushima community. Since the latter half of the 19th century, neither new families branching out from the old stocks, nor families becoming extinct can be found.
The writer has made researches on what factor has caused to restrict the increase and decrease of the number of families on economic and social circumstances. And his conclusions are as follows:…… (1) Before the number of famillies became constant, control is found in force both in fishery and in daily life of economic consumption.
(2) Farm production is not sufficient enough for the island inhabitants, but fishery plays an important part in their support. This island society consists of 39 fishers and 2 fish brokers. The fishers works together in the joint-fishing with a drawing net, and the profit is equally divided among them. Then the increase of the number of families causes the decrease of income, and the decrease of the same gives rise to the shortage of labour.
(3) Then fish, brokers, one of which was the headman of village, and the other was the Shinto priest, occupied the important position in this community, and had control over the fishers to maintain the fishing labour and profit.
(4) The right of inheriting in each family is held not only by the eldest son of the island people, but those kindred people living outside the island. And thus this limited number, is kept constant by those interested parties concerned.
(5) As an inevitable concequence of the above conditions, this community is placed under strict control, and maintains the,
status quo in the consolidated community unit.
抄録全体を表示