Nepali Society Research Articles

Structural Analysis of a Tale from Kathmandu

Folk tales are part and parcel of human life because they have been told and retold in every human society from the time immemorium. Though its not clear when and how they have been an intrinsic part of human life. This is a treasure and specially the treasure of language which have been bestowed by our ancestors. Since the folk tales are part of the folk literature, they have drawn the attention of the folklorists. Folklorists have studied, analyzed, interpreted and researched on the different genres of folk literature and the folk tale is one of them. They are simple narrative. They are simple, short and having unique structure which enthrall listeners and also encourage the tellers to tell them again and again nevertheless even at our age of science and technology. Nepali society is multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and diverse in nature. They have their folktales to entertain and heal the psychological burden too. The present research tries to analyze the folktales of Kathmandu/Nepal from the structural approach. The present research claims that the structures of folktales are the main cause of bringing effects on both tellers and the listeners. This research will take help of the idea/theory developed by Vladimir Propp whose Morphology of Folktale will be the methodology to analyze the structure of the folktale.

Body Purity in Cultural Discourse: An Alternative to Woman's Liberation in Nabin Subba’s Numafung

The notion of purity of women in Nepali society is practiced as a discourse as qualitative measurement of their existence. However, the discourse in shaped and conditioned by various cultural mores and normativities. This discourse, neutralizing their status without comprehending their aspirations and grievances, subordinates women. In this light, this paper, deploying Foucauldian notion of discourse, Simone de Beauvoir’s concept of the female, analyzes concept of purity of body as depicted in Nabin Subba's movie, Numafung. Moreover, it argues that Numafung challenges the prevailing notion and presents an alternative depiction of a woman’s body from a cultural location, representing the aesthetic of the Limbu people. The protagonist of the movie, Numa, debunks the pervasive social structure, getting married three times in different forms. The movie presents a case that although the dominant group may disseminate discursive truths, minimal affirmation of subordinated groups keeps on jeopardizing the discourse through their cultural practices. Thus, analysis implies that cultural inclusion and the recognition of subordinated groups in the practice of societal values can be an alternative through which women’s liberation is possible.

A History of Untouchability in Nepal

This study tries to explore how the practice of untouchability developed in the ancient Indian Aryan society and over time entered Nepal and gradually took root in Nepali society. This study presents an argument based on historical facts that the practice of untouchability originated in the Indian Aryan society under the practice of some of the elites who had been in powerful positions. The practice was mainly instituted by the elites to continue exercising their power to subjugate the powerless. As the same, elite Aryans started migrating to Nepal during the ancient period, they brought with them the same practice to continue exercising self-acquired power within the Nepali society. But there was no strongly practiced untouchability in ancient Nepali society. The practice was slowly instituted with the adoption of associated rituals and traditions. The main objective of this study is to explore and analyze untouchability from a historical perspective. The custom of untouchability has existed in Nepal for centuries, there is limited historical evidence of any efforts to abolish it during the ancient and medieval periods. This study combines a qualitative research approach and a historical framework to explore the connection between a social norm and its history.

Voices of the Indigenous Marginalized Community in Bina Thing’s Yambunera

The article studies the voices of the indigenous marginalized community in Bina Thing’s Yambunera from a Subaltern perspective. Yambunera has included thirteen stories and this article tries to explore the voice of the indigenous marginalized people and their representations only in six stories. Bina Thing attempts to bring into the mainstream literature the cultural dissimilarities prevalent in Nepali society. Characters portrayed in Yambunera are marginalized and silenced because of dominant culture, cultural dominance, poverty and illiteracy. The article intends to argue the ethnic identity issues, marginalization, discriminatory social practices and subordination to the rulers in the selected text. Thus, the study critiques the text from the critical perspectives of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and J. Maggio. Basically, Subaltern Studies explores the voices of the marginal groups in society and examines how the literary discourse represents these voices. Spivak argues that class consciousness is self-alienating the social groups from the others within a domain of exploitation and domination. The article tries to examine issues such as injustice, prejudice, protest, and resistance in the text and intends to shed light on the voices of the indigenous women. Yambunera focuses on the plights of the Tamangs living in Yambu who are perceived as being uncultured, savage and uneducated and, above all, they are silenced. The findings of the discussion indicate injustice, prejudice, protest and resistance in the case of the fictionalized characters in Yambunera. Furthermore, the study reflects the search for cultural identity and the marginalized people’s efforts to stand up for the voices. The present article encourages a good understanding of the marginalized voices in Nepali literature.

