Papers by Manduhai Buyandelger
Shamanism, Memory, and Gender in Contemporary Mongolia, 2013
Spirits, 2020
· (~f l £t1 M) I}, g J-g I 1, ~t,U, u, fuu SPIRITS Manduhai Buyandelger Sp~rits ~nd mediums have ... more · (~f l £t1 M) I}, g J-g I 1, ~t,U, u, fuu SPIRITS Manduhai Buyandelger Sp~rits ~nd mediums have a speci~l place in Mary Steedly's work. Regrettably, I never mqmred as to why she became mterested in studying them. Our conversations always began from the middle of something-an encounter in the field, or a story, or a concept that needed to be unpacked. The demands of the present always seemed more urgent than the past, so we never reached the beginning of our shared interest in spirits. Yet today I wonder how spirits might have contributed to Mary's highly original and at times unexpected way of seeing and thinking. I seek an answer to this question by rereading her work. In her first book, Hanging without a Rope, on narrative experience and spirits during the postcolonial period, and in her later writing on popular supernaturalism during the Reformasi period, Mary steers us toward the significance of spirits and the supernatural as providers of an unusual kind of light on things that we often take for granted. 1 Stories of spirits, situated outside the ordinary routines of social life yet with profound everyday effects, make visible the transparent conventions of narrative performance and of ethnographic evidence. In the circumscribed arenas of ritual enactment or on the wild borderlands of a familiar social world, encounters with spirits confront official standards of plausibility and good sense; truth here must come to terms with strangeness, strangeness with the regulative disciplines of narration. 2 Manduhai Buyandelger is an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Writing Oneself Out of Oppression: Biographies of Reconciliation and Re-Collection Manduhai Buyandelger ____ translation of from Russian, 2020
This article examines the autobiography of a journalist who was accused of tainting Soviet-Mongol... more This article examines the autobiography of a journalist who was accused of tainting Soviet-Mongol friendship and was persecuted during the socialist period. The article illustrates how post-colonial and decolonial theories can generate new understandings of the history of Soviet domination over Mongolia and offer new ways of apprehending decolonial efforts during the postsocialist period.
Pandemic Diaries. Disruptions: Racism, Virtual Realities, and World Building, 2020
Key words: postcolonialism, postsocialism, decolo- nial, Soviet-Mongol Friendship, autobiography,... more Key words: postcolonialism, postsocialism, decolo- nial, Soviet-Mongol Friendship, autobiography, state, Mongolia, falsification
UDC: 929
The Soviet-Mongol brotherly friendship was framed against the foil of the “actual” European colonialism throughout the heyday of anti-colonial movement in the 1960s. The rhetoric of friendship (and the politi- cal persecutions) made the Soviet colonial politics
in Mongolia unspeakable and distant. In order to explain the lasting silence and denial of coloniality
in Mongolia, the article uses insights from a variety of post-colonial and decolonial theory. Albert Memmi’s (1957) argument about the identities of colonizer and colonized are not given but produced, Ann Stoller’s (1989) insights on the internal diversity among the colonizers, Walter D. Mignolo’s (2000) emphasis on modernity in colonialism, and Serguei Oushakine’s (2009) division between political and domestic socia- lisms for understanding diverse infiltrations of colo- nial politics, all prove to be necessary to understand the Mongolian situation. Through these and other theories, the article discerns previously unspoken and suppressed Soviet colonial politics during socia- lism and the Mongolians’ decolonizing — while little articulated — attempts during postsocialism.
This article argues that memories that come from contexts that are adversarial, and that are not ... more This article argues that memories that come from contexts that are adversarial, and that are not always based on communication and sociality, should be better integrated within the existing theories of social memory. Shamans in postsocialist Mongolia claim that previously suppressed origin spirits demand that their descendants become initiated as shamans in exchange for ceasing to harass them for forgetting and abandonment. Some clients refuse to become initiated as shamans and thus choose to sever their relationship with their past. In this article I explore one such refusal, which led to a disintegration of existing social ties, while also yielding unexpected memories. These memories are different from the shared memories that emerge in the context of organized shamanic rituals. Circulated through rumour and supposition instead of positive sociality and sharing, these ‘asocial’ memories also act as a particular kind of ‘poisonous knowledge’, prompting each individual to withdraw from the network as a way of avoiding the alleged harm from unattended spirits. Owing to divergent subject positioning, where one person’s remembering is another’s forgetting, the haunting by unwanted memories continues, as resolution through unifying communal ritual is not possible.
What can a study about women parliamentary candidates contribute to our understanding of democrat... more What can a study about women parliamentary candidates contribute to our understanding of democratic elections, gender transformation, and contemporary neoliberal self-making? Elections and electoral campaigns in particular, have penetrated the public and private spheres, and continue to shape new subjects and subjectivities. In addition to the neoliberal capitalist demand for self-entrepreneurship and self-renovation, elections in Mongolia further push the candidates to engage in an in-depth self-polishing that speaks to the gender and class identities of the country's political leadership. The comprehensive self-making into eligible parliamentary candidates is especially notable in case of female parliamentary candidates in Mongolia. That is because, unsurprisingly, women candidates must ퟀí°¤ght to gain recognition and respect in a society where the default politician is male, and where gender roles and identities continue to transform.. Self-polishing Since 2006, I have shadowed numerous female candidates for months leading up to as well as during the parliamentary elections of 2008 and 2012. During non-election times I also researched the impact of campaign preparations on everyday life. Besides their formal campaign preparations, the female political candidates also engaged in long-term self-polishing and "self-developing" activities that were meant to shape them into fully "prepared" political candidates. "Self-development" was already a part of their high achieving career-centered lives even before they run for parliamentary seats. However, their e򼑣orts were also fueled by the 2007 parliament's repeal of the candidate quota that stated that all political parties must
The suddenness with which Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, sprang upon us left many within ... more The suddenness with which Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, sprang upon us left many within the academy grasping for interpretations. Early proponents touted them as revolutionary tools that could enhance on-campus learning while also making high-quality education accessible to a vast global population, reforming a malfunctioning university system, and producing new kinds of data on how people learn. Critics countered that behind this latest technoutopian fad lurked an all-too-familiar conservative agenda to downsize the university; the global ambitions of a few elite, resource-rich schools; Silicon Valley corporate interests; and the disciplinary priorities of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (the STEM fields). With some critical distance, the eight scholars in this Vital Topics Forum draw upon their experiences as anthropologists involved in MOOCs and anthropologists doing studies of MOOCs to propel us beyond such facile responses. Doing what anthropologists do best, they employ contextually rich analysis to upend received wisdom about what MOOCs mean, provide processual accounts of how they are made, and offer firsthand observations of how students are using them on the ground.
This article reviews recent ethnographic works on the former Soviet Union, Eastern and Central Eu... more This article reviews recent ethnographic works on the former Soviet Union, Eastern and Central Europe, and Mongolia that explore the experiences of people enduring drastic transformations following the collapse of socialism in 1990 and the consequent implementation of a neoliberal "shock therapy." The anthropologists working on postsocialist societies have shown that transition theories are inherently faulty and their implementation often had damaging results. The current condition is not a period of transition or "bridge" between socialism and capitalism. Instead individuals' activities, memory, social networks, and culturally specific values lead to uncertainty as a state of dynamic being. This article argues that uncertainty is a complex conceptual space that offers further opportunities to step away from the evolutionary mode of thinking and to develop theories of multiple ways of being.
The state socialism in Mongolia prohibited the representation of religion, but some high profile ... more The state socialism in Mongolia prohibited the representation of religion, but some high profile filmmakers created particular kinds of images that shaped the vision of Buddhism in the country.
