Demarcation Of Boundaries Research Articles

Tracing of palaeochannels of Bakulahi river system in Uttar Pradesh, India

Palaeochannels can be good possible reservoirs of groundwater and are good rechargeable aquifers. Bakulahi is a plain-fed tributary of the Sai River flowing from north-west to south-east direction with about 177-km length and about 841-km2 catchment area. It emanates from interconnected series of tals (large- to medium-sized shallow depressions) situated in the Raebareli district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Course of the Bakulahi River is shifted laterally and left many fluvial landforms—palaeochannels, oxbow lakes, meander cutoff, etc. The present study is based on the on-screen digitization of the Bakulahi River basin boundary, drainage network, palaeocourses, and other surface water bodies from high-resolution remote-sensing data (1 m × 1 m) available at Google Earth. The digitized details from remote sensing data are validated with some field observations. Different thematic maps are prepared by converting Google Earth feature files (.kmz/.kml) into GIS feature files (.shp) and importing layers into the GIS environment. There are about 115 palaeochannels covering about 137-km2 area (16.29%); about 6000 surface water bodies in forms of ponds/tanks having 23.36-km2 area (2.74%) and 40 oxbow lakes are mapped within the basin. This is the first scientific attempt to trace palaeocourses of the Bakulahi River. The present paper also answers the question about the origin of the Bakulahi River. Demarcation of precise basin boundary through manual method by using high-resolution remotesensing data is another contribution of this exercise which is otherwise a difficult task without the availability of high resolution DEM.

12.4 THE BODILY SELF IN PSYCHOSIS: SENSORIMOTOR INDUCTION OF AUDITORY MISATTRIBUTION IN PSYCHOSIS IS LINKED TO NEURAL DISCONNECTIVITY

Abstract Background Psychosis is often depicted as a disruption of the self-model. Patients suffering from psychosis report many symptoms relating to deficiencies in the minimal self, including loss of the sense of control over their actions (Sense of Agency) as well as numerous disturbances of body representation (e.g. Body Ownership). Positive symptoms of psychosis such as passivity symptoms and auditory hallucinations (termed first-rank symptoms) are characterized by a diminished demarcation of self-other boundaries, causing misattribution of self-generated actions to external sources. It has been suggested that this deficiency in self-monitoring in schizophrenia is due to abnormal sensorimotor prediction mechanisms, causing a loss of agency for actions and thoughts. While the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia are yet unclear, many studies have reported aberrant neural connectivity in schizophrenia patients which may impact sensorimotor prediction and integration. Methods Recently, we have shown that introducing sensorimotor conflict (SMC) can induce psychosis like symptoms in healthy patients. Employing a master-slave robotic system we induced a conflict by introducing a delay between the participants’ movements and the haptic feedback. The SMC caused a feeling of a Presence (FoP) which is a first rank symptom of psychosis. The FoP is also found in neurological patients with lesions in cortical regions of the temporoparietal cortex, insular cortex and fronto-parietal cortex related to abnormal bodily self-representation. Here, we tested if SMC may cause misattribution of auditory stimuli and if this is related to neural connectivity. We tested first episode psychosis patients (N=31) with and without first rank symptoms (related to the sense of control over actions and thoughts) as well as healthy participants (N=20) on an auditory attribution task while inducing conflict with the master-slave robot. Results We found that when a SMC was introduced patients with first rank symptoms showed a decrease in their ability to judge if the auditory stimuli were in their own voice or the voice of another person. Resting state functional connectivity analysis indicated that the first rank patients had reduced connectivity in the network related to the SMC, but not in other control regions. Furthermore, the reduced functional connectivity correlated with the rates of auditory misattribution. Conclusions Our results show that induction of SMC can cause auditory misattributions, and that this is related to reduced cortical communication in regions related to sensorimotor body representation. These findings connect two influential theories of psychosis linking cognitive theories of sensorimotor prediction error in schizophrenia with systems level theories of neural disconnectivity. Understanding these neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the disruption of the self-model in psychosis may allow novel approaches in early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

