Factory ‘nuns’: the ethnicization of migrant labor in the making of Tibetan carpets

Many debates over migrant labor politics in contemporary China rely upon essentialist notions of ethnic identity. In contrast, I identify migrant labor politics as transnational processes through which women migrants from rural Tibet become ethnic workers. Drawing on post-colonial theories of ethnicity and on feminist literature on global capitalism, this article analyzes the uses of migrant laborers in a globalizing Tibetan carpet industry. First, I investigate the making of Tibetan carpets and the essentialist construction of ‘carpet weavers’ employed by Tibetan–Nepalese carpet factory owners, carpet dealers in New York City, and various participants in Lhasa, including party cadres, international non-government organizations (NGOs), and overseas investors. I argue that the functioning of the international carpet business relies upon the ethnicization of migrant labor, in which labor subjugation involves creating ethnic subjects and ethnicized boundaries. This form of labor commodification is driven by both an economic logic and a moral imperative for preserving or regenerating ‘ethnic culture.’ Second, through the lens of gender, I look closely at the ethnicization of migrant labor in post-socialist Lhasa, analyzing its significance for the labor force in the carpet industry. The women carpet weavers, who mostly come from Tibet's rural areas, I found, strive to reconcile their desires for female autonomy with labor positions that reduce them to strangers in the city. Some women attempt to overcome their experiences of alienation while actively engaging in the reproduction of the patriarchal family as well as in labor hierarchies at work.     

ESR dating of the Donggutuo Palaeolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, northern China

The fluvio-lacustrine sequences in the Nihewan Basin, northern China, provide important terrestrial archives about Palaeolithic settlements and, therefore, about early human occupation in high northern latitude in East Asia. Here we present detailed ESR dating of the Donggutuo Palaeolithic site, located in this basin. Four levels A, B, C and E of the Donggutuo archaeological layer yield ESR ages ranging from 1060±129 ka to 1171±132 ka with a mean of 1119±132 ka. The ages are consistent with the paleomagnetic data, which show that the Donggutuo Palaeolithic site lies just below the onset of the Jaramillo normal subchron (0.99–1.07 Ma). Furthermore, our results indicate that the reliable ESR dating range of bleached quartz using Ti-Li centre can be effectively extended to 1100 ka and the Ti-Li centre was zeroed before the last deposition, which requires improvement of the understanding of the bleaching mechanism conditions.     

Language Attitudes towards Gender Differences in Communication Style

This paper examines if behaviors that deviate from gender stereotypes during initial,dyadic,mixed-gender interaction produce less positive perceptions of a target than does behavior conforming to gender stereotypes.     

The Business Lives of Wangdu and Lodran in Lhasa

In a travel guide about Lhasa, it tells us ＂Dongzesur Antique Shop on the southeast side of the Barkhor Street contains many ancient articles. Wangdu and his wife Lodran are recognized as nice people. Even though you may not plan to buy anything, it still deserves a visit.＂ What the guide talks about is the Dongzesur Antique Shop run by the Tibetan peasant businessmen, Wangdu and Lodran.     

从立法视角审视“文物”概念——以《文物保护法》的修订为契机而展开

《文物保护法》中的“文物”作为法律概念,承载被普遍认同的“历史”、“科学”和“艺术”等重要价值,其必须有形、可控,且范围确定,而“文物”概念本身亦应具备法律规定性和明确性两方面的重要特征。故此次修订《文物保护法》不宜将类似“文化线路”、“文化景观”等范围模糊概念仓促纳入“文物”范畴;而以“文化遗产”概念取代“文物”的观点也值得商榷。     

TSERING CHUGTSO AND HER ROAD TO SUCCESS

正I met Tsering Chugtso in the most beautiful season of Paltang grassland.Tsering,a young lady born in 1988,in her dark green Tibetan dress and white high heels with a Michael Kors cross-body bag,was a sight for sore eyes.She talked on her phone while opening the warehouse     

台北所藏稿本《直隶河渠书》考

乾隆年间直隶总督方观承主持编纂的《直隶河渠书》是一部记载乾隆中期以前直隶河道事宜的重要志书,但未能成书。因段玉裁等人认为嘉庆十三年王履泰进献朝廷的《畿辅安澜志》乃是攘窃自《直隶河渠书》,由此引发了一桩学术公案,多位学者参与其中。目前唯一可见的《直隶河渠书》稿本是现存于台北的戴震藏本。这部稿本只经过部分删定,体例不一,卷目混乱,前辈学者对其记载也多有不同。戴震去世后,根据史料记载,可以基本梳理书稿的流传情况。而其他本子的情况,也可根据史料记载作出推断。     

湖北荆门左塚楚墓群出土金属器研究

利用XRF、金相显微分析等手段对湖北省荆门市境内左冢楚墓群出土的金属器,特别是青铜器进行了测试分析,XRF分析表明该楚墓群出土的青铜器多为铜、锡、铅三元合金,且容器的锡含量低于兵器和工具,而铅含量则相反。金相分析显示左冢楚墓群出土青铜器多为铸造组织,其中3件铸后经过不同程度的加热;而热锻成形的器物有4件,其中有一件在锻后进行了冷加工。结果显示,此批青铜器合金成分比较科学、制作工艺比较先进。     

王隐《晋书》初探

东晋史家王隐所撰纪传体《晋书》,是在东晋建国之初奉命撰修的国史,历时二十几年方才告成.然由于该书早佚,其史学价值及史学特色未为后世学者所充分认识.本文试从史书体例、史料来源、史料价值、编纂方法等几方面对王隐《晋书》予以探析,以明确该书对中国古代史学发展所做的贡献及在史学史上应占有的地位.     

李鸿章与刘郇膏之交往及关系考察

李鸿章与刘郇膏同为道光二十七年进士,有"同年"之谊.在江苏省共事五年期间,善于处理传统政务的刘郇膏给予李鸿章较大帮助.尽管李鸿章曾抱怨刘郇膏才识短绌,缺乏洋务、应变之才,但仍委以重用,并称他与自己"一鼻孔出气",为僚属中不可多得之人.