Stigma as a barrier and sex work as a protective factor for HIV testing among trans women in Nepal.

Stigma towards trans women in Nepal creates individual and system-level risks for HIV. A critical protective factor is access to HIV prevention. Research is needed to determine the impact of stigma on HIV testing among trans women in Nepal. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected using respondent driven sampling in 2019 on HIV risk among trans women in Nepal. Data analysis was restricted to trans women who were HIV negative at testing through the parent study. Descriptive statistics, tests for bivariable associations between HIV testing and stigma variables, and binomial Poisson regression were conducted to examine HIV testing outcomes. There were 173 participants who tested negative for HIV in our sample. The majority were under age 35 (59%) and most had a grade school education or less (64.7%). No trans women were homeless and most rented a room (70.5%) or owned their home (19.7%). The majority were currently sex workers (57.8%). Almost all HIV-negative trans women had ever been tested for HIV (90.8%), but only 53.5% in the last 3 months. The most frequently cited reason for not having been tested was thinking they were at low risk for HIV (40.9%) and being afraid of receiving a positive test result (22.7%). HIV and anti-trans stigma were high across most measures, including that almost all (94.2%) believed that most people in Nepal would discriminate against people with HIV. And most participants thought trans women were not accepted in Nepali Society (65.9%). Most participants also reported high social support (70.5%). Social cohesion among participants varied, with most experiencing medium (41.6%) or high (33.5%) social cohesion. Just over half had high social participation (55.5%). Participants who reported current sex work had lower prevalence of not testing for HIV in the last 3 months (prevalence ratio, PR = 0.54, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI = 0.32-0.92, p = 0.02). Every one-unit increase in social cohesion was associated with 1.05 times the prevalence of not testing for HIV in the last 3 months (95%CI = 1.01-1.09, p-value = 0.02). Trans women who did sex work were more likely to be HIV tested while those who were more socially connected to peers were less likely to have recently been tested for HIV. HIV stigma may result in fear of social rejection from peers if one tests positive. Interventions that focus on addressing stigma within trans women's social networks and strategies to mitigate HIV stigma in society may result in increased frequency of HIV testing among trans women in Nepal.

Social Citizenship through Social Forces: A Case Study of Nepali Women

The present paper aims to show a correlation between social forces and social citizenship. The paper highlights the aspect of citizenship rights of Nepali women. Nepali society is composed of people holding different aspirations. If the aspirations of people remain unfulfilled then people adopt the medium of social forces to transform their state. Not only a single force determines to ensure social citizenship but the action of social force plays the determining role. In the Nepali context, common Nepali people were deprived of educational rights and treated as subjects rather than citizens. It is the political movement of 1951 that transformed the social status and role of Nepali people including women. Similarly, social force ensured the democracy of Nepal in 1996. Onward movements of social force the constitution of 1990 declared Nepal as a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-religious country. The people’s war of Nepal from 1996 to 2006 played an imperative role to ensure the social citizenship of the Nepali people. The interim constitution of Nepal 2006 ensured the inclusion of Women, Dalits, indigenous ethnic groups, Madhesi communities, oppressed groups, poor farmers, and laborers, who are economically, socially, or educationally backward with the right to participate in state structures based on principles of proportional inclusion.

Gender Stereotype: Being Nepali Women!