The politics of boundaries in South Africa: the case of Matatiele

ABSTRACTThis paper engages with a key concern in boundary studies namely what are the major forces which inform boundaries and boundary demarcation/making. Boundaries being quintessentially geographical are infused with social, political and spatial content. While the Berlin Conference imposed national boundaries using geography as a colonial tool, the principle of boundaries imposed at the intra-national scale is a current concern. The paper focusses on boundary demarcation in post-apartheid South Africa through a consideration of the Matatiele boundary dispute. Matatiele, a small town, situated towards the south-western corner of KwaZulu-Natal, but now part of the Eastern Cape Province, has been the subject of a longstanding boundary dispute between the two provinces. The matter has been a subject of a number of protracted court battles between residents of the town and the different tiers of government, the provincial and national tiers of government in particular. The paper details the struggle for spatial justice – the political strategies, in particular – of proponents for the inclusion of Matatiele into KwaZulu-Natal. The paper demonstrates that in a (quasi) federal spatial formation such as South Africa, boundaries are politically overdetermined at the national scale. The local democratic content, therefore, is rendered inconsequential.

Precision mapping of boundaries of flood plain river basins using high-resolution satellite imagery: A case study of the Varuna river basin in Uttar Pradesh, India

Accurate demarcation of river basin boundaries is an important input for any programme connected with watershed management. In the present study, the boundary of the Varuna river basin is automatically derived using coarse- and medium-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) of SRTM-30 m, ASTER-30 m, Cartosat-30 m, ALOS Palsar-12.5 m and Cartosat-10 m as well as manually through on-screen digitisation from a very high-resolution 1 m $$\times $$ 1 m remote sensing data available as Google Earth image. The study demonstrated the efficacy of on-screen digitisation from high-resolution Google Earth image supported by detailed field observations in the precision mapping of the place of origin of the Varuna River, its stream network and basin boundary when compared to the maps generated through automatic methods using DEMs of various resolutions. The Varuna river system takes its headwaters from the areas surrounding Umran and Dain ‘tals’ (shallow, large depressions/basins) but not from the west of Mau Aima town as has been previously reported.

Municipal boundaries demarcations and ward delimitations—Impact on service delivery

Ward delimitation is a call that demands interrogation. Issues of ward delimitation and their impact on service delivery are critical. While reminiscing the past, good or bad, the study warns the Municipal Demarcation Board, the authority in charge of demarcation and delimitations of municipal boundaries and wards, to delimit wards without inciting conflicts and violence. Employing multicase studies, the study follows empirical analysis drawing examples from local, regional, and international orientations to arrive at scientific conclusions. The Board must not be seen as a springboard for political embattlement but an instrument similar to institutions demanding accountabilities to deepen democracy. This is possible if the Board ceases from delimiting wards in preparations for local government elections.

Service Delivery Models to Maximize Quality of Life for Older People at the End of Life: A Rapid Review.

Policy Points We identified two overarching classifications of integrated geriatric and palliative care to maximize older people's quality of life at the end of life. Both are oriented to person‐centered care, but with differing emphasis on either function or symptoms and concerns.Policymakers should both improve access to palliative care beyond just the last months of life and increase geriatric care provision to maintain and optimize function. This would ensure that continuity and coordination for potentially complex care needs across the continuum of late life would be maintained, where the demarcation of boundaries between healthy aging and healthy dying become increasingly blurred.Our findings highlight the urgent need for health system change to improve end‐of‐life care as part of universal health coverage. The use of health services should be informed by the likelihood of benefits and intended outcomes rather than on prognosis. ContextIn an era of unprecedented global aging, a key priority is to align health and social services for older populations in order to support the dual priorities of living well while adapting to a gradual decline in function. We aimed to provide a comprehensive synthesis of evidence regarding service delivery models that optimize the quality of life (QoL) for older people at the end of life across health, social, and welfare services worldwide.MethodsWe conducted a rapid scoping review of systematic reviews. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and CDSR databases from 2000 to 2017 for reviews reporting the effectiveness of service models aimed at optimizing QoL for older people, more than 50% of whom were older than 60 and in the last one or two years of life. We assessed the quality of these included reviews using AMSTAR and synthesized the findings narratively.ResultsOf the 2,238 reviews identified, we included 72, with 20 reporting meta‐analysis. Although all the World Health Organization (WHO) regions were represented, most of the reviews reported data from the Americas (52 of 72), Europe (46 of 72), and/or the Western Pacific (28 of 72). We identified two overarching classifications of service models but with different target outcomes: Integrated Geriatric Care, emphasizing physical function, and Integrated Palliative Care, focusing mainly on symptoms and concerns. Areas of synergy across the overarching classifications included person‐centered care, education, and a multiprofessional workforce. The reviews assessed 117 separate outcomes. A meta‐analysis demonstrated effectiveness for both classifications on QoL, including symptoms such as pain, depression, and psychological well‐being. Economic analysis and its implications were poorly considered.ConclusionsDespite their different target outcomes, those service models classified as Integrated Geriatric Care or Integrated Palliative Care were effective in improving QoL for older people nearing the end of life. Both approaches highlight the imperative for integrating services across the care continuum, with service involvement triggered by the patient's needs and likelihood of benefits. To inform the sustainability of health system change we encourage economic analyses that span health and social care and examine all sources of finance to understand contextual inequalities.

