Document Type

Honors Project

Publication Date

6-2-2016

Abstract

My exploration features Miao batik-making in Guizhou Province and explores several sets of overlapping questions. The first set focuses on the status of the craft of Miao batik-making and the perceptions of its future. Is batik-making a dying art form? To what extent is Batik-making a thriving cultural practice today, or do Miao in China (and other ethnic groups involved in batik-making) perceive an inheritance crisis? My next focus is on the role of institutions and the tourism industry. If taught less and less in the domestic sphere (traditions passed from mother to daughter), what role do public domains such as educational institutions and the tourism industry play in the preservation of batik-making? What changes might a formalized or standardized curriculum have on the art form? What influences might the commercial markets have on batik-making?

Level of Honors

magna cum laude

Department

East Asian Studies

Advisor

Carla Daughtry

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