Tradition and Modernity : Cultural Continuum and Transition among Tibetans in Amdo
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The purpose of this ethnographic study is to describe and analyze how various aspects of Tibetan culture in the region of Amdo (northeastern Tibet) have changed since the 1950s. The study is unique because of my perspective as a native Amdoba who has received a western education. Experience from Amdo confirms that political events locally or elsewhere can profoundly change a population s culture. Whenever a significant change in culture occurs, the affected population must re¬examine who they are, who they would like to become, and where they would like to go. I have chosen to use a qualitative approach in order to produce a rich description of the social and cultural phenomena of Amdo. I use this qualitative approach as a way of gaining insight into Tibetan culture through the discovery of the cultural significance behind such seemingly mundane things such as kinship and marriage, food, clothing, and shelter. The research also presents an extensive discourse on the New Thinkers, a group of intellectuals who advocate discarding traditional Tibetan culture and adopting a more modern one. An ideological battle is currently brewing among Tibetans in Amdo. This battle is being waged not only for the physical place called Tibet but also for the hearts and minds of ethnic Tibetans. All Tibetans must answer for themselves the question of who they are as Tibetans. Tibetans in Amdo have interacted with other ethnic groups for many centuries, and this has strengthened their ability to survive even under external threat to their culture. Since the 1980s, Tibetans living in Amdo have adopted modern clothing, diet, and housing. At the same time, many features of Tibet s traditional culture, such as their kinship terms and marriage customs continue to survive. This thesis presents the first general outline of the cultural and ethnic changes that are taking place among the Tibetans of Amdo.
Author: Qi Wu
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1136011056