ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the social context of the decolonised and developmental Nepali social work and elucidate the factors affecting social, cultural, and political change in Nepal, political structure, social institutions, and unique lifestyles, and highlights cultural diversity within Asia. Hemmed in by China and India, Westerners know Nepal because of its elegant Himalayas. However, its mountainous terrain, though good for intrepid explorers, has hampered socioeconomic development in poverty-ridden Nepal. The Nepali state's expansion forced these myriad groups to live together under the authority of the new Gorkha rulers. Nepal's political history provides three major insights about Nepal the making of the patrimonial state, the institutionalisation of hegemonic ideologies, and a litany of failed development. Nepal might best be described as a ‘hybrid Third World nation’ that is in a state of fragile development, its abundant social capital, resilience, and willingness to innovate notwithstanding.
