Power, Technological Change And Knowledge Reproduction

The research objective of the dissertation is agricultural technological change in the process of modernization in Xizang Autonomous Region (XAR). In details, the dissertation focus on the change process of crop varieties (highland barley and wheat) from1970’s to1990’s. Based on the materials of archives, oral history and filed work, the key research question is:what factors and mechanism determine the agricultural technological change in XAR. The basic answer is:the power structure and its interaction between the state and peasants determine the results of the technological change in XAR, and then cause the reproduction of knowledge. The result of the agricultural technological change in XAR is development embedding in tradition and both of them sharing prosperity.It is found in the research that there are two actors in the agricultural technological change in XaR-the state and the peasant. Demands of these two actors in the technological change are different. The aim of the sate promoting technological change is increasing agricultural production. While peasants are faced with a more complicated restriction mechanism as they are restricted by the local livelihood mode. The first priority of them is earning a living, but pursing higher productions may destroy their livelihood mode. As a result, driven by different interests, the state and peasant probably hold different views in the direction of technological change. And when put into action, there might be conflicts between the two actors. Thus, it is the power structure and the interaction between the state and peasant that decide the result.Apart from the introduction and the conclusion parts, there are four chapters in the dissertation. The first chapter uses ethnographic research methods to introduce the restriction mechanism deciding peasants’ choice in the technological change, and analyzes the relationship between natural environments, livelihood and agricultural cultural in the agricultural technological change in XAR. Based on the first chapter, by using the the second, third and forth chapters discuss how the power structure and the interaction between the state and peasants decide the technological change.In details, based on the history of promoting winter wheat in1970’s, the second chapter analyzes how the state, who control the land, change agricultural technological through political movement. The third chapter analyzes the "decreasing winter wheat and increasing highland barley" policy around1980’s and the result. The forth chapter explores how peasants change the technological change from late1980s to1990s when the land is owned by peasant. And then, a conclusion is given in the last part.