Cultural Aspects of Democratization in Mongolia - the Ethical Perspective
Keywords:
Mongolia, democracy, election, ethic, morality, yosAbstract
Mongolia is often regarded as a young democratic state that has successfully undergone the process of transformation from communism to democracy. However, a cultural anthropological analysis of Mongolian political life shows the potential differences between the ideas organizing social life in Mongolia and those known in advanced democratic societies. This article1 traces some cultural peculiarities that have impacted on the political situation of contemporary Mongolia. Special attention has been devoted to the concept of yos, which is regarded as a relevant aspect of morality in Mongolian traditional culture and is still important in understanding behavioral motives of contemporary Mongols. The rules of yos
contain a set of proper and improper behavioral criteria towards family members and friendship networks as well as providing a model for proper relations to the state. The concept of collective personhood in the Mongolian cultural way of thinking means a range of social consequences incapable of being observed through analyzes involving individualistic personhood-based methodology.
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