Cross-Cultural Pathways of Social Entrepreneurship: A Comparative Study of Assamese Mukha Shilpa and Southeast Asian Wayang Traditions as Models of Cultural Sustainability

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_27How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Mukha Shilpa ; Wayang ; Social entrepreneurship; Cultural sustainability; Comparative study

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of traditional arts and social entrepreneurship through a cross-cultural comparative study of Assamese Mukha Shilpa (mask-making) and Southeast Asian Wayang traditions. Both practices are deeply rooted in ritual, pedagogy, and community performance but face challenges such as economic precarity, globalization, and generational discontinuity. Drawing upon ethnographic insights and comparative cultural frameworks, the study positions these traditions as potential models of social entrepreneurship that integrate heritage preservation with sustainable livelihood strategies. By examining artisan agency, cultural tourism, design innovation, and digital engagement, the research demonstrates how traditional art forms can be reframed as living resources for community resilience and cultural sustainability. Comparative analysis with Indonesia’s Wayang Topeng, Thailand’s Khon, and Cambodia’s Lakhon Khol highlights mechanisms of institutional support, intercultural exchange, and educational integration. Additional perspectives from Vietnam’s water puppetry, Kerala’s Tolpavakoothu, Ghana’s kente weaving, Maori cultural industries, Native American art cooperatives, and Japanese Noh theatre situate these practices within global discourses of intangible heritage. Findings underscore the transformative potential of indigenous knowledge systems when aligned with entrepreneurial models, suggesting that cultural sustainability involves adaptive innovation beyond preservation alone. The research contributes to social management discourse by offering practical recommendations for integrating traditional arts into contemporary frameworks of policy, entrepreneurship, and cultural diplomacy.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Saswati Bordoloi
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
TI  - Cross-Cultural Pathways of Social Entrepreneurship: A Comparative Study of Assamese Mukha Shilpa and Southeast Asian Wayang Traditions as Models of Cultural Sustainability
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Systems and Social Management (ICSSSM-2 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 446
EP  - 467
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_27
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_27
ID  - Bordoloi2025
ER  -