"Шүүдэр" продакшны анхны бүтээл "Ану хатан" кино үнэхээр гайхалтай уран бүтээл болжээ. Кино бол м... more "Шүүдэр" продакшны анхны бүтээл "Ану хатан" кино үнэхээр гайхалтай уран бүтээл болжээ. Кино бол маш олон салбарын нийлбэр, хамгийн хэцүү бүтэцтэй урлаг. Хөдөлгөөнт дүрс, хөгжим, театр, технологи, зураачийн ажил, хувцас загвар, уран зохиол, дурангийн ажилбар, жүжигчдийн чадвар, тулааны урлаг гэх мэтчилэн тоочвол барагдахгүй олон зүйл нийлж байж кино болдог. "Aну хатан" киноны талаар тоолж баршгүй олон талаас нь задлан шинжилгээ хийвэл нилээн дорвитой ном болох нь мэдээж. Энэ өгүүлэлдээ уг кино чухам яагаад феминист уран бүтээл юм, мөн ямар учраас цаг үеэ эзэлсэн онцгой дэвшилтэт бүтээл болсныг феминист антропологийн талаас нь энгийн хэллэгээр цухас тайлбарлая. Ануг тойрсон хүчирхэг оршихуй Юуны өмнө феминизм бол эхийн эрхэт ёсны сурталчилгаа ч биш, энэ бол гадаадаас зээлдэн Монгол соёл ахуйдаа нааж гангарах гэсэн "оруулга" ч биш юм. Энэ утгаараа зохиолч Б.Шүүдэрцэцэгийн сонгосон түүхэн сэдэв нь феминист үзэл санааг Монгол соёлын өнцгөөс гярхай гэгч нь тусган харуулсан арга барил, уран сэтгэмжийн хувьд маш шинэлэг зүйл юм. Хамгийн гол нь Монголчууд тодорхой хэмжээнд феминист үзэлтэй байсаар ирсэн ард түмэн. Монгол хатдын түүхэнд гүйцэтгэсэн үүрэг нь тохиолдлын чанартай ганц нэгэн баатарлаг, авьяастай эмэгтэйд аз таараад бусдаас тасарч төр барилцсан ч юм биш. Харин язгууртан Монголчуудын өдөр тутмын амьдрал, шийдвэр гаргах үед ч эмэгтэйчүүд эрчүүдтэй ижил эрхтэй оролцдог, тэд маш их нөлөөтэй байснаар уг кинонд дүрсэлсэн нь гайхамшигтай байлаа. Мэдээж Анугийн хувь тавилан, цэргийн эрдэм, харвалдах авьяас зэрэг нь бүгд нөлөөлснийг огтхон ч үгүйсгэхгүй. Гэхдээ монголын төрт ёсонд эмэгтэй хүний оролцоо зайлшгүй байсан, энэ бол огтхон ч гаж үзэгдэл биш гэдгийг юуны өмнө харуулж чаджээ. Кинонд Анугаас гадана олон хүчирхэг эмэгтэйг дүрсэлжээ. Хаад ноёдын чуулган болон шийдвэр гаргахад хатад нь эрчүүдтэй зэрэгцэн сууж байна. Тэдний ам хэлийг цээрлэсэн эсвэл яриаг нь тохуурхсан байдал кинонд огт алга. Кино дөнгөж эхлээд Ануг цоросынхон Сэнгэ хаантай ураг барилдуулахаар сүй тавих үйлд Юм-Агас хатан, Доржравдан хатан хоёр хоёулаа идэвхтэй оролцож байна. Доржравдан хатан "Ану охин минь хадам, авга, эр нөхөр болох хүндээ хүндэтгэлийн ёс үйлд дээ" хэмээн зааварчилна. Энэ бол жижиг зүйл биш, Анугийн аав нь энэ үгийг өчих үү, ээж нь хэлэх үү гэдэг Анугийн сэтгэхүйд өдөр шөнө шиг ялгаатайгаар нөлөөлөх байлаа. Яг л энэ эгзэгтэй мөчид Анугийн ээж нь эцгийн эрхэт ёс ноёрхсон тэр л нийгэмд албан ёсны үүрэгтэйгээр дүрслэгджээ. Ану нь байгалиасаа төрөхдөө заяасан эрэмгий зоримгоос гадна, чадалтай эрх мэдэлтэй ээж болон бусад нөлөөтэй эмэгтэйчүүдээр хүрээлүүлж өссөн. Энэ нь цаашид "Би гэж хэн бэ? Би юу хийж чадах вэ? Миний үүрэг чухам юу вэ?" гэсэн олон асуултанд өөртөө хариулахад нэмэр болж байна. Энэ кинонд Ану охин байхаасаа эмэгтэй хүн үүрэгтэй бас эрхтэй байдаг юм гэдгийг ухамсартаа шингээн авч өссөнөөр харуулжээ. Үүнд Анугийн аавын үүргийн ч бас тусгажээ. Жишээ нь Очирт цэцэн охиноо багад нь "Алдагдсан алт эрдэнэсийг эргүүлэн авч болдог. Харьд алдагдсан газар шороо эгнэгт хүнийх болдог юм" хэмээн сургаснаар Ану эх нутгаа хайрлах , хамгаалах бахархах хүмүүжилтэй, эх оронч эмэгтэй болон өссөнийг харуулжээ. ИйнхүүАнуг хүчирхэг болоход нь нөлөөлсөн нийгэм соёлын оршихуй ба бие хүн хоёр байнга уялдаатай байдгийг харуулсан шинжлэх ухааны хамгийн суурь санааг маш өег бөгөөд үнэмшилтэйгээр эхний 16 минутанд багтаан дүрсэлсэн байна. Ер ньагуу эмэгтэйчүүдийн тухай гадаадын олон сайхан кино бий. Гэхдээ ихэнх тийм кинонд гол дүрээ ганцаараа тасархай ер бусын мэтээр дүрсэлж, харин бусад эмэгтэйг нь эрэгтэйчүүдээс дорд, нөгөө л хэвшмэл байдлаар үзүүлсэн байдаг. Жишээ нь Холливуудын бүтээсэн Хятадын Fa Mulan эр хүний хувцас өмсөөд аавынхаа оронд дайнд мордон, цэргийн эрдэмд суралцаж, жанжин болон бусад эрчүүдээс илүү эрэлхэгээр байлдаж байгаагаар гардаг. Харин түүний үе тэнгийн бусад охид нь гоёж гоодож бушуухан нөхөрт гарч хүний эхнэр болохыг л мөрөөдөж байдаг. Mulan-аас бусдыг нь тэнэгдүү, явцуу сэтгэлгээтэй, залуу сайхан зүс царайнаас өөр үнэлэх зүйлгүйгээр кинонд үзүүлдэг. Түүгээр барахгүй бусад эмэгтэйчүүдийг гоо үзэмж ч үгүй, оюун ухаан нь гэж гавих юмгүй басамжилсан байдлаар харуулсан байдаг. Ингэснээрээ хүчтэй эмэгтэйг бусдаас нь тасархай ялгаварлаж Mulan-ыг ер бусын, дагина, тухайн цаг үед ганцаараа тасархай байснаар дүрсэлсэн нь сексийн ялгааг улам хэвшмэл болгосон байдаг. Феминизм гэдэг нэр томьёо нь гадаад боловч, үнэн хэрэг дээрээ олон оронд өөр өөрийн онцлог "Ану хатан" кино нь феминист бүтээл болох нь | Sonin.MN
Books by Manduhai Buyandelger
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Papers by Manduhai Buyandelger
UDC: 929
The Soviet-Mongol brotherly friendship was framed against the foil of the “actual” European colonialism throughout the heyday of anti-colonial movement in the 1960s. The rhetoric of friendship (and the politi- cal persecutions) made the Soviet colonial politics
in Mongolia unspeakable and distant. In order to explain the lasting silence and denial of coloniality
in Mongolia, the article uses insights from a variety of post-colonial and decolonial theory. Albert Memmi’s (1957) argument about the identities of colonizer and colonized are not given but produced, Ann Stoller’s (1989) insights on the internal diversity among the colonizers, Walter D. Mignolo’s (2000) emphasis on modernity in colonialism, and Serguei Oushakine’s (2009) division between political and domestic socia- lisms for understanding diverse infiltrations of colo- nial politics, all prove to be necessary to understand the Mongolian situation. Through these and other theories, the article discerns previously unspoken and suppressed Soviet colonial politics during socia- lism and the Mongolians’ decolonizing — while little articulated — attempts during postsocialism.
Books by Manduhai Buyandelger
Book Reviews by Manduhai Buyandelger
UDC: 929
The Soviet-Mongol brotherly friendship was framed against the foil of the “actual” European colonialism throughout the heyday of anti-colonial movement in the 1960s. The rhetoric of friendship (and the politi- cal persecutions) made the Soviet colonial politics
in Mongolia unspeakable and distant. In order to explain the lasting silence and denial of coloniality
in Mongolia, the article uses insights from a variety of post-colonial and decolonial theory. Albert Memmi’s (1957) argument about the identities of colonizer and colonized are not given but produced, Ann Stoller’s (1989) insights on the internal diversity among the colonizers, Walter D. Mignolo’s (2000) emphasis on modernity in colonialism, and Serguei Oushakine’s (2009) division between political and domestic socia- lisms for understanding diverse infiltrations of colo- nial politics, all prove to be necessary to understand the Mongolian situation. Through these and other theories, the article discerns previously unspoken and suppressed Soviet colonial politics during socia- lism and the Mongolians’ decolonizing — while little articulated — attempts during postsocialism.