| In recent years, much attention has been paid to the development problems of the ethnic groups with less population. Most of these ethnic groups live in the frontier, and for the reason of history, geography and population, their development level are comparatively backward. During the modernization process, the ethnic groups with less population are facing two salient problem: how to quicken their development to catch up with the level of the whole nation, and at the same time keep the unique features of their own culture. In the year of 2000 , The State Ethnic Affair Commission convened some experts to start a project called "An Research on the Economic and the Social Development of the Ethnic Groups with Less Population" , and a special supportive program is made for this research. "An Research on the Economic and Social Changes of De'ang Ethic Group" is a part of this project.De'ang ethnic group was chosen as the research object not only because that the author has twice been in the De'ang area to do the field work and gathered many original materials, but also because that De'ang ethnic group is very representative among all the ethnic groups with less population. With a population of only 17,000, De'ang ethnic group in China lives in the frontier, and is a neighbor of the same ethnic group who lives in the other side of the border. Living in a remote area, its economic and cultural development is comparatively backward. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the economy and society of De'ang ethnic group have changed greatly, however, its unique cultural features are still kept almost completely. During the modernization process, De'ang ethnic group meets some special problems in virtue of their small population. It is of theoretical and practical significance to analyze and study these problems, for the fact that it will support and promote the economic and social development of the ethnic groups with less population.During the research process, this author adopts the following research methods: first, a combination of both lengthwise method and crabwise method. As far as crabwise method is concerned, the author compared De'ang ethnicgroup with other ethnic groups around and put much emphasis on its cultural feature; and also, combined ethnographic method of anthropology and problem consciousness of sociology to do comprehensive cross-discipline research. While as far as lengthwise method is concerned, by using literatures and field work materials, the author studied how did De'ang culture change, what caused the change, and how to evaluate such changes. Secondly, the author adopts a combination of macroscopic method and microcosmic method. In respect of the macroscopic method, an all-round research method is used to analyze the problems De'ang ethnic group is facing and to produce development ideas, for this project is to present a bird's-eye view of the cultural features and social changes of a certain ethnic group. This method is pretty difficult in practice, but it is very helpful in changing the research outcome into the government policy, it is taken as very necessary. In respect of the microcosmic method, the author combines the discussed method of sociology and the descriptive method of anthropology to present both the author's theoretical outcome and the lifelike field work materials, and thus enables the readers to understand De'ang society in an all-round way. Thirdly, the author combines qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. Materials and photos of the interviews in homes are used, and local statistics and questionnaires too.The introduction is about the significance of this research, the domestic and foreign research outcome, and the research methods it used.The first chapter introduces the history and the population distribution of De'ang ethnic group. De' ang ethnic group originated from the ancient pu people. It was called "benglong" when it parted the pu people in the Qing dynasty. Because of the war, population move and other factors, its popu... |
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