Geocultural Sociology of Baloch People: Process of Modernity and Factors of Globalization
Author: Nematiniya, Abdolghayoum , gnemati@gmail.com
Department: Sociology
University: Banaras Hindu University, India
Supervisor: Prof. Manjeet Kumar Chaturvedi
Year of completion: 2014
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Balochistan
, Geocultural Sociology
, Modernity
, Globalization
Areas of Research:
Racism, Nationalism and Ethnic Relations
, Regional and Urban Development
, Communication, Knowledge and Culture
Abstract
Geocultural sociology is an important conceptual approach for better understanding certain aspects of some societies. Baloch society is the focus of this study. The conceptual framework of geocultural sociology reveals that society was divided because of the geopolitical history of the region of Balochistan. However, despite having been divided between different nations, Baloch society is not experiencing geocultural division. Rather, they are attempting to keep themselves culturally integrated.
Using an approach that draws on sociology, anthropology, and geography, this study will explore similarities and differences in the dynamics of the Baloch in Iran and in Pakistan. Sociology has been used to understand the behavior of Baloch society in a geocultural context. Sociocultural anthropology has been used to study the causes of uneven development. The framework of geopolitics has been used to bring attention to geopolitical landscape and to reveal the dynamics of culture, the environment, politics, and economics. Geocultural sociology is well-equipped to better understand geopolitical tensions between areas that share strong cultural linkages.
Geocultural sociology is a dimensional concept: people belong to the same ethnicity and cultural group, speak the same language, and share the same lifestyle, religion, and values; on many occasions, they may even belong to same family and kinship group. However, because of geopolitical reasons, they have been divided by international boundaries into separate nations. As a result, they may feel the same sense of cultural identity, but they reside in separate nations.
The dimensional concept of geocultural sociology does not exclusively look at the conditions of the people, but also at the context of their fragmented nationality. In this case, the Baloch find themselves in a very peculiar situation: while their cultural identity is the same, their political identities are different. It is not enough to simply study the Iranian Baloch. To understand Baloch society, one must also understand the larger context of Baloch, as a people divided by international boundaries, divided into different political regions. This sociological study will find out how one ethnic people navigate these political boundaries.