Surveying and producing the frontier in nineteenth century Manipur: challenges and practices

ABSTRACTThe second half of the nineteenth century was a turning point in the history of modern Manipur when it collaborated with the British in the first Anglo-Burmese War of 1824. With the conclusion of the treaty of Yandaboo 1826, Manipur was transformed into a frontier zone. In this backdrop, the paper explores the pre-colonial notion of territory and how it competed with the European notions of space. Boundaries were fluid, and land was perceived more in terms of people and social relations. The paper also highlights the impact of state formation and territorialisation on identity formation by referring to the changes in the management of the hills and the valley after the 1891 Anglo-Manipuri War. Demarcation of land and boundaries submitted to the logic of rule and control which resulted in the classification of land and people into far more rigid categories like the separate management of the hills and the valley.

Methods of verification of soils prediction maps: a case study from Chernivtsi region, Ukraine

Knowing the spatial distribution of individual soil taxonomic units is a key factor in man-aging efficient land use not only for agriculture but also for forestry. The use of a comprehensive soil surveys held in past decades and based on fieldwork created the basis for the initial spatial representation of the soil fund structure. However, the spatial distribution of the soil cover was the result of fieldwork and the experience of the person who drew this map. Often this led to some errors in determining the types of soils and their boundaries. To date, there is a growing need for precise methods of land taxation, based on correct information on soil cover. In countries with a large area, such as Ukraine, field surveys still do not cover the whole territory, often the density of the allocation of soil pits was too low, which in some cases led to an incorrect demarcation of soil boundaries. Since such a problem is very urgent for Ukraine, the search and identification of probable problem soil maps by constructing their predicted versions, their comprehensive analysis and cross-validation is an important task. The conducted investigations revealed that morphometric parameters of the relief and their derivatives obtaining from the analyses of DEM are a reliable basis for the predictive modelling of the spatial distribution of soil cover with sufficiently high accuracy, and the methodology based on 11 types of prognostic algorithms would have a significant prospect in solving scientific and production problems. Very important in this process is the selection of predictors derived from the DEM, as well as the structure and distribution of the training dataset, based on which the model will be built later. An equally important part is the control of results, including on the basis of cross-validation of the models used, as well as a comparison of the results with field studies. The article presents the results of 11 simulations, evaluates the quality of predictive algorithms and the models obtained. As a consequence, several possible ways to check the cartographic and simulation results of the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic units were described, as well as their comparison with those actually existing in nature. The most reliable method of the 11 presented is a direct study of the soil in the field and comparing them with the soil map. It is recommended to use it in case of suspicion of poorly executed maps, although financially it is very expensive. More preferred is a set of modelling methods that is based on the data already collected. With reliable sources, they provide an opportunity to predict the soil in places where the survey was not conducted at all. Verification of the quality of the tested models was carried out on a fragment of the Ukrainian region within the boundaries of the Chernivtsi region, confined to the Prut-Dniester and Prut-Siret interfluves.

Die Festlegung von Staatsgrenzen. Der maßgebliche Beitrag der Geodäten zur Realisierung von Grenzen

