The Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal and the Himalaya – Kathmandu, Nepal

Conference Year: 2024

Development and Dilemma of Cultural Preservation in the Himalayas: Navigating Cultural Transformations

The Himalayan region is undergoing a transformation characterised by rapid developmental activities that pose a significant dilemma between progress and cultural preservation. The region is witnessing a surge in infrastructural projects, facilitating economic growth while challenging the preservation of indigenous cultures. Indigenous cultures comprise rich traditions, knowledge, and spiritual beliefs deeply ingrained in their ancestral …

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Tea Production in Nepal: Smallholders’ Challenges and Their Experimentation with Farmer-Based Organisations

Tea is a major export from Nepal (Department of Customs 2023) and Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) has identified it as one of the priority agricultural export products (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Supplies 2023). Smallholder farmers have a major contribution in tea production in Nepal. Out of the 9,235 farmers and enterprises involved in …

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Literary Interventions of Cultural Identity: An Analysis of the Eastern Himalayas

Linguistic anthropology posits that language, as a potent instrument in shaping cultural identity, exhibits remarkable adaptability and pervasive influence. Historical evidence underscores the undeniable role of linguistic affiliations in shaping and contesting the identities of communities. However, the era of globalisation has ushered in a paradigm where societies and individuals proficient in multiple languages are …

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Decolonising Fieldwork: A Methodological Turn in Social Research

Fieldwork in social science research has grappled with the discomfort of being unable to question and dismantle the hierarchy between ‘the researcher’ and ‘the researched.’ Researching with ‘human subjects’ also raises ethical concerns. Anthropology, since its colonial origin, has struggled with the dilemma of ‘studying the other’ despite the breakthroughs provided by immersive ethnography and …

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Navigating Social Leadership and Community Governance: Transitioning Community Leadership in Tharu Community

Federalism was adopted in Nepal to address the issues of inclusion of indigenous and marginalised groups, most of whom have their own community governance systems and practices. However, these indigenous governance systems are also undergoing transformation with changes in socio-political landscape. This is a case study of one such transformation of community leadership/institution of the …

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At the Crossroads of Ritual and Commercial: Representation of ‘Dotiyal’ in Goril Devta Jagar from Uttarakhand

Jagar is an important ritual performance worship among the Uttarakhandi people, wherein ritual practitioners invoke gods by manifesting them ‘in person’ by possessing the bodies of their mediums. In return, individuals seek blessings, favours, or solutions from the gods, thereby extending the ritual’s influence into their everyday lives (Leavitt 2016). Goril devta in Garhwal, or …

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Exploring the Socialization Process and Gender Construction among the Muslim Community of Kalaiya, Bara

Based on the theory of the social construction of gender, which argues that gender is constantly created and recreated out of human interaction and social life (West & Zimmerman, 1987; Lorber, 1994) and also that women are not born but rather made (Beauvoir, 1949), this paper examines the socialization process among females in the Muslim …

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Residents’ Perception towards Trans-Himalayan Mobility and Tourism Development: a case from Kyirong Valley of Sino-Nepal Border

Mobility and border tourism development contributed to the social and spatial interactions among residents dwell in cross-border areas and further contextualized the blueprint of rural border areas in terms of tourism development. Mobility has become so crucial that either seasonal or permanent residents get involved and inspired to adapt to the spatial changes of living, …

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Students as Policed Subjects: Language Policing and the Violation of Right to Speak in Schools

Equity and social justice have become key words in the discourses and policies of education reform. International development programs (e.g., Sustainable Development Goals) reiterate the need for creating and implementing inclusive and equitable education policies and plans, mainly in low-income countries. However, what is not much discussed in the field of international education is how …

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Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Applying in Lower-Great Himalayan Trail, Nepal

The Himalayan livelihoods theme provides critical knowledge and understudying in academia. Poverty, vulnerability, and inequality are widespread, and access to resources and services and gainful employment opportunities are limited in Himalayan region. Besides, this region is also regarded as a hot spot for climate change related study. Data on trends of Nepal from 1975 to …

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