Rural Tibetan Research Articles

From side‐work to main task: Housing, status, and Tibetan labour migration in Qinghai, China

AbstractAcross China, as in other parts of the world, urbanisation has accelerated at an unprecedented scale over the past 15 years. In farming areas of Qinghai in western China, large‐scale rural–urban movement of Tibetan villagers began around 2010 – a time when state‐led housing subsidy projects were launched. Drawing on ethnographic field research and focusing on the older cohort of rural Tibetan migrants to Xining, the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, this article explores the complexities and linkages between state‐led housing subsidy projects, status, and Tibetan labour migration. It examines how housing and family status intersect to shape patterns of Tibetan labour migration and gendered divisions of labour. This study highlights an important but less explored factor in migration studies: in my research sites, the recent large‐scale Tibetan labour migration to cities has been driven by the desire to build new houses to secure family status as a result of the motives and social pressure created by state‐led housing subsidy projects.

From environment to free-range chickens: Broad exposure to short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in rural Tibetan Plateau, China

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are widely employed in various consumer products. Rapid socioeconomic development drives the elevation of CPs contamination by increasing the usage of modern lifestyle products, but limited information exists about their occurrence in remote rural areas. In this study, the occurrence, and profiles of short- and medium-chain CPs (SCCPs and MCCPs) in soils, plants, chicken feeds, eggs, and free-range chicken tissues in the rural Tibetan Plateau were investigated. The median concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs were 108 and 141ng/g dry weight (dw) in soils, 1.76 × 103 and 1.16 × 103ng/g dw in plants, 43.6 and 24.3ng/g dw in chicken feeds, 299 and 251ng/g lipid weight in free-range chicken eggs, and 182−3.45 × 103 and 396−7.75 × 103ng/g lipid weight in chicken tissues, respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated that soil was the primary source of CPs, and free-range chicken eggs were effective bioindicators for SCCPs and MCCPs contamination. Tissue distribution showed that SCCPs and MCCPs were highly accumulated in chicken tissues that local resident preferred to consume (such as muscle and stomach). Our findings lay the foundations for further evaluation of the potential risks of CPs on the ecosystem and human health in remote rural areas.

Research on the Experience and Improvement Countermeasures of Tibetan Incense Culture Helping Rural Tibetan New Roads

Research on the Experience and Improvement Countermeasures of Tibetan Incense Culture Helping Rural Tibetan New Roads

First comprehensive assessment of dietary chlorinated paraffins intake and exposure risk for the rural population of the Tibetan Plateau, China

Knowledge regarding the occurrence of short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) in foodstuffs and their dietary exposure risks for rural Tibetan residents remains largely unknown. Herein, we collected main foodstuffs (including highland barley, vegetables, Tibetan butter, mutton, and yak beef) across the rural Tibetan Plateau and characterized the CP profiles and concentrations. The highest SCCPs concentrations were detected in Tibetan butter (geometric mean (GM): 240.6 ng/g wet weight (ww)), followed by vegetables (59.4 ng/g ww), mutton (51.4 ng/g ww), highland barley (46.3 ng/g ww), and yak beef (31.7 ng/g ww). For MCCPs, the highest concentrations were also detected in Tibetan butter (319.5 ng/g ww), followed by mutton (181.9 ng/g ww), vegetables (127.0 ng/g ww), yak beef (71.2 ng/g ww), and highland barley (30.3 ng/g ww). The predominant congener profiles of SCCPs were C13Cl7–8 in mutton and yak beef, C10Cl7–8 in Tibetan butter, and C10–11Cl6–7 in highland barley and vegetables. The predominant congener profiles of MCCPs were C14Cl7–9 in all sample types. Combined with our previous results of free-range chicken eggs, the median estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of SCCPs and MCCPs via diet for Tibetan rural adults and children was estimated to be 728.8 and 1853.9 ng/kg bw/day and 2565.6 and 5952.8 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. In the worst scenario, MCCPs might induce potential health risks for rural Tibetan population. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic dietary exposure research of SCCPs and MCCPs in the remote rural areas.

Remarkable Contamination of Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Free-Range Chicken Eggs from Rural Tibetan Plateau.

Rapid social-economic development introduces modern lifestyles into rural areas, not only bringing numerous modern products but also new pollutants, such as chlorinated paraffins (CPs). The rural Tibetan Plateau has limited industrial activities and is a unique place to investigate this issue. Herein we collected 90 free-range chicken egg pool samples across the rural Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the pollution status of CPs. Meanwhile, CPs in related soils, free-range chicken eggs from Jiangxi, and farmed eggs from markets were also analyzed. The median concentrations of SCCPs (159 ng g-1 wet weight (ww)) and MCCPs (1390 ng g-1 ww) in Tibetan free-range chicken eggs were comparable to those from Jiangxi (259 and 938 ng g-1 ww) and significantly higher than those in farmed eggs (22.0 and 81.7 ng g-1 ww). In the rural Tibetan Plateau, the median EDI of CPs via egg consumption by adults and children were estimated to be 81.6 and 220.2 ng kg-1 bw day-1 for SCCPs and 483.4 and 1291 ng kg-1 bw day-1 for MCCPs, respectively. MCCPs might pose potential health risks for both adults and children in the worst scenario. Our study demonstrates that new pollutants should not be ignored and need further attention in remote rural areas.

Indigenous dialogic teaching: Orality in a Tibetan school in China

This article describes the use of dialogic teaching in a rural Tibetan school in China. Using ethnographic data from a school that serves socially disadvantaged Tibetan youth, we demonstrate that dialogic teaching is a powerful pedagogy even in a resource-deprived learning environment. We describe how oral commentary, interpretive discussions, and debate form the core of effective school practices. Inspired by traditional monastic training, schoolteachers have transformed the century-long indigenous oral practices into a culturally-appropriate form of pedagogy, infusing it into modern academic subjects. This article aims to enrich the growing literature on dialogic teaching by presenting a case outside Anglo-American societies. We examine an indigenous form of dialogic teaching by considering Alexander (2017, 2020)'s framework. Our analysis shows that while the specific pedagogy is developed indigenously, it is compatible with the dialogic philosophy. The findings suggest that the dialogic approach is a general pedagogy rooted in distinctive human societies. However, indigenous development also limits the school practices to a small repertoire.

Clinical characteristics and application value of risk prediction models of acute appendicitis in rural Tibet: a retrospective study.

Acute appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide; however, its diagnosis remains challenging, particularly in rural or remote areas such as Tibet. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and applicability of the routine risk prediction models of acute appendicitis for rural Tibetan populations. Data of patients who underwent appendectomy at the Chaya People's Hospital between 1 April 2018 and 30 September 2021 were retrospectively collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with complicated appendicitis. The appendicitis risk prediction model scores for each patient were calculated by the binary logistic regression model based on the data. The index of union method was applied to identify the optimal cut-off value for the critical values of risk prediction models. We included 127 patients with suspected acute appendicitis in the study, consisting of 96 surgically and 31 non-surgically treated. The diagnoses of 93 patients who underwent appendectomy included 55 (59.1%) cases of uncomplicated appendicitis. Patients with complicated appendicitis had a significantly longer postoperative hospital stay (11.0 (interquartile range 8.8-13.3) days v 8.0 (interquartile range 6.0-11.0) days; p<0.001) and higher hospital costs (US$2147.2 (interquartile range US$1625.1-2516.6) v US$1487.9 (interquartile range US$1202.6-1809.2); p24 hours, age >30 years, and male sex were independent risk factors associated with complicated appendicitis. The appendicitis inflammatory response score showed the best performance among the prediction models. Incorporating imaging features in the prediction models may provide better diagnostic value for appendicitis. Acute appendicitis in the rural Tibetan population has unique clinical features. To reduce the incidence of complicated appendicitis, local health workers must balance religious beliefs and professional services for residents.

Fuel choice for rural Tibetan households: Impacts of access to credit

Evidence on the determinants of fuel choice by ethnic groups inhabiting special geomorphic areas is scant. Previous studies suggest that access to credit positively impacts the use of clean cooking energy. This study analyzes the effect of access to credit on fuel choice for rural Tibetan households in Lhasa, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and finds the opposite effect. We apply the recursive bivariate probit model based on a field survey dataset and find that access to credit significantly lowers the likelihood of the rural Tibetan households choosing only clean energy sources as their main fuels for cooking and heating. Further evidence demonstrates that access to credit increases the total income of rural households, as well as the number of yaks raised by those households. A by-product of this, the amount of readily available yak dung, thus also increases. This heightened use of non-clean, cash-free yak dung as a fuel overwhelms the positive effect of increased income on clean fuel adoption. We also find that the effects of access to credit vary with the household size, access to internet and the altitude of home location.