The important contribution of surveyors to the realisation of boundariesWhen we talk about boundaries between states it might be useful to think about other boundaries in our everydaylives. This will be elaborated using the ideas of internationally well-known personalities like the writer ClaudioMagris (born 1939 in Trieste) or the philosopher Konrad Paul Liessmann (born 1953 in Villach). But also “the lawcorrectly sets borders” which are necessary for the co-existence of and within communities.According to international law, a state has four essential features: population, territory, sovereignty, and government.Usually, a state’s boundaries are defined in bilateral boundary treaties between neighbours.This is the point where surveyors start their contribution – drawing maps for a first overview of the new boundary,then defining the course of the new boundary together with other experts and finally transforming this definitioninto nature, setting permanent monuments, making the boundary survey and a first draft of the boundary documents.Boundary commissions finalise these documents by signing a boundary treaty. Based on the Treaty of St.Germain some examples will be given for the first demarcations of the new boundaries and the final definitions laiddown in this treaty.If a country wants to join the European Union it is one of the preconditions that it has no territorial conflicts withits neighbours. Of course there may remain one or the other disputed section like between France and Italy in thehigh region of Mont Blanc or between Slovenia and Croatia in the Gulf of Piran. But there may also be problems ifone country wants to leave the EU, like Great Britain with the problematic boundary between Northern Ireland,which will leave the EU, and the Republic of Ireland, which will remain in the EU. In spite of the Government ofIreland Act from 1921, this boundary never has never been clearly defined or fixed.Finally, the most important details of the Austrian boundary are presented.

Border Disputes and Its Impact on Bilateral Relation: A Case of Nepal- India International Border Management

This paper examines the historical events of Nepal-India international boundary. How the delineation and demarcation of international boundary was carried out, is strategically explained. Border water issues are raised. Encroachments and disputes due to river boundary are also discussed. Disputes on both Physical and artificial boundary and their impacts on bilateral relation is analyzed. Both positive and negative impact of an open border system between Nepal and India is discussed. Border problems are identified clearly. Initiatives taken how to resolve the border management issues are categorically presented. Strip mapping of boundary area was carried out using GPS and GIS technology and the maps of whole Nepal-India boundary, except Kalapani and Susta, are prepared jointly and signed by the joint technical committee assigned by the respective government.

Spatial prediction of susceptibility to gully erosion in Jainti River basin, Eastern India: a comparison of information value and logistic regression models

The research on effective methods for assessing areas susceptible to gully erosion has environmental, agricultural and economic benefits to society. This study aimed to identify the areas with high susceptibility to gully erosion using two statistical methods and compare the performances. Remote sensing and field data along with two statistical methods, information value (InfVal) and logistic regression, were applied in the analysis. Gullies, boundary demarcation and regulating erosion processes were surveyed and mapped in a GIS environment. Gully sites were split into training and validation set for modelling and validating susceptibility results. The geo-environmental variables selected, according to study area, were land use/land cover, slope steepness, slope aspect, elevation range, length-slope factor, topographical wetness and position index, stream power index, geology, soil type, rainfall erosivity index and altitude. Weights for each class of each variable were computed through InfVal method and probabilities of occurrence of 1,000,000 random locations were extracted to run the logistic regression operation. A weighted linear combination approach and an inverse distance weighted approach were applied for the InfVal and logistic regression methods, respectively, to generate the gully proneness maps. Both results were classified into five susceptibility classes and they depict 18.44% (Infval) and 12.67% (logistic regression) area of the catchment as high to very highly susceptible to gully erosion. Correlation analysis between the results revealed a coefficient value of 0.8379. For InfVal model, the success and prediction rate is 78% and 75% whereas for the logistic regression model, it is 73% and 72.9% accordingly.

Risk and the politics of boundary work: preserving autonomous midwifery in the Netherlands

Midwives’ position in maternal and newborn care (MNC) in the Netherlands is unique: unlike many other countries, they have retained the authority over risk assessment and referral. We studied why and how midwives formally gained their position as gatekeepers, a role formally granted in 1987 by the Study Group for the Revision of the Kloosterman List (SGKL), a group of representatives from all professions and organisations involved in Dutch MNC. We analysed the minutes of the SGKL’s meetings and conducted interviews with eight key-informants who were involved in the SGKL’s decision process. We used theories of professional boundary work and cultural theories of risk to analyse the negotiations regarding the authority over risk assessment and referral in MNC that occurred between the representatives of midwives, general practitioners, and obstetricians in the SGKL. Our study offers new insights into professional boundary demarcation and the contest for control of risk management that occur at the political level of MNC. We show that beliefs regarding risks associated with childbirth and concern with the protection of professional interests can differ not only between but also within professions that seek to police and extend their boundaries. Negotiations are shaped by a dynamic interaction between these beliefs and interests, creating the possibility for otherwise unexpected transprofessional coalitions and redefining boundaries in unexpected ways. Our findings offer the possibility to view disputes in MNC as occurring between beliefs and interests, instead of between professional groups. These insights can reframe policy discussions in MNC and point to the need for further analysis of the boundary work that occurs in political and regulatory arenas.

