Qilian The Herders Ecological Philosophy

Applying the concept of cultural theory, the main problem how does the modernization pushed forward by the government in ethnic minority frontier areas? is concerned. From the long-term perspective of premodern-modern-postmodern, taking the development dilemma which Sunan Yugur Autonomy County (the north of QiLian Mountain, the south of Gansu Corridor) confronted as an example, the paper reveals that China should propel development of ethnic minority areas through construction of regional autonomy system for ethnic minorities, and ensure mechanism of multi-side participation.At the beginning of the year2012, the article Better to Have Veiled Word, rather than to Have Crisis has been published in People's Daily, pointing out that it is better to have "imperfect" reform than to have the crisis of being unreformed. The NPC and CPPCC of2012and Press conference of Prime Minister have represented "reform anxiety" under such situation. From any perspective, the achievements that China gained during the last30years of reform and opening-up are striking and distinguished. However, it is obviously that social construction of being economy power is the "shortest plate of a barrel" and in great difficulties.History shows that peasants and ethnic minorities always are the constant issues in China. Eighty years ago, Chinese Communist Party chose the route of "encircling the cities from the rural areas" during the land reform. Thirty years ago, when China is on the verge of economic collapse,"three agriculture"(rural areas, agriculture, peasants) was chosen decisively as the starting point of reform and achieved market economy. Nowadays, since the general situation of rural reform is settled the ethnic minorities and minority areas are the "prerequisite" restarting field for China reform. This is because the accumulation of political issues in Chinese ethnic minority are much more than economy. Therefore, from the start of this field, it is the most critical link to promote system construction of multi-side participation, eliminate mutual trust deficit, and guarantee the citizen rights and ethnic minority interests.Since1840, the biggest challenge China confronted is achieving rich nation and people through the means of modernization. Either the perspective of rescuing the nation from subjugation and ensure its survival, or building up a powerful nation and the rich people, modernization and development are the modern discourse conception and zeitgeist of China. Owing to the particular urgency for pursue of modern development, there is no enough time to rethink the inner limitation of western civilization, especially the exclusiveness to the diversity of ethnic minority culture.In the middle and later periods of19th century, the Occident, that had experienced the Enlightenment and popularized urbanization and industrialization, considered the history before civilization as prehistory, the age before urban industrial civilization as premodern and titled the areas as premodern society corresponding social cultural ecology. Meanwhile, it has been believed that, the culture of premodern society, including the civilizations that established by nomad empires and cultivation empires, would be ultimately replaced by the modern industrial civilization. In other words, modernization which features in urban industry is the inevitable outcome for human beings. In this vision, premodern society resists modern urban civilization based on ecological knowledge, cultural tradition and identity. Then, they are the obstacle that modernization must overcome or may be abandoned by the pursuers voluntarily. Nowadays, countries which experienced postmodern transformation and cultural consciousness conclude this vision as western centralism or history of social evolution.China has been directly impacted with the industrial civilization from the Western countries, starting the modernization process that has been continuing more than100years. From the Westernization Movement in1860, the Wu Hsu Reform in1898, the establishment of the Republic of China in1911to the founding of a new democratic nation in1949and socialism period, modernization in China has been the main aim of construction of the country and society, and what follows is to surpass the western industrial civilization, showing the superiority of the Chinese socialism system. Then, the characteristic of Chinese modernization includes western idea introduced by country elites and development from top to bottom. Its result is that the ideology structure of Center-Frontier that city leads rural and interior leads frontier is copied.Since1999, with the implementation of Development of the West Regions strategy, industrialization, marketization and urbanization in the ethnic minority areas are accelerated by policies, measures and projects operated by Chinese government. In recent decade, the economic development, infrastructure construction and GDP increased greatly. However, due to the lagging political system reform and stagnant construction of ethnic minority regional autonomy system, the local ecology environment is getting worse and the social risks enlarged rapidly.Through elaborating modernization process of Sunan Yugur Autonomy County, the paper reveals two perspectives:one is national modernization perspective which explores structural problems of the establishment and maintenance of the state order in the ethnic minority areas; the other is frontier minorities perspective which discusses the opportunities and resources of post-modern inclusive development with the local ecological system and residents'cultural ecology philosophy.The thesis raises two kinds of theory assumptions:the first one is, the admission from the government to the subjectivity self-organizing ability of frontier ethnic minorities, which can resolve the difficulties brought out by modernization in the frontier areas; the second one is, the government should apply ethnic minorities'ecological philosophy that can establish the postmodern institution of the mutual support, mutual trust and tolerance, also can resolve the structure of Center-Frontier brought out by the modernization process, what follows is to gain the satisfaction of both modernization process and minority nationalities subjectivity. Modernization indeed tremendously improves material life for ethnic minority and minority areas. However, with respect to sustained development of grassland ecological environment for local resident, Indigenous resident right, and regional autonomy system construction of ethnic minority, it is also causing major social issues, such as resource loss, movement of population, psychological unbalance, cultural inheritance crisis and lower happiness.The paper mainly demonstrates that ethnic minority herdsmen have a ability to adopt ecological philosophy, self-organized ability and tolerant mind for resolving development dilemma, and pursuing subjective consciousness and practice of equitable inheritance in modernization process. The paper points out that innovating political reform, perfecting ethnic minority regional autonomy system and establishing mechanism of mutual benefit and collaboration are the way to get rid of transition trap, surmount the dilemma of unilateral stability maintenance, and realize common prosperity and progress for all nationalities of China.There are six chapters in the paper, and the theme presented is that ethnic minority and minority areas are not only the sustained development emergence faced by China, but also the inspiration and motive force for China to eliminate social mutual trust deficit. The ethnic minority and minority areas not only contributed to Chinese history, but also play a decisive and irreplaceable role in Chinese development in future.In Chapter One, the paper demonstrates two narrations of Chinese minority frontier areas:one is accumulation of mutual trust deficit and social rejection led by force impelling of modernization; the other is mutual trust and help and all-win based on historical cultural drive. It reviews ecological history of QiLian Mountain, modernization of pastoral areas and social cultural subjectivity of herdsmen, delineates research concern point in perspective of premodern-modern-postmodern and rethinks the modern development pattern in frontier areas. Thus, the paper illustrates ecological philosophy represented by ethnic minorities' subjectivity, meanwhile, proposes theory assumptions. In Chapter Two, based on the literatures, participate observation and first-hand interviews, the paper summarizes the characteristic of regional ecology and nationality history of QiLian Mountain, district history of Sunan Yugur Autonomy County. Meanwhile, it also reveals ecological philosophy and cultural subjective agency of local minority herdsmen.In Chapter Three, from the aspect of state, the paper describes modernization construction in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County since1949. That includes the structural characteristic of modern order in local area, namely taking county economy as the center and traditional pastoral area as frontier; bring herdsmen into modern order by marketization, industrialization and urbanization. This chapter mainly discusses the situation that herdsmen turned into mobile population and reflectivity strategy of herdsmen in modernization course.In Chapter Four, from the aspect of Yugur herdsmen and based on participate observation and interview, the paper describes ecological and psychological unbalance and cultural inheritance crisis brought by modernization. By way of maintaining kinship and neighbor relationship, herdsmen sustain pastoral ecology livelihood initiatively. It shows that self-organize ability of herdsmen, reveals herdsmen's tolerant mind and ability for modern times and cultural differences. And that inspires the rebuilt of ecological philosophy and cultural subjectivity of frontier minority.In Chapter Five, based on the interaction between ethnic minority and nation in propelling process of modernization, the paper discusses the mind of herdsmen confronted modernization and reveals four impacts including social ecology and cultural inheritance. They are the less work of ethnic minority region autonomy system; affirmative policy and project in perspective of state; inheritance of cultural heritage by the name of state; and resource exploitation of frontier minority ecological homeland in perspective of development. It also illuminates the cultural and ecological dignity demand of Yugur herdsmen confronting crisis. Chapter Six, as the conclusion of the paper, the suggestions based on the ecological philosophy of frontier herdsmen and ethnic minority show as follows:the affirmative projects directed by subjectivity and requirements of ethnic minority; the nationalities policy respected diverse and inclusion of ethnic minority culture; the ethnic minority regional autonomy embodied the right and interest of ethnic minority and ecological philosophy. By perfecting ethnic minority region autonomy system, prosperity and progress of all nationalities in China can be realized.