Award Information

2019
Institutional Affiliation (at time of award):
Anthropology
Conserving Values: Bhutanese Scientific Work in Heritage

I will conduct ethnographic research in conservation labs overseen by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs in Bhutan. As the Buddhist constitutional monarchy has selectively modernized and developed, a strong sense of traditional values has guided the state through "gross national happiness" and the Driglam Namzha code of ethics. Heritage conservation was named a pillar in the Bhutanese constitution. Projects to restore the grand fortresses and palaces across Bhutan influence the urbanizing landscape, asserting the visibility and persistence of Bhutanese traditions in modernity. My research works with the conservation scientists and administrators engaged with stabilizing the materials of heritage to project its forms into imagined futures of state, place, and ways of being modern Bhutanese citizens.

Menu