From ethnic group boundary demarcation to deprovincialization: The interplay of immigrant presence and ideological climate

Intergroup contact (i.e. personal encounters with and presence of immigrants) has frequently been related to improved immigration attitudes among the national majority. The impact of ideological cl...

Taxonomic circumscription of Diaporthales based on multigene phylogeny and morphology

Demarcation of family, genus and species boundaries in the Diaporthales has been tentative due to uninformative illustrations and descriptions, overlapping morphological characteristics, misplacement or poor condition of type specimens and shortage of molecular data from ex-type cultures. In this study, we obtained the type specimens or other authentic specimens of diaporthalean taxa from worldwide fungaria. We examined, described and illustrated them. This study is based on morphological characters from type or authentic specimens, details from protologue and original illustrations and molecular data obtained from GenBank. Combined analyses of nrITS, nrLSU, RPB2 and TEF1-α sequence data were used to construct the molecular phylogeny. Additionally, we provided separate phylogenetic trees for families when necessary to show the generic distribution within these families based on suitable gene markers. Based on morphology and phylogeny, we treat 17 genera previously assigned to Diaporthales genera incertae sedis within several families. For some genera we have designated new generic types as they are lacking type species or type species have affiliations with other families. We exclude Anisomycopsis from Diaporthales and place it in Xylariomycetidae genera incertae sedis. Tirisporellaceae, which was previously placed in Tirisporellales is placed in Diaporthales based on phylogeny and morphology. A new combination, Dendrostoma leiphaemia propose for Amphiporthe leiphaemia (Fr.) Butin. Based on the morphological characters and molecular data we accept 27 families and 138 genera within Diaporthales, 24 genera in Diaporthales genera incertae sedis and one genus in Xylariomycetidae genera incertae sedis. We provide notes for genera in Diaporthales genera incertae sedis, and excluded and doubtful genera are listed with notes on their taxonomy and phylogeny.

Phonetic structure of Intonational prominence in 3 Dene/Athabasakn (ISO den) languages

In this paper, we examine the prosodic structure of Y/N Q’s and focus constructions in three related Dene/Athabaskan tone languages spoken in North American: Navajo, Dene Sųline, and North Slavey (Deline), known for their complex polysynthesis, representing a geographically widespread language family, from the American Southwest (Navajo), to northern Alberta (Dene Sųline) to the arctic (North Slavey). These languages share a strikingly similar phonetic inventory and morphological structure. One interesting feature is the phonotactic structure of the morphology—the monosyllabic verb stem is the location of phonemic contrasts: outside the stem the contrasts are severely reduced, making the stems phonemically and phonetically prominent. The stems are the rightmost elements in the verbal complex and in a sentence (verb final). Navajo has been argued to lack any kind of intonational prominence, but the northern languages show more typical prominence marking. In this study we lay out the difference associated to the demarcation of boundaries and prominence: duration and the acoustic correlates of pitch accent events associated with focus and YN/Q’s and boundary marking. Data is taken from conversation games models on map tasks. Findings indicate while phonetically and morphologically similar great variety is found in the prosody.In this paper, we examine the prosodic structure of Y/N Q’s and focus constructions in three related Dene/Athabaskan tone languages spoken in North American: Navajo, Dene Sųline, and North Slavey (Deline), known for their complex polysynthesis, representing a geographically widespread language family, from the American Southwest (Navajo), to northern Alberta (Dene Sųline) to the arctic (North Slavey). These languages share a strikingly similar phonetic inventory and morphological structure. One interesting feature is the phonotactic structure of the morphology—the monosyllabic verb stem is the location of phonemic contrasts: outside the stem the contrasts are severely reduced, making the stems phonemically and phonetically prominent. The stems are the rightmost elements in the verbal complex and in a sentence (verb final). Navajo has been argued to lack any kind of intonational prominence, but the northern languages show more typical prominence marking. In this study we lay out the difference associated ...

