One of a Kind: Bhutan and the Modernity Challenge

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Susan M. Walcott, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: A small Buddhist nation long isolated in the Himalayas between China and India, Bhutan navigates the passage to internal modernity and global integration by using the precepts of ‘Gross National Happiness’: cultural and environmental preservation, economic equity and sustainability, and clean and transparent governance. Challenges include the degree of homogeneity desirable under the doctrine of ‘One Nation, One People’. The country's youth wrestle with an education often unsuitable for job prospects, urban migration, social temptations, and the waning of traditions. Choosing cultural elements suitable for preservation, modification, or substitution incorporates key elements of spiritual continuity for easing the development path.

Additional Information

Publication
National Identities, 13(3), 253-266
Language: English
Date: 2011
Keywords
Bhutan, cultural preservation, Gross National Happiness, modernity

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