본 논문은 1986년 중국지도부(등소평)의 지시로 시작된 西南工程의 내용과 쟁점을 주지하면서, 서남공정의 핵심 권역인 티베트의 지역의 실증적 고찰에 주목하였다. 이러한 고찰은 서남공정의 효과와 문제점을 실증적으로 진단하면서 오늘날 티베트인들의 정체성을 파악하기 위한 목적을 가지고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 특정한 티베트 민족의 거주지를 선정하여 오늘날 서남공정의 후유증으로 나타나고 있는 티베트인들의 심리적 장애와 그로인해 표출된 행위양식을 문화접변의 사례를 들어 밝히고자 한다. 그 속에서 한족과의 문화접촉으로 인한 정체성의 변화에 주목할 것이다. 따라서 본문은 그 구체적인 대상지역을 四川省 阿坝藏族自治州의 黑水縣으로 설정하였다. 그리고 현지답사를 진행하였다. 현지답사의 목적과 연구의 방향은 크게 세 가지 방면에 주력하였다. 첫째, 흑수현 티베트인들의 정체성의 변화와 그 원인, 두 번째, 티베트인들의 집단 역사기억의 활용 및 망각의 현실, 세 번째, 흑수현 티베트인들의 객관적 문화특질의 변화와 그 배경에 관한 심층적 고찰이다. 연구의 내용은 본 연구자의 2007년과 2008년 두 차례에 걸친 현지답사와 면담을 통해서 얻어진 실증기록에 의거하였다. 또한 본 연구는 변경 적 관점을 견지하였다. 이는 문제들을 사고 할 때나 고찰할 때 연구자 내부에 잠재돼 있는 ‘편견’의 인식에 영향을 줄 수 있는 위험스런 관점의 편향성일 수도 있다. 하지만 그간 소수민족의 역사 특히나 티베트의 기록을 담당한 대부분의 한족 학자들의 연구경향(역사문헌. 학술저작물)과 패턴을 보노라면 그들 또한 잠재된 혹은 의도된 편견이 심하게 자리하고 있음을 발견하곤 한다. 중국 측이 제시하는 문헌과 저작물은 정통적, 전형적 관점에서 기록한 역사기억이며 중심부에서도 소수 엘리트 지식인들이 권력을 가진 일부 통치자들만 기록하고 수많은 개인들과 변경지역 사람들에게는 배타적이었음을 숨길 수 없다. 따라서 본 연구자의 현장답사를 통한 티베트민족의 집단 ‘사회기억’과 ‘역사기억’의 관점에서 전통적 역사문헌을 다시 생각하고 민족학의 관점에서 티베트인들의 객관적 문화특질의 변화와 주관적 정체성의 변화현상을 이해한다면 전형적 관점에서 제시하고 있는 한족중심주의의 역사서술과 편향성에서 어느 정도 벗어 날 수 있을 것이다. 연구자가 중요시하게 여기는 현지조사는 변경 적이고 생동적이며 미시적이기 때문에 전형적 관점에서 놓치거나 잘못된 것을 보완할 수 있으리라 판단된다. 다시 말해서 변경 적 관점이야말로 해당민족의 정체성과 문화의 변화 동인을 올바로 살필 수 있는 방법이라 생각한다. 따라서 현지조사에서 토착인들의 관점을 반영한 기록과 이해를 강조하는데 역점을 둘 것이다. 이는 결국 그들(티베트 민족)이 왜 자신들이 누구의 후예들이며 공동의 집단의식을 견지하고자 하는가를 이해하는데 실질적인 도움을 줄 것이다. 이와 같은 이론적 현실적 과제를 통하여 본 연구는 중국지도부가 ‘변강’이라는 疆域 연구를 중국이라는 ‘통일적 다민족국가’라는 특수성과 유기적으로 결합시키려 한다는 사실을 확인 할 수 있을 것이다.

