In The Faith Identity And Ethnic Identity Between

Some Yao people who lived on the fringes of society in Shiwangdashan changed their belief into Catholicism during the special period of the late nineteenth century, For these people with double identities of both Catholic and Yao Minority, the author of this thesis is about to explore the following issues on the basis of field investigation: how do they recognize their own identities? what is the relationship between their belief-identification and identity of clansmen? what factors can influence the belief-identification of those Yao Catholics and what adjustments do they make about it in the complicated historical situations and social relationships? and what does belief-identity mean to people?The author expounds the above issues in five parts:In the introduction part, the author sorts out the positive investigations into Chinese rural Catholicism and the research on the issue of identity both internal and external China. Besides, the process and the method of investigation and study are briefly introduced in this part.In the first chapter, the author sorts out the history of Catholic propaganda in Shiwandashan in Guangxi according to the documents and oral records, which are from the second half of nineteenth century to the end of twentieth century. On that complicated historical background, the Missions-etrangeres de Paris was adopted by some Yao people through providing some "shelters" to them, who lived on the fringes of society. After turbulent situation of twentieth century and stern readjustment of religions after liberation, Catholic had become the "idem-identity" which passed from generation to generation by the members of Catholic society of Yao ethnic group.The second chapter deals with the conspicuous edge of the double identities of Yao Catholics which outstands when they communicate with those members of the out-group i.e., the "self-estimation and being estimated by others", which are related to identity, exist between the in-group and the out-group in religious belief as well as between Yao and Zhuang ethnic groups. At the same time, the identification can be realized by "excluding strangers". The Yao Catholics have a clear perception of the rules about the identity of convernus whereas the affirmation of their identity of "Yao minority" is derived from those miserable memories related to their identity of ethnic group. The truth is, Catholicism is embedded to dilute the connotative perception of the ethnic group's identity.In the third chapter, by comparing and analyzing the two sets of cultural symbols in daily life, the author describes the state of combination of the two identities of Catholics and member of Yao ethnic group. Specifically, while the identification of being a catholic predominates their public life, their etiquette and custom present the " replacement and reconstruction" of catholic rite on the basis of the system of the traditional rituals of Yao ethnic group. ; whereas the "heretical" behaviors hidden in daily life reveal the residue of the traditional beliefs in Yao ethnic group and the phenomenon of its "reversing-osmosis" into Catholic rite.The fourth chapter involves the analysis and conclusion of influential factors in "wavering" phenomenon of identity identification. All investigations indicate that the main influential factors include the mainstream ideology, the instrumental benefits, the change of family structure, the rivalry between common education and religious education, the difference of sex roles and the mediated effect of different ideas of the life philosophy.In general,Firstly, every kind of identity has its relevant rights, obligations and rules. And when a person has multiple identities at the same time, he always tries to sift and integrate. This integration, namely identification, which can be carried on according to the resources of present identity, is a process of cultural practice that can continuously re-constructs the significance and produces the rules. And this is the key link in the communication of association and the circle of culture.Secondly, AH above static structure-sorting and dynamic analysis reveal the principles of the Optimization, the Replacement and the Regression intensively which Yao people of Catholic Church really follow in identity-identification.Thirdly, in spite of being enslaved to the ideology and benefits, people's choice and identification of belief still reveals their thinking and seeking to the value of life. Such true pursuit is what the humanity lies in, and it cannot be absent just because of the lower social status and the poor life of people.