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GENDER NARRATIVES AND POLITICS IN THE MONGOLIAN SACRED GRASSLANDS

Project description

Gender and politics in Mongolian religious sites

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is part of the People’s Republic of China. Religious sites such as monasteries and shamanic graves exercise a double function as centres of ritual power and as 'observers' of the way local societies have adapted to the different political and social changes in their territories. The EU-funded MONGOL-GNP project examines how religious sites and related ritual activities reflect gender evolution and political order among the Mongols of Inner Mongolia. The project will analyse how gender practices have been narrated and exercised during the 20th century to understand the change of indigenous interpretations of gender difference. It will also explore how significant characters and mythical ancestors have redefined the political environment of Inner Mongolia.

Objective

This anthropological project investigates how sacred sites and connected ritual activities reflect gender narratives and political hierarchy among the Mongols in the People’s Republic of China. To put it another way, what can a monastery or a shamanic grave tell us about the evolution of gender roles and political legitimacy within a local community?
For centuries, people have constructed religious sites to benefit from the magical power they are believed to provide. In the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, local people also build and worship at sacred monuments to ensure the fertility of their herds and the well-being of their community. Besides their accredited ritual power, religious sites also offer an accurate overview of the way local societies have been shaping the different social and political norms regulating their everyday lives.
By taking religious sites as the starting point, the project explores two intertwined issues. The first analyzes the way gender practices have been narrated and performed throughout the 20th century in order to shed light on changing indigenous interpretations of sex difference and complementarity. The second examines how memorable characters and other mythical ancestors have redefined the political landscape of Inner Mongolia. More precisely, this focuses on how power holders gather and demonstrate authority, respect or allegiance to the administrative political powers.
Sitting astride anthropology, gender studies and religious studies, the project combines ethnographic fieldwork with oral and written sources to provide a comprehensive framework of the changing social organization of the Mongols of China in terms of gender and politics. Taking Mongolian societies of China as a case study, this project will also echo contemporary issues topical in other parts of the world: the place of minority groups, relationships between the central state and local societies and gender equality.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution
€ 184 707,84
Address
RUE MICHEL ANGE 3
75794 Paris
France
Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 184 707,84