This paper discusses gender stereotypes still embedded in Nepali society towards women due to the disbelief and misconception which shaping the expectations, attitudes, and behaviors toward women. This study also elucidates the sad reality of gender stereotype throughout the life of women (birth, marriage etc.) that have been practicing in the culture and making life vulnerable and challenging. The critical appraisal at the situation of Nepali women reveals a terrible realityas women are still tolerating gender stereotype practices in the society, even when everyone is aware of their rights and gender equality. In particular, some exceptional woman personalities such as Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (first Nepali woman and the second woman in the world to summit Mount Everest); Anuradha Koirala (CNN's Hero of the Year-2010); Puspa Basnet (CNN's Hero of the Year-2012) etc. are the epitome of rebellers of the gender stereotype in Nepal. In general, equal praise, motivation and right education to both child (son and daughter) starting from home can help them to build gender neutral attitude in the future. Therefore, capacity to defy all the odds of the society like these rebellers of stereotype and gender neutral attitude towards gender stereotypes are the foundation of way out for maintaining gender equality in Nepali society.

Women and Nature in the Margin: An Ecofeminist Analysis of Parijat’s Shirishko Phool [Blue Mimosa

This research paper explores the multifaceted themes of women’s and nature’s subordination in Parijat’s seminal Nepali novel, Shirishko Phool [Blue Mimosa]. Recognized as a cornerstone of Nepali literature, this work serves as a poignant critique of patriarchal and anthropocentric societal structures that marginalize both women and the environment. Through an ecofeminist and literary analysis, this study explores how Parijat intricately weaves together the fate of her female protagonist with the degradation of nature, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these forms of subjugation. Employing a qualitative methodology, this paper utilizes thematic analysis to unravel the layered narrative and symbolism embedded within the text. The findings illuminate Parijat’s critique of societal norms perpetuating these forms of subordination, while also advocating for a more harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and between men and women. The analysis underscores the significance of Shirishko Phool as not only a literary masterpiece but also a call to action for gender and environmental justice in Nepali society, and beyond.

The Resolute Women Characters, “Indramaya” and “Chitranggada”

This paper made study of two strong women characters Indramaya and Chitranggada in Bisheshwor Prasad Koirala’s Tin Ghumti(2004) and Sharada Sharma’a Kampa(2016) respectively. Drawing on feminist theory and gender theory, I analyzed these characters as real humans who are not immune of shortcomings, hardships and conundrums they face in their life. My effort was engrossed to explore how women’s sense of self esteem, freedom and existence is revered in these two novels. By resisting the imposed androcentric values these two characters choose to live their life independently saving their soul and individuality. Such characters can be found in Nepali society where they drift, fight, and claim their right to existence. The narrative, dialogues, and plot portrays these two women of the 21st century heroine, imperfect and sometimes absurd. True love is on the cards, but prohibited relationship nearly sinks them. But they realize and rise without remorse. They represent the world which is non-compliance with the world patriarchy has organized liberating oneself from the sense of inadequacies. They are the voice in the novel that is heard the loudest.

Matrimonial Practices among Muslims of Pokhara

Study of religious minorities keeps greater importance in a country like Nepal, where Hindus constitute the majority of the population. Marriage is a normal societal phenomenon and common in Nepali society. Muslims marriage is curious and not common to the majority religious group of Nepal. Marriage is a contract between bride and groom for the purposes of legal intercourse, child propagation, and the social contract between husband and wife. Muslims perform their marital rituals according to Sariat. The marriage of Muslims is directed by the faith itself, according to the Holy Quran. Muslim marriage has long been curious to non-Muslims because of its uniqueness. As a result, an attempt has been made to address this issue. This article is based on qualitative research and aims to outline the critical measures to be taken throughout marriage. To generalize the subject, an observation approach, in[1]depth interviews and library research are being used. As responders for the goal of gathering knowledge, Muslim scholars, masjid Committee Members, Moulana and elderly people from Miya Patan of Pokhara who have witnessed such rites were chosen. Because they desired anonymity, the responders are referred to as Res. 1. , Res.2., Res.3, Res.4 and so on. This research looks on Muslim marriage, a unique and traditional marital practice in Nepal. It makes an attempt to address the general situation of Muslim marital practice in Miya Patan of Pokhara. In Nepal, particularly in Pokhara, people have forgotten the value of marriage in the name of modernization. Muslims of Pokhara have protected the society's social standards and cultural values of marriage which should be learn from them.

