Contours of continuity and change

There is an enormous body of empirical material on Indian tribes. Yet a satisfactory explanation of the present state and status of these societies is still to emerge. Of the two major paradigms underlying such research, neither the cultural paradigm (which is concerned with 'tribal character', 'value systems' and 'attitude patterns') nor the functional approach (which studies the 'political', 'religious' and 'economic' practices of tribes) have been able to adequately explain or understand the process of change in these societies, let alone the way contemporary society at large impinges on the subsistence world. This study presents a new approach and theoretical perspective for the study of social transformation in subsistence formations in India. It tells the story of the relatively unknown Bonda highlanders of southern Orissa - a tribe caught in a vortex of change from subsistence production to semi-proletarianized wage earning and abandoned to burgeoning market forces and state-sponsored development. Their traditional life processes are now thwarted by forces which bring unwelcome changes beyond their control. At the same time, the book resists idealizing 'tribal paradise'. It reveals the forces that account for uneasy continuity in the process of change. In unravelling the realities of social transformation underlying the apparent changes the book describes latent contradictions in subsistence social relations. In conclusion, Professor Nanda argues convincingly for moving away from the narrow monographic framework of existing 'tribal studies'. Taking themes from social history, economy, social organization and values, and grounding his study in ethnography, he attempts to integrate various theories of social transformation. With its fresh theoretical perspective, clarity, and valuable insights on the contemporary predicament of subsistence societies in India, this book will be of immense interest to students and scholars in the fields of social anthropology and sociology. It will also interest voluntary agencies and those engaged in development work.