Modernization and Dynamism of Shamanism among the Ladakhi in Western Tibet

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Modernization and globalization not only has made local communities in the world face drastic political and economic changes, but also has thrown their traditional cultures into dynamic process of changes. Although it is generally suggested that modernization brings secularization of religions, shamanism or shamanistic practices are often observed to be firmly maintained or even revitalized in local communities. This study aimed to first shed light on modernization since the independence of India and the realities of shamanism today on the basis of intensive field research of the Ladakhi living in the mountainous border of Indian controlled Western Tibet. The second goal was to illuminate from an anthropological viewpoint the mechanism that ensured the dynamism of Ladakhi shamanism under modernization. This part of the study was based on a comparative analysis of current field data and those collected during the 1980s.