Beyond sustainable livelihoods: A diverse economies approach to rural peasant livelihoods in China's Qinghai Province

AbstractThis paper delves into rural peasants' livelihood‐related agrarian changes revolving around their three major livelihood strategies in Qinghai. These strategies include peasant agriculture, seasonal migrant labour and caterpillar fungus harvesting, the latter two of which have been adopted since the mid‐1990s. The research particularly focuses on rural Tibetan peasants' lived experiences in their efforts to achieve sustainable livelihoods through these three strategies in a specific village context. In doing so, the paper highlights resources, qualifications, opportunities, changes and challenges in rural peasants' livelihood realities. The empirical evidence from this paper suggests that rural Tibetan peasants' diverse ways of making livelihoods have a greater potential to imagine and build sustainable and equitable livelihoods. I argue that sustainable livelihoods approaches must be pursued in tandem with a diverse economies framework for analysing rural peasants' present way of making livelihoods. This new and critical way of studying rural peasant livelihoods can particularly highlight non‐capitalist economic relations and practices that are the major contributors to sustainable and equitable livelihoods for Tibetan peasants.

‘To be included among people’: families’ perceptions of schooling and contingent negotiations in a rural Tibetan community in China

ABSTRACT State schooling is currently transforming Tibetans’ perceptions and everyday experiences in Western China. Based on interviews with rural Tibetan parents and grandparents, and using subjectification as an analytical concept, this paper argues that schooling, alongside socio-economic changes, powerfully shapes the subjectivities of Tibetan parents and grandparents. Against their own sense of exclusion, they justified their support of schooling with recourse to promises of state schooling for their children to ‘be included among the people’ through social mobility. Set in the context of the School Consolidation Policy(SCP), this study illustrates the ‘double directionality’ of this subjectification process where participants were made into as well as becoming certain kinds of subjects through navigations of their social arena. Trivialising the SCP’s challenging implications, participants supported schooling for the perceived better quality education under the SCP. Meanwhile, they were making contingent negotiations to ensure children learn Tibetan culture and language.

The influence of Ethnic Identity on students' Problem Behaviors in Rural Tibet Elementary Boarding School: the mediating role of School Belonging

A questionnaire survey was conducted on 211 rural Tibetan boarding elementary school students to explore the effects of ethnic identity and school belonging on elementary school students' problems behaviors, and a mediating effect test was conducted based on school belonging as a way to construct a model of the relationship between the three, and to investigate the mechanisms for promoting the psychological health of rural boarding elementary school students in ethnic areas.The results found that (1)Ethnic identity, school belonging, and problems behaviors of primary school students in rural boarding schools in Tibet is better than the median of theory. (2) Externalizing problems were bilaterally correlated to ethnic identity and school belonging while internalizing behavior only correlated to school belonging. (3)Ethnic identity influences externalizing behaviors through school belonging. It was concluded that school belonging mediated the role of ethnic identity in influencing externalizing behaviors of elementary school students.

Unsavory Characters

Abstract From early works such as “Ralo” (1997) to the more recent “Black Fox Valley” (2012), the acclaimed Tibetan author Tsering Döndrup has demonstrated a consistent interest in the impact of the Chinese language on Tibetan life. This article examines the techniques and implications of Tsering Döndrup's use of Chinese in his Tibetan language texts, focusing on his recent novella “Baba Baoma” (2019), the first-person account of a rural Tibetan boy who attends a Chinese school and ends up stuck between two languages. In a major departure from Tsering Döndrup's previous work on the language problem, this text directly incorporates untranslated Chinese characters, blending them with Tibetan transliterations and Hanyu Pinyin (i.e., the Latin alphabet) to create a deliberately disorienting linguistic collage. This article argues that this latest work pushes Tsering Döndrup's previous experiments to their logical conclusion: a condition of forced bilingualism, in which the author demands of his readers fluency in Chinese in order to access his Tibetan language fiction. This critique of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic crisis puts the author's work into conversation with global postcolonial literatures and the politics of resistance to language hegemony. By demonstrating the Tibetan language's capacity for literary creation, the story effectively resists the hegemony it depicts, even while it suggests that the Tibetan literary text itself is in the process of being fundamentally redefined by its unequal encounter with the Chinese language.

