Anthropological Studies of Materiality

Core Project Coordinator: Director, Anthropological Studies of Materiality
Project Period: October, 2009 to March, 2016

Research in this area aims to re-examine the relationship between the material and the human against the backdrop of the advance of globalization through an anthropology centered interdisciplinary approach with the aim of a developing a new view on human nature. More specifically, the research is designed to shed new light on the relationship between the material world and people in the contexts of industrialization, urbanization, and borderlessness, and identify the nature of this relationship from a long-term, historical perspective. The main research themes include: fetishism; collection and possession of materials and material objects; and the relationship between people and the products of leading-edge science and technology, such as artificial intelligence and information technology. The project has been underway since October 1, 2009.