About the Book:
Since the fall of the Rana oligarchy in 1951, Nepal has undergone a series of political changes which culminated in the proclamation of a federal democratic republic in May 2008. Besides the shift in its political regime and a ten-year civil war, the country has been facing tremendous transformations in all sectors of life: economic, social and religious. It has therefore become a fascinating laboratory of change. At the same time, Nepal has had to contend with considerable diffi culties. Successive governments have failed to improve people's living conditions and to open news perspectives. A massive exodus of migrants is taking place in the search for employment and for a better life abroad. By and large, Nepal's path to democracy has proved to be chaotic. This book, written by a social anthropologist who has been working on Nepal for more than forty years and who has close contact with the country, highlights the cultural and social aspects of these impediments, failures, successes and transformations. It sets out to show the realities of a highly fragmented nation facing head-on the new wind of globalisation. The book will be of use for all those wishing to understand the current situation in Nepal, the presence of the past in the present, and the social forces at work. It will also be of interest to those who are attentive to the ongoing processes of democratisation in South Asia.

About the Author:
Gérard Toffin, Director of Research at CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), is a member of the Centre for Himalayan Studies, France. He started his research on Nepal in 1970, after a post as Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in Kathmandu and as a French teacher at Darbar School. An expert in Nepali culture and society, he has published a number of books on the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley and on religion in Nepal. He has also carried out research on the Tamangs of Ganesh Himal (Dhading District). - from Amzon