Tibetan Transitions: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Fertility, Family Planning, and Demographic Change (Brill's Tibetan Studies Library)

Tibetan Transitions uses the dual lenses of anthropology and demography to analyze population regulating mechanisms in traditional Tibetan societies, and to document recent transitions from high to low fertility throughout the Tibetan world. Using the author's case studies on historical Tibet, the Tibet Autonomous Region, the highlands of Nepal, and Tibetan exile communities in South Asia, this book provides a theoretical perspective on demographic processes by linking fertility transitions with family systems, economic strategies, gender equity, and family planning ideologies. Special attention is devoted to how institutions (governmental and religious) and the agency of individuals shape reproductive outcomes in both historical and contemporary Tibetan societies, and how demographic data has been interpreted and deployed in recent political debates. List of Tables and Figures......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 16 List of Abbreviations......Page 20 Mundane Matters......Page 22 Outline of the Book......Page 24 Note to the Reader......Page 26 Tibet and Tibetans......Page 28 Tibetan Demographic Research: The State of the Field......Page 29 Introducing the Case Studies and Research Methods......Page 34 Summary......Page 42 A Disciplinary Divide......Page 44 Core Concepts......Page 48 Summarizing the Theoretical and Methodological Foundations......Page 71 Introduction to Kyirong......Page 74 Administering the Domain of Historical Tibet......Page 76 The Household Economy of Taxpayers......Page 85 Corporate Households and the Family System......Page 91 The Normative System of Marriage......Page 93 Demographic Profi le of Kyirong......Page 97 Marital Complexities and the Proximate Determinants of Fertility......Page 101 Religious Celibacy and Fertility......Page 118 Conclusions......Page 124 Barriers to Birth Control......Page 126 Introduction to Sama......Page 127 The Household Economy......Page 130 The Family System......Page 131 Demographic Profi le of Sama......Page 132 Proximate Determinants of Fertility......Page 135 On the Brink of Fertility Transition?......Page 145 Move Forth and Procreate......Page 156 A Brief History of Tibetans in Exile......Page 157 The Family System in Exile......Page 161 Cultural Perspectives on Marriage......Page 166 Demography of the Exile Population......Page 176 Regulating Fertility: The Proximate Determinants......Page 181 Political Dimensions of Family Planning......Page 189 Summarizing the Evidence......Page 209 Demography as Politics......Page 210 A Brief History of the TAR......Page 211 Marriage and the Family System......Page 214 Demographic Profi le of the TAR......Page 216 Regulating Fertility: The Proximate Determinants......Page 225 Beyond Legibility: Demographic Depictions of Tibet and Tibetans......Page 232 Pre-Transitional Tibetan Populations......Page 254 Tibetan Populations in Transition......Page 258 Theorizing Tibetan Fertility Transitions......Page 260 Projecting (Not Predicting) the Future......Page 274 Anticipating the Social, Political, and Cultural Consequences......Page 281 Parting Remarks......Page 296 Appendix One Kyirong's 1958 Household Register......Page 300 Appendix Two Reconstructing Households......Page 305 Glossary of Demographic Terms and Concepts......Page 310 Glossary of Tibetan Terms......Page 312 References......Page 314 Index for Tibetan Transitions......Page 336 Introduction -- Ch. 1. Studying Tibetan Populations -- Tibet And Tibetans -- Tibetan Demographic Research: The State Of The Field -- Introducing The Case Studies And Research Methods -- Ch. 2. The Theoretical Landscape Of Anthropological Demography -- A Disciplinary Divide -- Core Concepts -- Summarizing The Theoretical And Methodological Foundations -- Ch. 3. Polyandry And Its Discontents: Land Tenure, Marriage, And Fertility In Historical Kyirong -- Introduction To Kyirong -- Administering The Domain Of Historical Tibet -- The Household Economy Of Taxpayers -- Corporate Households And The Family System -- The Normative System Of Marriage -- Demographic Profile Of Kyirong. By Geoff Childs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [293]-314) And Index. Tibetan Transitions uses the dual lenses of anthropology and demography to analyze population regulating mechanisms in traditional Tibetan societies, and to link recent fertility transitions with family systems, economic strategies, gender equity, and family planning ideologies