Humanitarianism from Below: Sowa Rigpa,the Traditional Pharmaceutical Industry,and Global Health |
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Authors: | Stephan Kloos |
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Affiliation: | 1. Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Social Anthropology
, Vienna, Austria stephan.kloos@oeaw.ac.at |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTIn this article I explore, for the first time, the relationship between Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine) and global health, tracing “the global” in ethical discourses and pharmaceutical innovation practices of Tibetan medical practitioners. I argue that Sowa Rigpa’s engagement with the world and its global health activities outside China can be understood as a form of “humanitarianism from below,” while its industrialization in China aligns with global health in different ways. In providing new insights into recent developments of Sowa Rigpa, I aim to decenter the notion of humanitarianism and contribute to a broader understanding of global health. |
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Keywords: | Asian medical industries global health globalization humanitarianism Sowa Rigpa Tibetan medicine |
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