Speaker: Dr. Paul-David Lutz - Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Date: 11 December 2024
Venue: Cultural Studies Series (Kualao Restaurant Conference Room), Vientiane/Lao PDR

Abstract

In this public lecture, Dr. Paul-David Lutz drew both on his SeedsValues field research in a lowland area in Luang Prabang province (2023-4) as well as on his previous PhD research in upland Phongsali province (2017-20) to give a detailed comparative overview of the impact of socio-economic development on rice cultivation, seed preservation and rice-related rituals among ethnic Khmu peasants in northern Laos. The lecture gave an accessible and ethnographically-grounded response to questions including: how has state- and market-driven socioeconomic modernization shaped Khmu rice seed selection, classification and cultivation practices? How have rice-related rituals been affected by the drive to ‘rationalize’ and accelerate agricultural production? What do local villagers’ memories and histories reveal about their engagements with – and moral valuations of – these changes?