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Accepted Paper:

The symbolic value of anthropological research as affective labour in Tibetan diaspora patronage systems  
Jennifer Rowe (University of Queensland)

Paper short abstract:

Tibetan experiences of diasporic mobility and intercultural encounters are examinable through transactional relations that position Tibetan subjects as recipients of White/Western support. Patron-client moral economies can configure Anthropologists' work into valued labour for Tibetan communities.

Paper long abstract:

Transnational migration is recognised by Tibetan diasporic subjects as facilitating various mobilities, encompassing possibilities for social, economic, cultural and political advancement. The role of patron-client relationships in mediating mobilities is an important field of enquiry in Tibetan Studies and Anthropology of Tibet. Rooted in historic traditions, contemporary sponsorship of individuals and institutions generates opportunities for education, support for monks' and nuns' spiritual practice, preservation of cultural traditions, and political advancements towards national autonomy. The "value of value" in this context is framed through both Buddhist ethics and secular norms, enabling varied interpretations of what constitutes patronage by Tibetans, potential sponsors (who are usually White/Western) and researchers. However, researchers' positionality within this system of value exchange is rarely explicitly considered.

This paper situates research practice as labour within a moral economy of Tibetan patronage, examined through the researcher's geographic immobility and positionality as a white, educated, middle-class woman. Unable to obtain research permits for fieldwork abroad, the expanding Tibetan diaspora in Australia provides opportunities for engagement with local Tibetan communities. The research examined fields of encounter through which intercultural exchange is made possible. The findings reveal that acceptance of the researcher's presence may be mediated via what they can do with and for the community, signifying conversion of research activity into a productive means for advancing the community's agenda. Therefore, this paper demonstrates multifaceted understandings of how research activities constitute affective, moral and visibility labour as a means of generating knowledge about Tibetan culture, people and political agendas.

Panel P16
The migration of value and the value of migration
  Session 1 Tuesday 3 December, 2019, -