 |
||
|
||
BOOK REVIEW |
|
||
|
||
BOOK REVIEW |
Community Compendium Dr. Murari Prasad Regmi
studies the cross-cultural aspects of the Gurung community By A CORRESSPONDENT A significant portion of the research literature on Nepal focuses on the lives and ways of the country's diverse ethnic communities. Dr. Murari Prasad Regmi, a prominent Nepalese psychologist and anthropologist, has added to the body of knowledge through his painstaking effort to analyze and understand the cultural and other aspects of the Gurung community. "The Gurungs: Thunder of Himal" is the first attempt at the psychological study of the Nepalese. Moreover, it is the first comprehensive endeavor to analytically explore the psyche of the turbulent warriors, the Gurungs of the central Himalayas. It is an authentic account of the irresistible destroyer or the war hero of the two World Wars. Employing empirical research on the modal personality of the Nepalese Gurungs, the author reveals in sheer anthropological and psycho-historical sense the fascinating life patterns, cultural traits, socialization processes, dream visions, demographic and life-historical data, rituals, myths and omens. "'Thunder of Himal' is an impressive blend of indigenous and western psychology. Dr. Regmi utilizes a range of research techniques to build up a sympathetic portrayal of the Gurung people," writes Dr. David Watkins of the University of Hong Kong. An exhaustive study of a sub-cultural group, the book is a useful resource in the study of the Nepalese character. "Gurungs come from the Tibeto-Burmese stock and belong to the Mongoloid group. Living in the valleys of the northern reaches of Nepal bordering on Tibet at the foothills of high-rise Himalayan peaks, they live generally in remote, occasionally inaccessible regions of Nepal," says Dr. Regmi. Unsophisticated and unspoiled by urban life, these children of nature are simple, honest, obedient and deeply religious. "Their life is very cohesive and remarkably free from intra-familial conflict." Viewed in the context of their social institutions and practices, these findings from diverse methods seem to tie well together and become meaningful. They appear to some extent to account for their sophisticated warm-heartedness, openness and helping behavior and at the same time for a tough, brave exterior and exemplary discipline which has classed these people as one of the martial races of the Gurkhas. Dr. Regmi, an expert on cross-cultural personality, has already published several books including "Himalayan Mind: A Nepalese Investigation" and "Psychology Moving East". His latest book consists of ten chapters. The introduction discusses the concept of personality, national character and modal personality. The second chapter gives a critical resume of the related studies on the Gurungs, essentially anthropological and psychological in nature. Besides dealing with other important issues, the author surveys the demographic and life history of the community. By applying the methods of observation and interview, Regmi analyses cultural products and myths that are collected from interaction with elderly members of the Gurung community. One of the important features of the book is its cogent analysis, which can be expected to facilitate a better understanding of the community. It also raises some hypotheses concerning the modal personality of a sub-cultural Nepalese group. The book, based on research analysis, would be helpful for scholars who want to continue their study of Gurungs. The general readers might find the volume's premise broad and complicated. Nevertheless, its analyses, based on various theories dealing with cross-cultural study, would encourage a deeper understanding of the community. The Gurungs: Thunder of Himal |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
