Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, Memory, and Gender in Contemporary

Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, Memory, and Gender in Contemporary Mongolia

The collapse of socialism at the end of the twentieth century brought devastating changes to Mongolia. Economic shock therapyâ€”an immediate liberalization of trade and privatization of publicly owned assetsâ€”quickly led to impoverishment, especially in rural parts of the country, where Tragic Spirits takes place. Following the travels of the nomadic Buryats, Manduhai Buyandelger tells a story not only of economic devastation but also a remarkable Buryat response to itâ€”the revival of shamanic practices after decades of socialist suppression.
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Attributing their current misfortunes to returning ancestral spirits who are vengeful over being abandoned under socialism, the Buryats are now at once trying to appease their ancestors and recover the history of their people through shamanic practice. Thoroughly documenting this process, Buyandelger situates it as part of a global phenomenon, comparing the rise of shamanism in liberalized Mongolia to its similar rise in Africa and Indonesia. In doing so, she offers a sophisticated analysis of the way economics, politics, gender, and other factors influence the spirit world and the crucial workings of cultural memory.
Country USA
Brand University of Chicago Press
Manufacturer University of Chicago Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber Illustrated
ReleaseDate 2013-11-01
UnitCount 1
Format Illustrated
EANs 9780226086569

Country	USA
Brand	University of Chicago Press
Manufacturer	University of Chicago Press
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	Illustrated
ReleaseDate	2013-11-01
UnitCount	1
Format	Illustrated
EANs	9780226086569

Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, Memory, and Gender in Contemporary Mongolia

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