Tradition, Political and Legal Systems of Nepal

This study concerns the political system, and traditional rituals practiced in Nepal. It focuses on the analysis of the unique relationship between the political system and tradition in Nepal. The Nepali legal system is based on customary law. Nepali society is largely based on the traditional framework. Perhaps all societies have been developing their social norms. Britain, which is considered the mother of democracy, has been operating its governing system according to tradition. In this way, no one would deny that the state or society is progressing in its way or pattern. In that way, I have conceptualized tradition as trends that have been practiced for a long time or accepted by people. Ancient civilizations, be those Atheinns or India, have been bound in some tradition. This study is focused on what traditions are maintained in the political and legal systems in Nepal, and how those traditional rituals have influenced today’s political system of Nepal. As a library study, it is purely qualitative in nature, and it has descriptively analyzed the secondary materials from the Middle Age to the present day.

Attitudes towards Rape and Societal Stigmatization of the Victims

Despite the fact that the globe is working tirelessly to advocate for women's rights, Nepali society's attitude toward violence against women (VAW) remains unchanged. This article is based on study conducted with forty- two respondents from Kathmandu valley. The study assesses the status of the victims, attitudes towards rape, rape myths, and social stigmatization between respondent groups: victims and community people. Ten victims sheltered in NGO, thirty community people were administered questionnaire and collected quantitative data and two key informants working in this sector were interviewed and collected qualitative data. Most of the victims in this study were raped during their adolescence and twenty percent among them were re-victimized but none of them filed complaint due to fear of staining family prestige. All of the victims had to stay away from their families either temporarily or permanently. Ninety percent have faced stigma. Substance abuse and sexual gratification were listed as the main causes of rape by both group victims and the community people. No Strict Adherence to existing laws and political protection to powerful/wealthy perpetrators were the main shortcomings of the law.

Interview with Gregory G. Maskarinec

Professor Gregory G. Maskarinec (May 16, 1951-June 16, 2022) was a member of the International Advisory Board of the Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor and Director at the Office of Global Health and International Medicine, Departments of Native Hawaiian Health and Family Medicine and Community Health John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i. He came to Nepal, in 1977, as a Peace Corps Volunteer and served as a mathematics teacher in a school in the Jajarkot District. He explored Nepali society and culture and received his MA and PhD in shamanism. He has published several books and papers on shamanism, including "The Rulings of the Night: An Ethnography of Nepalese Shaman Oral Texts". In 1981, he won Tribhuvan University's Mahendra Scholarship and received a highly prestigious prize (the Birendra Pranyalankar) from the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. In addition to his significant contributions to Medical Anthropology, Prof. Gregory was a nature-lover, peaceful, devoted to generating and sharing knowledge, and supportive. He had good relationships with high-level scholars, literature artists, and politicians of Nepal. He also participated in literature festivals in rural areas and promoted local arts and artists. He had visited more than 70 districts of Nepal. Prof. Gregory suffered from cancer and had several operations done. In August 2020, he passed away from COVID-19. We are grateful to him for allowing us to publish his interview in our Journal. The interview captured his ideas, thoughts, understanding of anthropology, works in Nepal, and personal life. For the sustainability of the Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, at the end of his life, he donated US$ 5000. The journal family is always grateful for his invaluable contribution

Student Political Activism in Nepal: Vanguards of Democracy or Powerless Pawns?

