Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas

3 units

This course is an anthropological and historical examination of Tibetan societies inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau and the highlands of Nepal. In addition to providing basic ethnographic descriptions of Tibetan societies, the course will explore the changing nature of relations between Tibet and China, and between Tibet and the West. Guiding concepts include adaptation (both social and ecological), the politics of ethnicity and identity, and processes of culture change.