Problematizing Ideas of Purity and Timelessness in the Conservation Narratives of Sacred Groves in Xishuangbanna, China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12901592 |
|---|---|
| Authors | L Zeng (0000-0002-3977-8114, Yale University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 172-200 |
| Publication date | 2018-10-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1749-4907 • E-ISSN: 1749-4915 |
| Publisher | Equinox Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1558/jsrnc.34555 |
| OpenAlex | W2895309575 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
The recent promotion of sacred groves in conservation often assumes four problematic narratives of nature and culture based on ideas of purity and timelessness: (1) sacred groves are remnants of pristine forests; (2) nature is made sacred through the absence of human activity; (3) sacred groves are a-historical; and (4) sacred groves are removed from modernity. I problematize these narratives using ethnographic analyses of sacred groves protected by ethnic minority Dai communities in Xishuangbanna, a region containing China's richest biodiversity. I argue that the nature-culture divide inherent in conservation literature poorly describes sacred groves, which are dynamic entities integrated into modern Dai communities. Moreover, I contend that these narratives persist because they are deployed for political agendas by various outside actors (e.g., government, conservationists, tourism developers) and occasionally by Dai communities themselves during the co-production of landscapes, livelihoods, and identity corresponding to times of rapid transformation in a modern world
Aesthetics · Archaeology · China · Environmental ethics · Ethnography · Ethnology · Geography · Identity (music · Livelihood · Modernity · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Anthropology · Cambodian History and Society · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Law · Philosophy · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
What is sacred in sacred natural sites? A literature review from a conservation lens
Tree Diversity and Regeneration in Sacred Groves and Nature Reserves in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China
Whose perspective counts? A critical look at definitions of terms used for natural and near-natural forests
The role of Chinese folk ritual music in biodiversity conservation
Buddhist Faces of Indigenous Knowledge in Highland Asia
Linking Faith and Conservation in Sacred and Community Forests of Far Western Nepal
Dai Identity in the Chinese Ecological Civilization
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2025 (7) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |