Note: This is a provisional (unofficial) English translation of the Japanese announcement published on our Japanese site. The Japanese original takes precedence. The translation may be revised without notice.
Paper Published in La Généalogie Vol. 1, No. 3
A paper by Yuya Kinoshita, Director of our Institute, titled “A Preliminary Study on the Theoretical Framework for Genealogical Science (3): Supplementary Discussion on the Disciplinary Object Theory,” has been published in La Généalogie (Keizu-Keifu Ronkyu), Volume 1, Number 3.
Abstract
This paper takes as its premise the substantive content of genealogical records and genealogies established as “multi-generational kinship configuration information” in the preceding Disciplinary Object Theory, and addresses the problem of external definition that prior research has overlooked. A comprehensive review of prior research on genealogical records and genealogies revealed that every existing account has a fatal defect as a definition: some treat the two indiscriminately as synonyms, some yield tautology or self-contradiction when the definition is substituted, and some lack external characteristics.
Accordingly, this paper independently establishes an external definition, taking as its criterion not the presence or absence of lineal lines but whether the manner of displaying degrees of kinship is non-verbal (graphic) or verbal. It defines a genealogical record as a written document (including digital data) that graphically depicts principal degrees of kinship non-verbally, and a genealogy as an oral tradition or a written document (including digital data) that displays degrees of kinship by language alone. By integrating this with the substantive definition, the paper fixes the following as the doctrinal definitions of genealogical record and genealogy in Genealogical Science: among the records of multi-generational kinship configuration information, those that are written documents (including digital data) graphically depicting principal degrees of kinship non-verbally are “genealogical records,” and those that are oral traditions or written documents (including digital data) displaying degrees of kinship by language alone are “genealogies.” Drawing on the administrative law concept of “doctrinal ○○” (kōgakujō no ○○), it presents operational principles that address the divergence between name and substance. In addition, it revises the requirements of definition presented in the preceding Disciplinary Object Theory (1).
By this paper, the definitions of genealogical record and genealogy have been clarified.
Publication Details
- Title: A Preliminary Study on the Theoretical Framework for Genealogical Science (3): Supplementary Discussion on the Disciplinary Object Theory
- Author: Yuya Kinoshita
- Journal: La Généalogie (Keizu-Keifu Ronkyu), Vol. 1, No. 3
- Publisher: Family Research Council (Kakenkyou)
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.69352/keiron.1.3_1
Access
The full text (in Japanese) is freely available at:
- J-STAGE: https://doi.org/10.69352/keiron.1.3_1
- Family Research Council: https://www.kakenkyou.org/keiron1-3/
