Social Structuration in Tibetan Society : Education, Society, and Spirituality

This book provides a broad sociological study of Tibetan education and knowledge production. It examines Tibet’s traditional social structures and hierarchies, analyzes spiritual dimensions of its culture and their role in education, and applies social and philosophical theories to Tibetan society.

This volume is unique in the literature concerning both the sociology of education and Tibetan society. It aims to propose a Tibetan sociology of education, something that no other author has attempted, as well as to provide insights into the nature of Tibetan society both historically and currently through the application of Giddens’ structuration theory supplemented by the work of ancient Tibetan philosopher Je TsongKhapa. Previous Western accounts of Tibetan history and society have lacked “insider” perspectives as well as access to original documentation in the Tibetan language. The author of this volume is Tibetan and does not experience these limitations. He has also taught sociology at the university level and in 1999 published a general textbook on sociology in Tibetan, which attempted to draw on Western theories and apply them to the Tibetan context. In short, the author appears to be highly credible in taking on this extremely ambitious project.