Nepal Essay -- Nepal Economy Culture Essays

NepalDespite nine development plans spanning five decades, Nepal remains one of the worlds poorest countries. Nepals underdevelopment is a result of the historical cause of unequal distribution of assets and social and economic status among different groups, and effects of fresh development efforts that have generated further iniquitous income and assets distribution. Understanding Nepals underdevelopment has commence particularly pressing in light of the Maoist insurgency that began in 1996. In addition to the deaths of more than 6,000 civilians, instability has caused economic stagnation, discouraged foreign investment, and prevented the blowup of the hydropower and tourism industries. Nepals future depends on an understanding of how its institutions have created inequity, and how it will respond to the need for institutional reform.Culturally, Nepal is a patriarchal and hierarchical society. Caste is significant in the worlds only Hindu nation. Gender, ethnicity, land own ership, and location are also historically important social determinants. Nepals history and geographics have contributed to the perpetuation of these cultural values. Historically, Nepal has been very isolated. Situated between China and India, it is bisected by the Himalayas. The country is divided into three bands running from east to west the Himalayas extreme north, the flat and dry Terai in the South, and the middle hills sandwiched in between. Extreme differences in topography, and a lack of roadways and efficient transportation, have meant that communities tended to remain isolated and distinct, closely conjugated to traditional cultural practices and norms. Industry has been slow to change this, as most Nepalese depend upo... ...astern Nepal, respondents reported that society does not recognize the merit of corporeal work in agriculture it encourages throng to prefer leisure over work, and sees working people as belonging to the lower classes. So far, foreign a ssist projects have not been able to alter peoples attitudes towards physical work by providing alternate examples (Shrestha, 41). Even as development efforts increase, rural people mistrustful of exploitation, and depressed by development failures, are growing harder to reach.Nepals political crisis is a response to social inequalities increased and hardened by recent development. Future development will require radical reform redistribution of resources and increased rural development, weakening of traditional power structures, increased access to and transparency in government, and independence from foreign interests.