This essay focuses on the empirical study on the Tibetan area, the central area of the Southwest Project which was ordered by the Chinese government (Deng Xiao Ping) in 1986, with the effects and issues of the project in mind. The objective is to understand the identity of contemporary Tibetans and, using empirical method, diagnose the effects and issues of the Southwest Project. Therefore, this essay selected an area inhabited by Tibetans and tried to shed some light on the negative effects of the Southwest Project, which include psychological trauma on the Tibetans, and changes in their behavioral patterns,－especially the changes in Tibetan identities brought about by contacts with ethnic Chinese, through acculturation. Thus, the Heishuixian, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan was selected as target area for field research in this study. The objective and direction of the field research focused on (1) the identity changes in Tibetan people of Heishuixian and its causes, (2) the Tibetan’s collective memory of their history, which involves using and forgetting, and (3) in-depth study of cultural changes they are going through and its background. The study is based on empirical records gathered through field research conducted in 2007 and 2008. Also, the study maintained an outsider’s point-of-view, which can be dangerous and biased in influencing the potential prejudices of the researchers. However, the heavy presence of latent or conscious prejudices is frequently evidenced in researches conducted by ethnic Chinese scholars on the history of minority groups, especially that of Tibetan’s. Chinese records and literature provide historical records in orthodox and typical perspective. It is hard to overlook the fact that these records are exclusively on individuals and minorities as narrated by elitists and the ruling class. Therefore, this study aims to overcome the orthodox and typical viewpoint that is an ethnic Chinese- centered depiction of history by (1) rethinking the existing pieces of literature with data gathered through field research on the Tibetan’s collective memory of society and history and (2) understanding the changes in Tibetan’s cultural characteristics and subjectivity through an ethnological perspective. In other words, an outsider’s perspective is the appropriate method in examining the changes in a target people’s culture and identity. Thus, this essay focuses on the records and understanding that clearly reflects the perspectives of the locals and that were gathered directly from field research. This will provide substantial help in understanding Tibetan ideas of where they came from and why they try to maintain collective memory as a people. This study aims to confirm the fact that the Chinese government is trying to unite China as an “organically unified multi-ethnic country” with its own distinctiveness through research on remote and exterior areas.

This essay focuses on the empirical study on the Tibetan area, the central area of the Southwest Project which was ordered by the Chinese government (Deng Xiao Ping) in 1986, with the effects and issues of the project in mind. The objective is to understand the identity of contemporary Tibetans and, using empirical method, diagnose the effects and issues of the Southwest Project. Therefore, this essay selected an area inhabited by Tibetans and tried to shed some light on the negative effects of the Southwest Project, which include psychological trauma on the Tibetans, and changes in their behavioral patterns,－especially the changes in Tibetan identities brought about by contacts with ethnic Chinese, through acculturation. Thus, the Heishuixian, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan was selected as target area for field research in this study. The objective and direction of the field research focused on (1) the identity changes in Tibetan people of Heishuixian and its causes, (2) the Tibetan’s collective memory of their history, which involves using and forgetting, and (3) in-depth study of cultural changes they are going through and its background. The study is based on empirical records gathered through field research conducted in 2007 and 2008. Also, the study maintained an outsider’s point-of-view, which can be dangerous and biased in influencing the potential prejudices of the researchers. However, the heavy presence of latent or conscious prejudices is frequently evidenced in researches conducted by ethnic Chinese scholars on the history of minority groups, especially that of Tibetan’s. Chinese records and literature provide historical records in orthodox and typical perspective. It is hard to overlook the fact that these records are exclusively on individuals and minorities as narrated by elitists and the ruling class. Therefore, this study aims to overcome the orthodox and typical viewpoint that is an ethnic Chinese- centered depiction of history by (1) rethinking the existing pieces of literature with data gathered through field research on the Tibetan’s collective memory of society and history and (2) understanding the changes in Tibetan’s cultural characteristics and subjectivity through an ethnological perspective. In other words, an outsider’s perspective is the appropriate method in examining the changes in a target people’s culture and identity. Thus, this essay focuses on the records and understanding that clearly reflects the perspectives of the locals and that were gathered directly from field research. This will provide substantial help in understanding Tibetan ideas of where they came from and why they try to maintain collective memory as a people. This study aims to confirm the fact that the Chinese government is trying to unite China as an “organically unified multi-ethnic country” with its own distinctiveness through research on remote and exterior areas.

Tibet, Heishuixian, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, acculturation, identity