Research on livelihoods has been conducted across various fields but there has been less focus upon detection and analyzing of the interconnected relationships between space and livelihoods. This study investigates these relationships from a place-specific point of view utilizing the Tibetan exile community in India as a case study. The qualitative method of semi-structured, in-depth interviews has been employed in order to gather primary data. Theoretically, this thesis draws it framework mainly from the human geography perspective on space and place combined with the conceptual Sustainable Livelihood framework.  This thesis argues that it is possible to distinguish four examples of reciprocal relationships between space and livelihoods in the places studied. These are spatial congregation into an ethnic enclave, the altering of place specific time-space relations which in turn alters livelihood possibilities over time, migration and spatial dispersion of livelihoods. These results are case specific and not generalizable. / Forskning kring försörjningsmöjligheter har utförts inom en rad vetenskapliga fält men få har fokuserat på att finna och analysera ömsesidiga relationer mellan space och försörjningsstrategier. Denna studie undersöker dessa relationer med en plats-specifik utgångspunkt och använder det tibetanska exilsamhället i Indien som fallstudie. Den kvalitativa metoden semi-strukturerade djupintervjuer har använts för att samla in primärdata. Uppsatsen drar sitt teoretiska ramverk från det samhällsgeografiska perspektiven på space och place i kombination med det konceptuella ramverket Sustainable Livelihood framework.  Uppsatsen menar att det är möjligt att särskilja fyra exempel på de ömsesidiga relationerna mellan space och försörjningsstrategier. Dessa är rumslig ansamling i en etniska enklav,  förändringar i platsspecifika tid-rum relationer vilket påverkar försörjningsmöjligheter över tid, migration och rumslig spridning av försörjning. Dessa resultat anses vara fallspecifika och därför inte möjliga att generalisera.

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Background: In Tibet, as well as in their exile community in India, there is a widespread issue of female oppression and gender inequality within healthcare. Few studies explore the progressive work of organizations fighting these issues, which can contribute to a retrogression of discrimination awareness.  Aim: The aim of the study was to describe healthcare workers' perspectives on how and to what extent the Tibetan Women’s Empowerment Policy can be used to create equal opportunities in healthcare.  Method: Ethnographic method consisting of semi-structured interviews and observations has been used for data collecting and qualitative content analysis has been used for data analysis. Result: There are four recurring perspectives amongst the participants: (1) The policy has contributed to a change of attitude regarding female empowerment, female leadership and feminism. (2) The policy has contributed to the development of adequate healthcare services for women. (3) Limitations of support from the community. (4) The policy is not impactful. Conclusion: There are indications which show that the Tibetan women’s empowerment policy can create equal opportunities within healthcare in terms of attitude changes and accessibility to adequate healthcare. However, there are also practical complications in regard to its theoretical outlines as well as limitations of support from the community. It is concluded that the policy is part of a female progression within the community, yet there are still improvements regarding sufficiency and awareness needed to be made.

This ethnographic research examines socioeconomic vulnerabilities to resettlement from a large hydropower dam and agricultural commodification in a Tibetan village in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. After providing an initial background on the dynamics of the research region and hydrodevelopment on its rivers, the research framework of examining vulnerability through a lens of political ecology and local knowledge is outlined. Utilizing this framework, the socioeconomic strategies surrounding agriculture and commodified forest products within the study village are initially outlined through the use of oral histories, previous literature, and quantitative household survey data. After providing a detailed background on these income strategies, vulnerabilities to resettlement are examined through qualitative analysis of individual household interviews. This analysis shows that village households are highly reliant on the village's specific location in order to collect the resources and pursue the agriculture that they do; making them vulnerable to future resettlement. The analysis also shows that in the opinions of villagers, a good standard of living is significantly defined by their ability to pursue specific economic strategies. Next, interview results are analyzed to show how agricultural commodification and a very high reliance on one government sponsored company to purchase crops has also made the village highly vulnerable economically. The thesis concludes with reflections on future hydrodevelopment and resettlement scenarios within the village, and provides recommendations to improve local level resilience and promote better capacity to adapt to change. / Graduation date: 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental sensitivity among environmental professionals in a culture that is assumed to hold an ecocentric perspective. Nine Tibetan Buddhist environmental professionals were surveyed in this study. Based on an Environmental Sensitivity Profile Insytrument, an environmental sensitivity profile for a Tibetan Buddhist environmental professional was created from the participants demographic and interview data. The most frequently defined vaqriables were environmental destruction/development, education and role models.