Ashild Kolas's Books

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

A Place called Shangrila

By: Ashild Kolas

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Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

A Place called Shangrila

By: Ashild Kolas

This book explores the relationship between tourism, culture and ethnic identity in Tibet in , focusing in particular on Shangrila, a Tibetan region in Southwest China, to show how local ‘Tibetan culture’ is reconstructed as a marketable commodity for tourists. It analyses the socio-economic effects of Shangrila tourism in Tibet, investigating who benefits economically, whilest also considering its political implications and the ways in which tourism might be linked to the negotiation and reassertion of ethnic identity. It goes on to examine the spatial re-imagining provoked by the development of tourism, and asks whether a tourist destination inevitably becomes a ‘pseudo-community’ for the visited. Can a fictitious name, invented for the sake of tourists, still provide the ‘natives’ of a place with a sense of identity? This book argues that conceptions of place are closely linked to notions of social identity, and in the case of Shangrila particularly to ethnic identity. Viewing the spatial as socially constructed, and place-making as vital to social organisation, this is a study of how place is constructed and contested. It describes how local villagers and monastic elites have negotiated the area’s religious geography, how agents of the Communist state have redefined it as a minority area, and how tourism developers are now marketing the region as Shangrila for tourist consumption. It outlines the different ‘place-making’ strategies utilised by the various social actors, including local villagers to create the communities in which they live, monastic elites to invent a Buddhist Tibetan realm of ‘religious geography’, agents of the People’s Republic of China to define the area as part of the communist state, and tourism developers to market the region as ‘Shangrila’ for tourist consumption. Overall, this book is an insightful account of the complex links between tourism, culture and Tibetanethnic identity in Tibet, and will be of interest to a wide range of disciplines including social anthropology, sociology, human geography, tourism and development studies.

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Page Count

176

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1134078374

ISBN 13

9781134078370

On the Margins of Tibet

Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier

By: Ashild Kolas,Monika P. Thowsen

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On the Margins of Tibet

Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier

By: Ashild Kolas,Monika P. Thowsen

The state of Tibetan culture within contemporary China is a highly politicized topic on which reliable information is rare. But what is Tibetan culture and how should it be developed or preserved? The Chinese authorities and the Tibetans in exile present conflicting views on almost every aspect of Tibetan cultural life. Ashild Kolas and Monika Thowsen have gathered an astounding array of data to quantify Tibetan cultural activities--involving Tibetan language, literature, visual arts, museums, performing arts, festivals, and religion. Their study is based on fieldwork and interviews conducted in the ethnic Tibetan areas surrounding the Tibetan Autonomous Region--parts of the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, and Qinghai. Aware of the ambiguous nature of information collected in restricted circumstances, they make every effort to present a complete and unbiased picture of Tibetan communities living on China's western frontiers. Kolas and Thowsen investigate the present conditions of Tibetan cultural life and cultural expression, providing a wealth of detailed information on topics such as the number of restored monasteries and nunneries and the number of monks, nuns, and tulkus (reincarnated lamas) affiliated with them; sources of funding for monastic reconstruction and financial support of clerics; types of religious ceremonies being practiced; the content of monastic and secular education; school attendance; educational curriculum and funding; the role of language in Tibetan schools; and Tibetan news and cultural media. On the Margins of Tibet will be of interest to historians and social scientists studying modern China and Tibetan culture, and to the many others concerned about Tibet's place in the world.

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Page Count

290

Publisher

University of Washington Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0295804106

ISBN 13

9780295804101

On the Margins of Tibet

Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier

By: Ashild Kolas,Monika P. Thowsen

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On the Margins of Tibet

Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Frontier

By: Ashild Kolas,Monika P. Thowsen

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

290

Publisher

University of Washington Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0295804106

ISBN 13

9780295804101

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

A Place called Shangrila

By: Ashild Kolas

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Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

A Place called Shangrila

By: Ashild Kolas

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

176

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1134078374

ISBN 13

9781134078370

China in Africa

implications for Norwegian foreign and development policies

By: Elling Njål Tjønneland,Bjørn Brandtzæg,Ashild Kolas,Garth Le Pere

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China in Africa

implications for Norwegian foreign and development policies

By: Elling Njål Tjønneland,Bjørn Brandtzæg,Ashild Kolas,Garth Le Pere

China's development will affect the history of the twenty-first century, and perhaps nowhere more importantly than in Africa. The emergence of China introduces new opportunities for Africa, new challenges and new imponderables as well. Observers are watching China's Africa policy with a mixture of fascination and fright. The new Chinese Africa policy has major implications for development on the continent. The purpose of this report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORAD is to present and review the new Chinese engagement in Africa and to identify and discuss implications for Norwegian foreign and development policies. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to Chinese foreign policy, the motives and interests behind the policy goals, and how Chinese foreign policy is manifesting itself in relation to the developing world and in the multilateral arena. Chapter 2 offers an overview of Chinese engagement in Africa while Chapter 3 gives an assessment of the implications for Africa, the dynamics of China-Africa interaction and the challenges ahead. Chapter 4 provides a more detailed presentation and analysis of the Chinese engagement in the petroleum sector in Africa and its implications. The concluding Chapter outlines Norwegian objectives and provides a number of recommendations for Norwegian Africa policy, bilateral co-operation with China, and multilateral engagement. The study argues that although Norway may be a small country with very limited capacities to influence Chinese policies, it can still make a small difference. Through the Norwegian development policy in Africa and through the Norwegian engagement in the petroleum and energy sectors, Norway possesses skills, resources and influence which potentially can help make a small, but important contribution in strengthening Africa's capacity to benefit from China's engagement.

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ISBN 10

8280621717

ISBN 13

9788280621719

Book's by Ashild Kolas

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

On the Margins of Tibet

On the Margins of Tibet

On the Margins of Tibet

On the Margins of Tibet

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

Tourism and Tibetan Culture in Transition

China in Africa

China in Africa

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