The Formation of Small Social Groups in a Village and Social Unity of the Smallest Unit-Area

Abstract

A great deal of effort has been made to study social relationships in the village, but no attention seems to have been paid to the smallest unit-area. The purpose of this paper is to explain social unity in the smallest unit-area and to analyze the relationships among social groups within the village. Social groups may be divided into two types-lineage and territorial groups. Although we regard territorial groups as important in geographical studies, we have to pay attention to lineage groups as well as territorial ones. We cannot identify the smallest unit-area without understanding the two types of social groups simultaneously.The author selected Kawanami as a typical example of a village in which there are two types of groups. Both lineage and territorial groups in the ko (fraternal society for religious bands). Kannnon-ko and Yakushi-ko are organized on a hierarchy of lineage. Six sets of Jizo-ko are organized in terms of territorial relations. All households of the village join Kannnon-ko or Yakusi-ko and at the same time they join Jizo-ko.Kannnon-ko is organized by the upper class (Moroto) and Yakusi-ko by the lower class (Hira). Moroto class had the privilege of autonomy in the village during the Edo period, but in the late Edo period, Hira class has had a greater say. Since Hira class has become equal to Moroto class, Kannnon-ko and Yakusi-ko have formed as dual organizations.Six sets of Jizo-ko (by the place name of Satonaka/Hinode/Daimon/Kitago/Nishide/Yanagi) were organized by territorial groups. The former four sets of Jizo-ko were organized in the late Edo period. Jizo-ko of Nishide seceded from Jizo-ko of Daimon in the early Meiji period, and Jizo-ko of Yanagi seceded from Jizo-ko of Hinode in the Taisho period. Jizo-ko, as territorial groups, appeared to weaken social unity in the village as the smallest unit-area.As mentioned above, there is simultaneously in existence two type of groups; on the one hand, small territorial groups act to weaken social unity and on the other hand dual organization acts to strengthen social unity in a smallest unit-area from the end of Edo period to Meiji period.