Indoor Exposure to Products of Incomplete Combustion of Household Fuels in Rural Tibetan Plateau

Indoor Exposure to Products of Incomplete Combustion of Household Fuels in Rural Tibetan Plateau

Traditionalization as a response to state-induced development in rural Tibetan areas of Qinghai, PRC

ABSTRACTThe current state-induced and top-down-implemented development and modernization of the predominantly rural areas of western China can be perceived as a clear demonstration of Chinese power in Tibetan areas, resulting in the repression of expressions of minority culture. This article argues that the local population’s various practices of traditionalization, as demonstrated through an emphasis on the maintenance or (re)invention of representative cultural forms can be understood as efforts to counteract the socio-economic and cultural assimilation measures or even as a form of political resistance. At the same time, in the context of the economic opportunities brought on by the rapid development, in tourism for example, traditionalization has become an important economic asset for both the state and local Tibetans. These (revived) traditions could enhance cultural awareness among visitors to minority areas and strengthen local people’s sense of cultural security and their self-understanding as Tibetans.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Tibetans Living at High Altitudes

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem in China. Because of regional diversity in the geography and financial resources of various regions in China, data on the prevalence and risk factors of COPD in high altitude Chinese populations, including Tibetans, are limited. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study of six urban and rural Tibetan regions in China was performed using stratified-cluster random sampling. A revised questionnaire was used to interview every participant, who all underwent chest radiography and pre- and post-bronchodilator pulmonary function testing. The diagnostic criteria used for COPD was based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Findings: The study was composed of a representative sample of 3,741 participants aged 15-83 years who had satisfactory spirograms. The overall prevalence of COPD was 4*9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4*2%-5*6%). The difference between men and women (4*9% [3*9%-5*9%] vs 5*0% [4*0%-5*9%]; P=0*922) was not significant, but a higher prevalence of COPD was found in participants aged =40 years (8*0% [6*7%-9*2%]) than in those aged 15-39 years (2*3% [1*6%-2*9%], P<0*001). By multivariable adjusted analysis, age, lower altitude, biomass smoke, and a history of tuberculosis were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of COPD, while education was associated with a lower prevalence. Interpretation: COPD was prevalent in Tibetans aged older than 15 years and is a major health burden in high altitude regions. Biomass smoke may be a highly significant risk factor of COPD among Tibetans at high altitude. Preventing exposure to pollution caused by biomass smoke should be a public health priority for high-altitude residents. Funding: Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science and Technology of China Declaration of interests: All authors declare no competing interests. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board or ethics committee of Beijing Hospital.

Alienation of Tibetan Adolescents in Rural Boarding Schools

Adolescent alienation is a symptom of problems in relations among the individual, school, community, and family. Based on a research conducted with a sample of 897 Tibetan adolescent students in Grades 7 to 12, this study reveals that over one third of subjects experience high levels of alienation. Questionnaire data and field work show possible sources of this alienation in contemporary rural Tibetan society in China, factors that may reduce alienation, and explanations for low levels of alienation among some students. The paper concludes with an argument for researchers and policy makers to pay greater attention to the issue of alienation among minority boarding school students.

Dietary patterns and their associations with energy, nutrient intake and socioeconomic factors in rural lactating mothers in Tibet.

There is very limited published data on Tibetan dietary patterns and its association with nutrient intakes and socioeconomic factors. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the dietary patterns and the associations with nutrient intakes in rural Tibetan pregnant, lactating mothers. Dietary patterns and nutrient intakes were identified via a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We identified dietary patterns using principle component analysis (PCA) of intakes of 17 food groups and specific Tibetan foods. Quartile categories of each dietary pattern were used, and non-dietary lifestyle factors and total energy intake were adjusted for the analysis. We identified two dietary patterns: "Varied pattern" and "Staple pattern". The "Varied pattern" was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits and soy foods which showed significant positive associations with vitamins. Vitamin C (Ptrend<0.01) and vitamin E (Ptrend<0.01) were strongly associated with "Varied pattern" among mothers with children younger or older than 12 months. The "Staple pattern" was characterized by Tibetan staple foods, Tibetan beverages and Tibetan snacks and showed significant negative associations with protein (Ptrend<0.01) among mothers with children younger than 12 months or older than 12 months. Carbohydrate intakes significantly increased with "Staple pattern" among mother with children younger than 12 months only. The results presented here suggested our dietary patterns to great extent characterize the dietary behavior of Tibetan lactating mothers. There is, therefore, potential for dietary patterns to be used as a valid tool in assessing Tibetan diet.

Maternal health care seeking by rural Tibetan women: characteristics of women delivering at a newly-constructed birth center in western China.

