Development and Change in a Hmong Community: A Case Study of Hmong Farmers Response to Market Economic on Taijiang County, Guizhou Province. P. R. China

Abstract

"This study focuses on the predominant ethnic group in Guizhou, the Hmong people who have a long tradition in forest cultivation and have adopted fruit-tree cultivation. Their responses to the market economy, can reveal the dynamics of rural transformation and its local meanings. These responses and transformations differently have implications for national policy. To do this, this research examines Hmong farmer behavior changes in tree farm management and their definition of 'tree'. These investigations contribute to an overall understanding of the process of Hmong farmer responses to the market economy. In addition, the analysis tries to come to an understanding of how the Hmong people interpret structural change through their discourses and meanings. A productive approach has been used to gain a detailed understanding of how and what practices have changed in the Hmong community. This study not only attempts to understand what Hmong people have done, but also know why they do it. Therefore, the interpretive approach is been adopted for analyzing this research. This approach supports the investigation of both productive practices and discursive practices to fully understand changes in agroforestry practices."