Spirited Women: Gender, Religion, and Cultural Identity in the Nepal Himalaya

by Joanne Watkins

Overview

-Drawing threads of individual oral histories together with detailed ethnographic inquiry, Watkins weaves a colorful background to her analysis of gender relations among the Nyeshangte of the Nepal Himalaya. . . . The author traces through the history of the Nyeshangte people, their traditional trading practices and the historical and modern factors which have transformed their way of life. -Royal Society for Asian Affairs

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231102155
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	05/23/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Editorial Reviews

Drawing threads of individual oral histories together with detailed ethnographic inquiry, Watkins weaves a colorful background to her analysis of gender relations among the Nyeshangte of the Nepal Himalaya.... The author traces through the history of the Nyeshangte people, their traditional trading practices and the historical and modern factors which have transformed their way of life.

Royal Society for Asian Affairs

...[A]n impressive book that examines common assumptions about the universality of Western constructions of gender and power....Spirited Women will greatly appeal to readers interested in gender studies and the ethnography of Nepal but it also has much to offer to anyone interested in the contemporary application of Buddhist ethics.
— Journal of Buddhist Ethics

Karen C. Lang

A study examining the nature of gender relations among Nyeshangte, an ethnic Tibetan Buddhist group from north central Nepal. Watkins takes a historical perspective, demonstrating how gender relations are constituted by social arrangements, ideologies, division of labor, and by new forms of economic production. Additionally, she considers gender roles in relation to international trade and Buddhism. Her research was done in Tibet and is based in primary source interviews, supplemented with scholarly readings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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