First Things First: Research Orientation and Background Information on Two Yi Communities in Southwest China

Abstract

As the first chapter of the first systematic psychological investigation of the two religious communities of the Yi, secluded deep in the mountains of Southwest China, this chapter has the important task of orienting the reader. It opens with an introduction to the purpose and scope of the psychological investigation, then proceeds to introduce the theory of ecological rationality, which posits that religion as a cultural system co-evolves with the ecological niche and cognitive styles, and has a pervasive impact on the emotional expression and help-seeking behaviors of the local community. Next, it gives an overview of the historical background of the Yi, their native Bimo tradition, and the introduction of Christianity to Southwestern China near the end of the nineteenth century. It notes how both the native Bimo practice and Christianity were banned from the 1960s to the 1980s, during the Cultural Revolution, and that while their religious beliefs and practices are allowed currently, both religious Yi communities are facing the predicaments of poverty, disease and loss of community caused by rapid urbanization. Then it takes the reader on a tour of the two research sites—Meigu and Luquan. Lastly, it outlines the research protocol, which consists of both qualitative and quantitative methods.