Shared and Separate Knowledge among Eight Cultural Groups Based on Ethnobotanical Uses of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) in Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

Shared and Separate Knowledge among Eight Cultural Groups Based on Ethnobotanical Uses of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) in Yunnan Province, China. Yunnan, a province in southwest China, is known for its cultural diversity of 25 ethnic minorities and its vast Himalayan biodiversity, especially of Rhododendron. Previous literature has shown that some cultural groups share ethnobotanical knowledge while other cultural groups keep their knowledge separate. We investigated factors that may lead to the sharing of knowledge based on the uses of rhododendron among seven cultural minorities (the Bai, Dulong, Lisu, Naxi, Nu, Tibetan, and Yi) and the Han majority. Semistructured interviews about rhododendrons were conducted with approximately 30 individuals in each cultural group. Cluster analyses and a new analysis method were conducted to determine the within-group homogeneity of knowledge of rhododendron uses to test hypotheses related to strength of cultural traditions. The Dulong, Lisu, and Nu were compared with each other as these groups share villages and languages. The Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi live predominantly with members of their cultural group, and are often monolingual; thus, these three cultural minorities were compared. The Bai and Han compose the final comparison as the Bai are increasingly interacting with the local Han majority as tourism grows in that area. The Bai, Dulong, Han, Lisu, and Nu had variable answers within each group, while the Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi have homogeneous knowledge of uses of rhododendron within their cultural group. Among the eight cultural groups compared for this study, factors such as sharing of language, overlap of living situation, and sharing of markets leads to non-homogenous knowledge of rhododendron uses among members of the same cultural group.

中国云南省八个民族对杜鹃花属植物认识与利用的共性及差异.

中国南部的云南省位于喜马拉雅区域,拥有25个少数民族,以其丰富的文化多样性和以杜鹃花属植物为代表的生物多样性闻名于世。前人的研究表明一些民族之间在民族植物学的常识方面存在共性,而另一些民族在这些方面却有独立的认识。通过对每个民族中约30人的半结构访谈,我们在七个少数民族(白族、独龙族、傈僳族、纳西族、怒族、藏族、彝族)和人数众多的汉族共八个民族之间进行了杜鹃花利用方式和此类知识在民族之间共享原因的调查。聚类分析和一种新的分析方法被用于评估同种民族内杜鹃花利用方式和相关知识的差异程度,以显示对文化传统的继承强度。独龙族、傈僳族和怒族因具有共同居住的村庄和共通的语言,因此对三者进行比较。纳西族、藏族和彝族各自为居,并且有独立的语言,因此在它们之间进行比较。另外比较的是白族和汉族,随着当地旅游业的发展,白族越来越多的与汉族之间产生相互影响。结果表明,白族、独龙族、汉族、傈僳族和怒族在本民族内部对于杜鹃花属植物有多样化的认识和不同的利用方式;而纳西族、藏族、彝族对杜鹃花属植物的认识和利用具有民族内部的一致性。在本研究涉及的八个民族中,语言共通程度、居住地重叠、共用农贸市场等因素导致了相同民族内部对杜鹃花属植物认识和利用的差异。