Student political activism declined in the Global South after the 1990s. However, it has remained strong in Nepal despite the fact that it has undergone similar socio-political changes. This paper demonstrates that the main reason for the distinct nature of Nepali student political activism lies in the patron–client relationship between student organizations and political parties. Undoubtedly, the contribution of student organizations in the establishment of democracy in the three major democratic mass movements in Nepal is incomparable. However, the nature of their relationship with their mother political parties transformed from a semi-autonomous to a subordinate relationship after the institutionalisation of a multi-party democracy in 1990. This interdependent relationship is maintained and consistently solidified through the mutual exchange of resources, both material and non-material. This paper concludes that student political activism in Nepal is not expected to decline in the near future, because these patronage-dispensing political parties are perceived to be part of the state by the general Nepali society—one that controls state resources and institutions, including universities and public campuses.

Exploring the Subject of Hindu Widowhood in Koirala and Shah’s Short Stories

Nepali Hindu widows have been discriminated in social, cultural and religious activities that have affected the psyche of the widows. People debilitate widows and consider them vulnerable and insecure. The research paper has explored the portrayal of Nepali Hindu widows’ conditions in B. P. Koirala’s “To the Lowlands” and Prem Shah’s “A Husband” from the viewpoint of new criticism. The conflicts, tensions, symbols and meanings of the lives of the Hindu widows portrayed in the selected texts are analysed from a new critic’s perspective. The study has exploited exploratory qualitative method. Koirala has portrayed a Hindu widow who left the house because of abuses by her brother-in-law and tortured by in-laws. She moved to the plain (tarai) with four men including Gore for happy life. But Gore stole the widow’s gold and money despite her marriage proposal. Shah portrayed a widow Nirmala who was teased and abused by a driver and her sister’s probable husband. She wants to make up her face, but she was frightened with her elder brother, sister and mother because of restrictions imposed upon Hindu widows. Koirala and Shah have depicted miserable widowhood in the Nepali Hindu society. Although sati tradition has been abolished and remarriage of widows are encouraged in the present time, widows are psychologically shattered because of Hindu socio-cultural viewpoints on them, and Hindu widows still sacrifice their lives through psychological sati in Nepali society. The analysis of widowhood in the stories contributes to understanding the condition of widows in Hindu society.

Indigenous Characters and Their Nation: A Socio-Political Analysis of Selected Nepali Plays

The rise of modern Nepali intellectuals especially in Kathmandu during the 1930s inspired many writers and political leaders to articulate new narratives of the nation. For instance, Balkrishna Sama’s Mukunda Indira, Bhimnidhi Tiwari’s Sahanshila Sushila (Permissive Sushila) present characters from various strata of Nepali society. In the plays, indigenous communities speak about the psycho-social realities of the time. The indigenous characters of the plays are humble and hardworking. But in the play Simma written by Rayan right before the 1980 referendum, the time the Panchayat regime became stronger and kept denying the people’s democratic rights the indigenous characters in plays become politically vocal. They question the polity based on modern social and political theories. However, the indigenous characters of Mayadevika Sapana (Dreams of Mayadevi) written by Abhi Subedi and staged in 2004 and later years speak for the universal peace and brotherhood. By drawing upon Ludwig Stiller and Mahesh Chandra Regmi’s social, economic and political interpretation of Nepal’s history, particularly of the nineteenth century, the article concludes that while presenting the indigenous characters, the playwrights directly and indirectly address the social and political ills of the Nepal society. These indigenous characters' attitude towards their masters and the representatives of the state around reflects the political and historical courses that Nepal has gone through over the centuries and the rise of a force that might free them from such lines of control.

