A Study on Cultural Anthropological Approaches to Space exploration

Keywords

Space exploration,Modern Technology,　Space Anthropology

Objectives

This research aims to conduct methodological studies on a new theme: the anthropology of “state-of-the-art technology” related to space development. As technology relating to space development has advanced and the use of outer space has increased since the latter half of the twentieth century, space is no longer only the subject of technological studies but is raising issues in relation to international politics and economics, as well as our local and sociocultural lives. This project will: (1) review the validity and methodology of conventional concepts about specific topics in relation to space (the space industry, tourism, and our physical and cognitive changes), and (2) review and interpret the data obtained from the interview survey about space development engineers that was conducted along with the joint research project with JAXA supported by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. This research aims to establish a study area that will set up a comprehensive theme, “Space Anthropology” to take the wider effects of modern technology into account.

Research Results

This inter-university research project examined the possibility of doing a cultural anthropological study on space exploration and an anthropological approach in which the main object or field of research is cutting-edge modern technology in the modern period. Specifically, we empirically and multifacetedly shed light on aspects of modern society—of which part of its worldview is formed by knowledge of cutting-edge modern technology—with a particular emphasis on the reality of people, which is woven by cutting-edge modern technology, society, and culture in modern Japanese society, and examined how this can be approached with an anthropological perceptive. We examined materials and data obtained in research of other research projects connected to this project; specifically, 2015-2016 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research project “A Pilot Study of Oral History on Engineer in Space Development” and 2017-2020 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (Generative Research Fields) project “Orality in Advanced Technology: Space Development in Japan.” By focusing on oral stories, collective memory, and oral transmission of techniques of engineers directly involved in space exploration, we shed light on the multi-layered socio-cultural aspects of cutting-edge modern technology (i.e. space exploration), and showed that it is possible to study the “field” in which cutting-edge modern technology is produced and passed down with an anthropological approach. We also comparatively examined the polymorphism of orality in engineer communities involved in space exploration technology, workers and SMEs that manufacture parts, and residents living near space-related facilities, with literacy with public records, technical plans, and news; and examined the tension, conflict, and connection between cutting-edge modern technology and society/culture. Furthermore, we invited experts in natural science, people involved in manned space exploration at JAXA, and engineers as guest speakers to project workshops, where they shared their needed expertise with project members and held discussions with researchers and experts. In addition, workshops were held at locations outside the museum such as the University of Hyogo Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory and National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, where experts provided commentary and held question and answer sessions about the facilities and equipment, enabling us to examine the forefront of space exploration.