在研究喜馬拉雅藏區西部以及中心地區的文獻著作中，我們發現藏人社 群都呈現出具有高度文化同質性的情形。不過關於此區東部現有的研究已經 告訴我們，喜馬拉雅藏區東部與西部存在著一定程度的差異性。其中，關於 宗教的部分，在東部的安多藏區已經有較系統性的比較研究。而關於社會組 織以及親屬的部分，在東部的康巴藏區研究只提及有差異，並還沒有全面 性與西部藏區進行比較。本文將會把討論的焦點放在社會組織與親屬的面 向，透過喜馬拉雅藏區最東緣的卓克基嘉絨藏人與西部的 Sherpa 人來進行 比較，試圖呼應並進一步突顯此區域東部的異質性。本文發現在東亞、南亞 與內亞交界的藏區東部，在社會組織以及親屬的部分呈現出相當的異質性。除了藏傳佛教以一種由上而下，由文明和宗教中心（衛藏地區或政治上的藏 區）向邊緣（喜馬拉雅藏區西部）擴散所產生的同質性之外，另外一種產生 藏文化同質性的重要機制則是藏人社會結群的策略，如父系氏族、一妻多 夫（polyandry）、母方交表婚以及「骨」與「肉」的概念等。這種結群策 略以一種由下而上，由邊緣往中心的方向擴散。Paul K. Benedict（1942）和 Claude Lévi-Strauss（1969[1949]）從語言與文化作為切入點來談藏人的社會 結群與再生產，試圖呈現一種「亞洲的結群思維」。儘管他們的研究給了我 們一個不同層次的啟發，但就像前述喜馬拉雅藏區的研究一般，都在無意中 把藏人或藏文化給固著化了。因此，本文藉由喜馬拉雅藏區最東緣的卓克 基嘉絨人與西部 Sherpa 人的比較，試圖呈現喜馬拉雅藏區的東部，在歷史 觀、社會組織與親屬婚姻等方面，與中心地區或西部有著極為不同的面貌。 一方面突顯過去喜馬拉雅藏區的東部，在社會與親屬的研究文獻中因種種因 素而成了「缺席的存在」；另一方面透過初步的比較研究，讓東部不再是只 反映出中心或西部的特色，而是能開始重視東部自己的文化、社會、語言與 歷史的特色。

The extant literature in Himalayan Tibetan studies describes a highly unified Tibetan culture. Through this literature we can observe that Tibetans living in the western and central parts of the Himalayas present a high degree of homogeneity in history, social organization and kinship. In contrast, Tibetan communities in the eastern part display a broad heterogeneity in all these areas. In addition to Tibetan Buddhism—which produces a homogeneity that spreads from a center to the periphery in a top-down direction—another regime that produces homogeneity is the grouping strategy of Tibetan societies, whose direction is bottom-up and diffuse from periphery to center. This includes the systems of patrilineal lineage, polyandry, matrilineal cross-cousin marriage and the concepts of “flesh” and “bone”. In recent years, studies have begun to emerge that explore the diversity of the Tibetan culture circle’s eastern regions. The diversity of religion in the Amdo Tibetan area has been systematically and comparatively discussed by Mona Schrempf (1999, 2006). And while research mentions that there is also great variation in both social organization and kinship in Eastern Khamba (Zhang Jianshi 2000), there has yet to be research that has explored this region in comparison with Tibet in a holistic way. In this paper, through a comparison between Zhuokeji rGyalrong people in the Eastern edge of the Himalayas and the Sherpa occupied Western edge. I will focus on analysis of the differences in social organization and kinship to emphasize the uniqueness of the Eastern Himalayan region. Building on the works of Paul Benedict (1942) and Claude Lévi-Strauss (1969[1949]) whose research through the perspectives of language and culture lead them to conclude social groupings in Asia presented a particular “mind of Asiatic grouping,” I will demonstrate that not only have the Eastern Himalayan areas constituted an absent presence in the entirety of the Tibetan Himalayas, but that the East also presents a distinct area with its own historical, social, linguistic and cultural characteristics.