Dalit Aesthetics and Consciousness in Sharad Poudel's Likhe

Dalit art and literature has been an inseparable part of Dalit movements in Nepal. It has its own aesthetic characteristics, literary features, paradigms and missions for Dalits’ rights, equality, dignity, and social transformation. However, there is no remarkable qualitative research focusing on Dalit aesthetic perspectives. This research article aims to explore the caste system, social context and consciousness in Dalit literature. It examines the literary paradigms and Dalit aesthetics characteristics and values in literature. For this purpose, the study has employed the emerging concept of Dalit aesthetics and consciousness as a theoretical lens developed by Sharankumar Limbale, C. B. Bharti, Arjun Dangle, Rajarao Dunna and Anju Bala to the novel "Likhe". The study has adopted the exploratory method with a qualitative approach. Findings of the study illustrate that Dalit literature has its own aesthetics features and values and literary paradigms. As a protest literature by its nature, Dalit literature awakens Dalits and backward communities to move against all types of atrocities, caste discrimination, oppression, exploitation. The study further elucidates that the novel "Likhe" portrays the Nepali society and the misery of Dalits. It delivers socio-political messages to establish an equity-based prosperous society through its context, content, plots and characters.

Deconstruction of Cultural Hegemony in Nepali Society: A Study of Sumnima

BP Koirala’s novel Sumnima has raised an issue that how cultural hegemony has been being practised in Nepali society on the basis of racial, political and cultural superiority of a certain group of people over the others. The main objective of studying the novel in this article is to find how the novelist has deconstructed the cultural superiority of the privileged group and has made the family lineage of the dominant race has dissolved into the lineage of the marginalized group. The critical insights by deconstruction and new-historicism have been used to analyze the primary text. The study examines and analyzes how the relations without understanding cannot prosper even within the same ethnic group but love and understanding make the life beautiful no matter which tribe or ethnicity the people belong to. The researcher has found, having studied the text that nature is superior to nurture, a culture does not become superior by having practised by a certain group of people nor being educated adds to the wisdom in the people because wisdom is rather natural an attribute.

Local Perception on the Climate Change in Nepali Society: A Spatial Comparison between Urban and Rural Area of Dharan and Bhojpur in Nepal

Climate change has become a global concern and debatable issue worldwide in the present era. It needs to be discussed from rural community and urban perspective in terms of the local understanding, experience, and knowledge in environmental discourse. The local understanding on climate change in Nepali society is the spatial comparative analysis of understanding to the environment from the perspective of local people. Being spatial comparative studies, it compares the understanding of environmental change of people among rural and urban areas Province 1 of Nepal. It underpins the interpretive research philosophy based on the qualitative research approach, employing the convenience sampling of non-probability sampling design with in-depth interview, and observation as the tools of data collection. The six research informants, three from the rural areas of Temkemaiyum of Bhojpur district and three from the urban areas of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City of Sunsari district have selected for the perception and experience collection for the comparative study. The finding has revealed that the both people of urban and rural areas are noticing the climate change. However, their understanding has varied based their knowledge, understanding, and experience. Though the study has focused on climate change, it has been recommended for researchers, policy makers, and policy implementers for environmental discourse in further research in Nepalese context.

Discourse on Social Exclusion and Inclusion in Nepal: A Review

The discourse of social exclusion and inclusion is debatable issue in contemporary Nepali society. The issue of social exclusion should be addressed by adopting the process of social inclusion in several sectors of Nepali society which helps to establish society with equality. The article Social Exclusion and Inclusion tries to address the issue raised in the discourse of social inclusion. Similarly, it tries to explore the issue of social exclusion and inclusion from new line. Article is based on the review of the several articles published addressing the issue of social exclusion and inclusion. In introduction, I have mentioned the context and origin of social exclusion and inclusion debate. Different views of various renowned scholars on Social Exclusion and Inclusion have been mentioned. In Nepalese context, political movement and academic effort of social exclusion and inclusion have been discussed. The achievement that excluded group got in the Constitution and other Acts from the political and other inclusion movement have been disclosed here. In Nepal, there are three types of notions/domains: Inclusive based on Caste Ethnicity, Economy Prosperity and Meritocracy. I critically support the Inclusive based on Caste Ethnicity Movement.