PASTORAL LIFE IN RURAL MONGOLIA: HERDERS’ EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE ADAPTATIONS

Autori

  • Aruhan Bai Doctoral Student, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
  • Javzandulam Batsaikhan PhD, Mongolian National University of Education, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i12.6370

Parole chiave:

pastoral life, herder, rural Mongolia

Abstract

Pastoralism remains central to Mongolia’s cultural heritage and rural economy, yet herders face mounting pressures from environmental change, demographic shifts, and market instability. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences, challenges, and future perspectives of four herders in western Mongolia, representing different generations and family structures. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that herders value pastoral life for its harmony with nature, emotional fulfillment from livestock, self-sufficiency, and cultural continuity. However, they also confront profound challenges, including climate variability, labor shortages, educational disruptions, health care inaccessibility, and inadequate government support. Participants voiced concern about the declining number of herders and emphasized that sustaining pastoralism will depend on adaptive strategies, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and responsive state policies. The study contributes to understanding how cultural identity, environmental change, and socioeconomic factors intersect in shaping the future of Mongolian pastoralism.

 

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Biografie autore

  • Aruhan Bai, Doctoral Student, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    Aruhan Bai is a PhD student at the Graduate School of Education, Hokkaido University, Japan. Her research interests include herder knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, and indigenous knowledge, particularly in the context of knowledge transmission and sustainability among herder communities.

  • Javzandulam Batsaikhan, PhD, Mongolian National University of Education, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

    Dr. Javzandulam Batsaikhan serves as Chair of the Department of Methodology in the School of Preschool Education at the Mongolian National University of Education. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in Qualitative Research in Education, Action Research, Research Paradigms and Issues, and Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods. Her research focuses on child learning and development, contextual issues in learning and teaching, preschool education curriculum, and the professional development of pre-service and in-service teachers.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3267-0012

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Pubblicato

2025-11-08

Fascicolo

V. 12 N. 12 (2025)

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