Indigenous knowledge and its implication for agricultural development and agricultural education

348 Pages·2017·7.42 MB·English

Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and
Retrospective Theses and Dissertations
Dissertations
1993
Indigenous knowledge and its implication for
agricultural development and agricultural
education: a case study of the Vedic tradition in
Nepal
Anthony B. J. Willett
Iowa State University
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Recommended Citation
Willett, Anthony B. J., "Indigenous knowledge and its implication for agricultural development and agricultural education: a case study
of the Vedic tradition in Nepal " (1993).Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 10567.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/10567
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Order Number 9414036
Indigenous knowledge and its implication for agricultural
development and agricultural education: A case study of the
Vedic tradition in Nepal
Willett, Anthony B. J., Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 1993
Copyright ©1998 by Willett, Anthony B. J. All rights reserved.
U M I
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Indigenous knowledge and its implication for agricultural development and
agricultural education: A case study of the Vedic tradition in Nepal
by
Anthony B. J. Willett
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Graduate faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department: Agricultural Education and Studies
Major: Agricultural Education
Approved:
Signature was redacted for privacy.
In Charge of Major Work
Signature was redacted for privacy.
I^or the Major Department
Signature was redacted for privacy.
For the Gradual >llege
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
1993
Copyright © Anthony B.J. Willett, 1993. All rights reserved.
11
DEDICATION
In memory of:
Kaviraj Narapati Pokhrel
Bernard Ernest Willett
Barbara Mary Willett
Dedicated to:
Samyog and Shristi
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 2. MAINSTREAM AND ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT THOUGHT
AND EXPERIENCE 9
The Development mainstream 10
Origins 10
Articles of faith of the dominant paradigm 11
Consequences of the mainstream approach 12
Revisions 15
Limits 16
Outstanding problems of the mainstream 22
Professional paternalism 22
Political-economy and human rights 23
Problems of understanding 25
Ethnocentrism and cultural dominance 28
Moral and spiritual consciousness 31
The mainstream's outer limits 33
Alternatives beyond the mainstream 34
New professionalism 35
Political and economic empowerment,
self-determination and human rights 36
Consciousness and alternative comprehension 40
Cultural diversity 44
Moral and spiritual consciousness 47
The alternative paradigm as applied to agriculture 49
A philosophical choice 54
CHAPTER 3. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND COSMOLOGY 61
Indigenous knowledge as it was 63
Destruction of indigenous knowledge: conscious
vs. unconscious ignorance 65
Why indigenous knowledge? 68
Development applications of ethnoscience 68
iv
Broader goals 70
Rationales 72
IK as it is 74
Defining and understanding indigenous knowledge 76
Terminological debate 76
Consensus 81
Distinguishing characteristics of IK 84
Processes of knowing 85
Indigenous knowledge as a system 88
Criteria for IK definition 90
Indigenous perspectives 92
Common socio-cultural traits 93
The indigenous relationship with nature 95
The sacred and spiritual dimension 98
Custodians of IK 103
Indigenous cosmology: Essence of IK 106
Conclusions 112
CHAPTER 4. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 119
Objectives 119
Research question 120
Background 120
Methods 122
Population and sample 125
Instruments 125
Procedures followed 127
Protection of rights of human subjects 129
Data analysis 129
Trustworthiness and limitations of this study 130
CHAPTER 5. VEDIC KNOWLEDGE AND AGRICULTURE IN NEPAL 134
The study region 134
Tlie respondents 143
What are the Vedas 144
Branches of the Vedas 148
Vedic knowledge 154
Socio-culture 159
Astrology 164
The Ayurveda 166
V
Vedic agriculture 174
Respondents' views on indigenous (Vedic) knowledge
in Nepal's agricultural development 180
Vedic pandits 181
Priests 193
Ayurvedic physicians 203
Astrologers 205
Farmers 207
The hill farmers 207
Tarai farmers 214
Nepali agricultural professionals 218
CHAPTER 6. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS,
AND RECOMMENDATIONS 225
CHAPTER 7. SUMMARY 273
BIBLIOGRAPHY 282
APPENDIX I. CHAMBERS' ELEMENTS OF NEW PROFESSIONALISM 306
APPENDIX n. KEY ELEMENTS OF COMPETING AGRICULTURAL
PARADIGMS 309
APPENDIX m. INTERVIEW SCHEDULES 311
APPENDIX IV. COVER LETTER 334