Book Talk: Sara Shneiderman on understanding Nepal through its people
Drawing on more than three decades of research, anthropologist Shneiderman reflects on Nepal’s political transformation, migration and the importance of listening to local communities.
Sara Shneiderman is an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology and School of Public Policy & Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. She also holds the Ivan Head South-North IDRC Chair and has spent more than three decades working with communities across Nepal and the Himalayas.
Her research explores how political change, migration, development and disasters shape people’s lives, identities and relationships with the state.
In this conversation with the Post’s Anish Ghimire, she reflects on Nepal’s transformation since the 1990s, the promises and limits of federalism, the changing patterns of migration and the need to listen to local communities when shaping public policy.
What first drew you to anthropology, and what made the Himalayas the focus of your research?
I grew up in Washington, DC, in a diverse but segregated environment. I was interested in how people from different backgrounds could share their experiences, initially from an activist perspective. Over time, I began to wonder how understanding people’s life experiences across differences could help build a more just society for all, which led me to anthropology.
I also had the opportunity to travel to East and Southeast Asia as a child because of my father’s work as a computer scientist. I was drawn in by the cultural and religious practices I saw. Later, as an undergraduate anthropology student at Brown University, I joined the School for Internatioinal Training study-abroad programme in Nepal in 1994, when I was 19. Living with different families and becoming connected with communities in different parts of Nepal left a lasting impression on me. I felt drawn to return, and those early relationships gradually shaped my research interests.
You have spent years studying communities across Nepal and the Himalayas. How has your fieldwork changed the way you understand Nepali society?
I first came to Nepal in 1994, when the country was experiencing a very different political reality. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to witness its transformation over time and gain some perspective on how these changes have shaped people’s lives.
I know certain communities quite well, particularly in Dolakha and Mustang, but every time I return, I feel as though I’m arriving for the first time. There is always more to learn. Nepal is incredibly diverse, ethnically, religiously and geographically, and I’m constantly reminded that no single perspective can represent the country as a whole.
This ‘transformation’ you talk about, from the end of the monarchy and the civil war to federalism. How have these changes affected the everyday lives of ordinary people?
The restructuring of local government in 2017 had a profound impact, building on the changes brought about by the conflict and the peace process. Many people I work with say they can speak out today in public life and politics because of what the Maoists did, even if they did not support the Maoists explicitly at the time.
In some places, people from historically marginalised communities such as the Thangmi (Thami) community with whom I work have become elected local representatives—something that once seemed unimaginable. This has changed how people make demands of the state and access public services.
There has also been major infrastructural development. Rural Nepal looks very different from what it did when I first arrived more than 30 years ago, with changes in connectivity, mobility and how people use their time. The book I am currently writing explores how these infrastructural and political transformations are connected.
Nepal has witnessed devastating floods and landslides in recent years. How can we move beyond treating these disasters as natural events and better understand the social, political and economic factors that make some communities more vulnerable than others?
In disaster studies, we avoid using the term ‘natural disaster’ without qualification. A hazard, such as a landslide or wildfire, becomes a disaster through a combination of exposure and vulnerability.
In Nepal, settlements and livelihoods have expanded into areas known to face risks, increasing people’s exposure to hazards. At the same time, economic and social inequalities mean that the most vulnerable often have fewer options about where they live or work.
Calling a disaster purely natural shifts attention away from human responsibility. We need to examine the roles of government at different levels, as well as private companies, particularly in the hydropower sector. Understanding these relationships is essential not only for recovery but also for reducing future risks.
Nepal's federal system promised greater inclusion and representation. How much has it changed the lives of historically marginalised communities?
I’m a perpetual optimist, partly because I believe people have the capacity to creatively shape their own lives and support one another. Federalism has created greater opportunities for inclusion and representation, particularly through local governments, allowing people who were previously excluded to participate in governance.
However, the inclusion agenda faced a significant backlash after 2012, and many aspirations of Indigenous communities remain unmet. The focus has increasingly shifted towards infrastructure, hydropower and tourism. While these can create economic opportunities, they can also divert attention from issues of Indigenous rights, sovereignty and self-determination.
Overall, I see federalism as a positive development, but we must recognise that many of the hopes invested in it have yet to be fulfilled.
Migration is often discussed in Nepal in terms of remittances and economic opportunity. What do we miss when we overlook its social and cultural consequences?
Migration has long been part of life in Nepal, whether within the country or abroad. While economic opportunities are a major motivation, people also migrate to explore the world, gain independence and experience adulthood.
What has changed is the duration of migration. In the past, many people migrated seasonally to India, returning home to farm, raise their children and maintain family ties. This was common for the Thangmi community with whom I work, along with many others across Nepal. Today, many migrant workers to international destinations stay abroad for much longer, making it harder to sustain family relationships and agricultural life at home.
In some Himalayan villages, families have built beautiful houses with money earned abroad, but these homes remain empty, with children and grandchildren living elsewhere. Migration brings economic benefits, but it can also weaken family and community ties and leave villages without enough people to work the land.
We therefore need to understand migration not just as an economic strategy, but also in terms of family decisions, social relationships and its wider effects on communities.
After years of researching Nepal and the Himalayas, what is the one thing about the region that you think policymakers, researchers, and outsiders still misunderstand?
For me, the most important lesson is that people have an incredible capacity for creativity, ingenuity and understanding their own needs. Their analysis may not always be expressed in the language policymakers expect, but if we listen closely, we can learn a great deal.
People should be taken seriously as analysts and architects of their own past, present and future—not simply as subjects whose stories are included as human-interest pieces as a sidebar in reports. This can be difficult in policy environments that prioritise quick, measurable data, but it is essential to ensure that local voices meaningfully shape decisions.
Sara Shneiderman’s five book recommendations (Based on what is on her desk and bookshelf now)
Nepal in the Long 1950s
Editors: Pratyoush Onta, Lokranjan Parajuli, and Mark Liechty Publisher: Martin Chautari Year: 2024
This edited volume provides a wealth of research-based insight about the history of politics, education, and development.
The Ends of Kinship
Author: Sienna Craig Publisher: University of Washignton Press Year: 2020
A beautifully written meditation on place-making and diaspora that blends fiction and ethnography.
We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies
Author: Tsering Yangzom Lama Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Year: 2022
A novel about the global experiences of Tibetan refugees that brings past and present together in a powerful narrative.
Mother Mary Comes to Me
Author: Arundhati Roy
Publisher: India Hamish Hamilton Year: 2025
This autobiographical memoir takes us deep into a complicated family history in a way that’s cathartic and humorous.
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