Mita Philosophy Society Lecture: Bridging Medicine and the Humanities/Social Sciences 14 "Expectations of Technology: High-Rise Buildings, Migrant Workers, and Dystopia in Bangkok"

2019/12/3

Lecture Summary: Dr. Daena Furuhashi of the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, has conducted anthropological research on stress management technologies in Finland.

In this lecture, she will report on the use of methamphetamine by Cambodian migrant workers at construction sites in Thailand.

This stimulant, known in 20th-century Japan as "Hiropon," was used to boost the morale of soldiers during the war as a drug to ward off drowsiness and fatigue.

During the postwar reconstruction period, it saw an explosive boom not only in the entertainment and literary worlds but also as a drug to secure cheap labor and improve efficiency.

In Japan, however, its addictive and harmful properties became a problem, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare designated it as a powerful drug, leading to the decline of its popularity as a social phenomenon.

Even today, the use of stimulants to improve work efficiency or enhance creativity is seen around the world. Considering that since the turn of the 21st century, various psychotropic drugs have been used by a wide range of age groups and social classes for purposes beyond their original intent (i.e., to suppress pathological symptoms), the situation in Thailand is by no means unique.

In light of this global situation surrounding drugs, Dr. Furuhashi will present her research on labor and global health and offer an anthropological perspective on the interaction between humans and the chemical substances created to overcome the limits of labor. This lecture is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 19K01205.