Justice Ngcobo’s Rich Legacy at the Intersection of Federalism and Democracy

 This article aims to make a connection between the Tongoane judgment, which deals with ‘tagging’ legislation, and Justice Ngcobo’s innovative thinking in the Matatiele Municipality cases, which are about the demarcation of provincial boundaries. These cases are bound together by Justice Ngcobo’s powerful commitment to democracy at the sub-national level. The judgments build accountability at grassroots level and constrain authoritarian impulses. This article examines the political issues behind provincial demarcation disputes, including ethnic impulses. It argues that current democratic concepts in South African Constitutional law can never meet the popular sovereignty, self-determinative type of claim of communities who wish to determine their own futures in boundary disputes. These disputes raise specific democratic problems that need to be named, seen for what they are and theorised on their own terms.Â

An assessment of the impact of silviculture and forest management regimes to forest cover change in the Churia region during 1992 to 2014

A study was conducted in the Churia region in 2014 to assess the change in forest cover as an outcome of the performance of various forest management regimes and silvicultural practices with the main objective to find the gap between those two. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) were used to compare the satellite imageries for the period of 1992 to 2014 in order to analyse the state of forest cover change. The demarcation of community forest boundaries was conducted based on available boundary maps and transferred to Google earth and GIS platform. Results showed that overall forest cover in the Churia region was increased by 7500 ha (1%) in 22 years, i.e. 1.35 million ha (76%) in 1992 to 1.36 million ha (77%) in 2014. The rate of deforestation in the Churia region was reduced as compared to the national average. However, degradation of landscape was visible at riverbeds and cultivation lands close to the riverbeds. It was also found that the area of dense forest was increased by 42,000 ha, whereas the area covered by bushes and grassland was reduced by 39,000 ha. The study further showed that there was a decline in cultivated land by 20,000 ha. Comparing the forest cover change in community forests with that of other management regimes, silvicultural practices in community forest areas have brought relatively better positive changes in the forest condition. It may be due to periodic silviculture operations carried out collectively by local communities. In the assessment, however, various elements of tenure rights and responsibilities of community, government and private forest and tree owners were identified and key silvicultural practices adopted by these regimes were highlighted as the drivers of positive or negative outcomes of forest cover change. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page : 36-44

Evolving practice in land demarcation

This paper analyzes social choice with respect to the demarcation of land boundaries, distinguishing between physical and legal demarcation. In contrast with the influential “land administration” literature and the World Bank’s policy guidelines, the analysis supports voluntary—instead of mandatory—demarcation as well as non-integrated services for land administration. Consistent with these theoretical arguments, the paper empirically verifies that demarcation conflicts play a lesser role in title-, land- and property-related litigation, which seems to increase in all these areas after physical demarcation is made mandatory. Relying on World Bank data, it also observes that linking and merging cadastres and land registries does not correlate with lower transaction costs.

A neural network and landscape metrics to propose a flexible urban growth boundary: A case study

Urban sprawl is a major barrier for the precise demarcation of administrative boundary in the world. In India, medium and small towns have so far developed outside the envisaged planning, resulting in a leapfrog and haphazard growth. This paper has attempted to simulate the spatial extent of urban expansion and boundary demarcation for the purpose of efficient urban planning and land resource management. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model and a set of landscape metrics were used to delineate the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and characterize the future patterns of growth in Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC, India). In particular, two urban boundaries – namely, Urban Hard Boundary (UHB) and Urban Soft Boundary (USB) – were simulated. The results suggest a USB with the area of 123 km2 to address the basic service delivery and a UHB with the area of 211.88 km2 to manage the ecological fragmentation.

Contesting Chineseness: An Examination of Religion and National Identity in Mainland China

AbstractFor citizens of many countries around the world, religion is a necessary—though often contested—component of their national identity. From the vantage point of the symbolic boundaries approach, we argue that the Chinese government and various other social actors are in contestation to define “Chineseness” in religious terms. Using data from the 2007 Spiritual Life Study of Chinese Residents, this study explores the extent to which religion functions as a constitutive part of Chinese national identity. We find that the effectiveness of the Chinese government's demarcation of the symbolic boundaries around Chineseness related to religion varies across religious groups. Believers of each religion are likely to be strong advocates for their own religion's connection to Chinese national identity. Among the religions, traditional Chinese religions tend to demonstrate a stronger affinity with one another than with Christianity. Daoists are a particularly strong contestant in aligning Daoism with Chineseness, to the extent that they discredit the other religions’ suitability for the Chinese. We discuss the implications of these findings and point out directions for future research.