BackgroundIncreasing skilled birth attendance at delivery is key to reducing maternal mortality, particularly among marginalized populations. Despite China’s successful rollout of a national policy to promote facility deliveries, challenges remain among rural and ethnic minority populations. In response, a Tibetan Birth and Training Center (TBTC) was constructed in 2010 to provide high-quality obstetric care in a home-like environment to a predominantly Tibetan population in Tso-ngon (Qinghai) province in western China to improve maternal care in the region. This study examines if and how first users of the TBTC differ from women in the broader community, and how this information may inform subsequent maternal health care interventions in this area.MethodsTrained, Tibetan interviewers administered a face-to-face, quantitative questionnaire to two groups of married, Tibetan women: women who had delivered at the TBTC between June 2011-June 2012 (n = 114) and a non-equivalent comparison group of women from the same communities who had delivered in the last two years, but not at the TBTC (n = 108). Chi-squared and ANOVA tests were conducted to detect differences between the samples.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the samples in education or income; however, women from the TBTC sample were significantly younger (25.55 vs. 28.16 years; p < 0.001) and had fewer children (1.54 vs. 1.70; p = 0.05). Items measuring maternity health care-seeking and perceived importance of health facility amenities indicated minimal differences between the samples. However, as compared to the community sample, the TBTC sample had a greater proportion of women who reported having the final say regarding where to deliver (26 % vs. 14 %; p = 0.02) and having a friend or family member who delivered at home (50 % vs. 28 %; p < 0.001).ConclusionsFindings did not support the hypothesis that the TBTC attracts lower-income, less-educated women. Minimal differences in women's characteristics and perceptions regarding delivery care between the two samples suggest that the TBTC is serving a broad cross-section of women. Differences between the samples with respect to delivery care decision-making and desire for skilled birth care underscore areas that may be further explored and supported in subsequent efforts to promote facility delivery in this population, and similar populations, of women.

SPECTACULAR COMPASSION

ABSTRACTChina's “Olympic Year” (2007–2008) was a watershed moment for the country and its ruling Chinese Communist Party. In this article, the author draws on her fieldwork experience as one of the few foreigners living in rural Tibetan regions during the Tibetan unrest in spring 2008 to consider the implications of the Olympic year from the margins of the state. Taking inspiration from recent anthropological debates about the nature of humanitarianism and sovereignty in neo-liberal and post-socialist states, the author considers the Tibetan unrest and the Sichuan earthquake that occurred just three weeks later on 12 May as particularly emblematic disastrous events linked by a new biopolitics of “charity” or “compassion” (Ch. aixin) in the context of state-led disaster relief. To get at the contested nature of morality and sovereignty in practice, the author focuses on nationally televised post-quake death rituals in which statist abstract compassion for lost Chinese citizens confronted the universalized compassion of embattled Tibetan Buddhist monastic communities.

Epidemiological features and risk factors of spontaneous abortion among rural Tibetan women at childbearing age

To study the current status and risk factors of spontaneous abortion of women with Tibetan ethnicity at reproductive age in rural areas. Pregnant women who lived in Tibet were interviewed on their former reproductive history and being followed on the outcomes of pregnant from 2006 to 2012. Generalized Poisson regression model was used to explore the influencing factors of spontaneous abortion. OR value of the research factors was estimated and its 95% confidence interval counted. There were 1 557 pregnant women under this study, with a total number of 2 687 pregnancies and 2 382 productions. 171 women underwent spontaneous abortion, with a total number of 204 times, 93 women had histories of abortion, with a total number of 101 times. Among all the Tibetan pregnant women, the ratio between spontaneous abortion and pregnant women was 7.6% while the rate of spontaneous abortion was 7.9% . Ratio between the number of women who had experienced spontaneous abortion and the total number of women under survey was 11.0% . Pregnancy appeared the important reason on spontaneous abortion. The risk of having spontaneous abortion would increase among women who had more than 3 pregnancies. Results from Poisson regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio (OR) value before the adjustment was 3.921 (95% CI:2.553-6.021) but after the adjustment, it increased to 4.722 (95% CI:2.834-7.866). The increase of production time could reduce the risk of spontaneous abortion in women of childbearing age. Risks related to spontaneous abortion were associated with the number of pregnancies. Women seemed to have lower risk for spontaneous abortion after 2009, with OR value as 0.419 (95%CI:0.285-0.616) before, compared to aOR value as 0.580 (95%CI:0.380-0.885) after the adjustment Social-demographic characteristics was not found to be particularly associated with the occurrence of spontaneous abortion. Rate of spontaneous abortion among Tibetan women at childbearing age was not particularly high when comparing to those women living in the plain area such as Shanxi. However, in order to further reduce the incidence of spontaneous abortion among Tibetan women, approaches should include the following items:strengthening maternal health care, extending the spacing of pregnancy and reducing the frequency of pregnancy.