Thinking from modern history: Conditions newly added to Nomadic pastoralism

Abstract

Nomadic pastoralism as a subsistence in Mongolia is mainly determined by natural ecology in steppe. However, as pastoralists live in state and society, and so social elements also severely affect their practice of pastoralism. In modern age, political and economic changes such as socialization and democratization affected it, for instance. This article mainly discusses the infrastructures as an element affected by technology and social system. As an example of qualitative change which occurred in modern Mongolia, emergence of constructions such as buildings made of concrete by machines can be pointed out. Construction of infrastructure which started in late 50s by collective farms brought about a new style of space usage that pastoralists choose their seasonal camps and movement routes considering sedentary area where school-age children and elderly people live in winter and grassland as a workplace. This space usage model is effective even now. Motorization which is linked to technology of movement is another example of qualitative change in modern age. Especially after 2000, it became popular among pastoralists to hold a private car as a means of seasonal movement and a motorbike used for short range movements including daily herding. Among commodities prevailing in this age, generators, batteries, mobile phones, and plastic containers seem to have especially large influence. Plastic containers are significant in that they enable to carry dairy products which in former were difficult to sell by an individual household. However, this change was assisted by spread of mobile phone which made personal communications easier, and by access to electricity which was necessary for use of mobile phone. Now we can predict that influence of internet access to their mobile pastoralism is becoming larger and larger. Recently, in accordance with prevailing of smartphones, usage of applications such as SNS is getting popular. As a result, availability of internet access largely affects pastoralists’ choice on the place of seasonal herding camp. Prevalence of this new infrastructure has a possibility to change their pastoral strategy again, as with past changes of social system and disasters.