Mongolian Nomads: Effects of Globalization and Social Change

Abstract

This chapter describes the changing lifestyle of nomads in Mongolia since the 1990s when social change was started from the former Soviet Union oriented socialism to the market economy. The description is embedded in a commentary on how local wisdom is interpreting modern society. For instance, young nomads are using cars for carrying their Ger (traditional housing) instead of caravans which are traditional transportation; using motorcycles for herding the animals instead of horse riding, and using refrigerators for keeping meats instead of drying meat, hence generating more waste than before. On the one hand, all these changes are getting closer to the Western living style but losing the sustainable traditional nomadic way of living. The framework of this chapter is the traditional way of nomads’ daily life focused on their basic needs: food, clothing, fuel, transportation and traditional tools.