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ABSTRACT
Karl Polanyi argues that the discipline of economics has emerged from the observations of human beings and their practices existing in a society. Since humans are perceived primarily as social beings rather than economic ones, embeddedness is a necessary and basic condition of the economy. This paper is an attempt to observe study and understand the inter-sectional application of these concepts of embeddedness and ethnic solidarity, in the socio-economic context of the Tibetan refugee community residing in India. Our study’s fieldwork was focused on observing the functioning of the local Tibetan economy in Mcleodganj (Dharamshala), where two Tibetan knowledge systems: the Thangka art and the Tibetan healing system were closely studied, reflecting Tibetan culture, and the community’s effort to preserve and promote these knowledge systems in different economic forms.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Polanyi, The Great Transformation, Chapter 4.
2. Machado, “Karl Polanyi and the New Economic Sociology,” 2–5; Polanyi, The Great Transformation.
3. Beckert, “The social order of markets.”
4. The idea of embeddedness as propounded by Polanyi was of immense importance in the development of the New Economic Sociology, an idea that aims towards examining the linkages and interdependencies of economic phenomena and organisations and other social structures. New Economic Sociology has become relatively popular in the past few decades, it owes its root to a number of studies dating from the early 1980s. The work on embeddedness by Granovetter has been instrumental in developing the concept of New Economic Sociology. His work gave the concept of embeddedness great analytical precision by insisting that all economic actions are embedded in networks of social relations. The network approach associated particularly with the works of Mark Granovetter and Harrison White, emphasizes the social embeddedness of market actors. The approach explains economic outcomes based on the structure of social networks and the positions individual nodes hold within these structures. According to network analysts, the structures of social relationships are more important for explaining the behaviour of market actors than ethical attitudes or institutional arrangements.
5. This pilot study was conducted to understand the unique economic setup of the Tibetan community. To understand this, the team focused on two sectors within the hospitality business-accommodation and travel bookings. The functioning of these two sectors was observed and analyzed in a great detail to comprehend if their economy is deeply embedded in the social order of the community, tracing evidence for the existence of a strong sense of ethnic solidarity. To decipher whether this trend is specific to the region of Majnu-ka-Tilla or is relevant across the community, the scope of the study was expanded to Mcleodganj (Dharamshala), which is the hub and capital city for Tibetans residing in India. However, the hospitality sector studied in the first phase couldn’t be covered in Dharamshala. Since, Mcleodganj is a prominent tourist destination; the hospitality sector is quite diversified with respect to both service providers and the customers making it difficult to study the concept of embeddedness.
6. Russel, review of “Tibetan Thangka Painting – Methods and Materials” by David Jackson, Janice Jackson.
7. McGuckin, “Thangkas and Tourism in Dharamsala: Preservation Through Change,” 31–52.
8. Pathak, “Tibetan Medicine a Unique Heritage.”
9. See note 1 above.
10. Granovetter, “Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness.”
11. Ibid.
12. Bisht, “Social Networking and Livelihoods: A Study of Tibetan Refugees in Delhi.”
13. Le Houerou, “The Tibetan Ethnic Enclave in New Delhi a Visual Perspective.”
14. See official website of Norbulingka Institute, webpage named “Thang ka Painting.”
15. McGuckin “Thangkas and Tourism in Dharamsala: Preservation Through Change,” 31–52; See official website of Norbulingka Institute, webpage named “Thang ka Painting.”
16. Jackson, David and Janice. “Tibetan Art is Today Flourishing in The Tibetan Settlements in South Asia on a Scale Nobody Could Have Predicted Two Decades.”
17. See note 8 above.
18. Sarsina, Ottaviani and Mella, “Tibetan Medicine: A Unique Heritage of Person-Centered Medicine.”
19. Ibid.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Deepanshu Mohan
Deepanshu Mohan is Associate Professor of Economics& Director, Centre for New Economics Studies, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana.
Richa Sekhani
Richa Sekhani is Research Associate at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations(ICRIER), New Delhi, India
Shivani Agarwal
Shivani Agarwal is a Research Analyst, Centre for New Economics Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University.
Sakshi Tokas
Sakshi Tokas is a Senior Research Assistant, Centre for New Economics Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University
Mansi Singh
Mansi Singh is a Senior Research Assistant, Centre for New Economics Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University
Pranjali Dixit
Pranjali Dixit is a Masters student of Diplomacy, Law and Business (MA. DLB) at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University.