Göran Djurfeldt
Professor emeritus
Social Mobility and Agrarian Transformation - An Indian case
Author
Summary, in English
The social dimensions of the great transformation from an agrarian to an industrial society are still poorly understood. Today there are challenging opportunities to study such processes in Asia, and to do this against a comparative background of similar transformations elsewhere, for example in Europe, and in the light of theories of social mobility, industrialisation and agrarian change. This study is well posed to throw light on these processes, both because it is a panel study and because the researchers have wide-ranging experiences of studying agrarian and social change, in a historical as well as a comparative perspective.
In 1979/80 Athreya, Djurfeldt and Lindberg, did a study of agrarian change in Tamil Nadu, South India (funded by SAREC, Lund and Copenhagen universities and Nordic Institute of Asian Studies). They studied six villages in Tiruchi District, Tamil Nadu and did a detailed survey of 367 households. The material was used for a book (Athreya, Djurfeldt and Lindberg 1990a) and a number of articles (1986a and b; 1987; 1990b).
This study contributed to the re-evaluation of theories of agrarian transformation and mobility then current and of the social and economic consequences of the Green Revolution. The project proposed here is a restudy led by the same researchers, and featuring collaboration between Lund and Bharathidasan universities.
Specific goals of the project
Treating the 1979/80 study as a base-line, it is possible to create a panel database of both qualitative and quantitative data, dealing with agricultural development, socio-economic mobility and change in Tamil Nadu.
The panel offers a unique possibility to follow a sample of households through a twenty-five year period. It would give an opportunity to study inter-generational mobility, including processes such as: transfer of wealth, diversification of economic activities, rural-urban migration, changes in landownership, tenancy, division of labour, and the development of new markets for credit. The contrasting agro-ecological conditions in the original sample design will enable a broader understanding of change over recent decades than a more restricted sample would allow. An opportunity would also be given for reconsideration of concepts of agrarian class structures in the understanding and explanation of agrarian change.
In 1979/80 Athreya, Djurfeldt and Lindberg, did a study of agrarian change in Tamil Nadu, South India (funded by SAREC, Lund and Copenhagen universities and Nordic Institute of Asian Studies). They studied six villages in Tiruchi District, Tamil Nadu and did a detailed survey of 367 households. The material was used for a book (Athreya, Djurfeldt and Lindberg 1990a) and a number of articles (1986a and b; 1987; 1990b).
This study contributed to the re-evaluation of theories of agrarian transformation and mobility then current and of the social and economic consequences of the Green Revolution. The project proposed here is a restudy led by the same researchers, and featuring collaboration between Lund and Bharathidasan universities.
Specific goals of the project
Treating the 1979/80 study as a base-line, it is possible to create a panel database of both qualitative and quantitative data, dealing with agricultural development, socio-economic mobility and change in Tamil Nadu.
The panel offers a unique possibility to follow a sample of households through a twenty-five year period. It would give an opportunity to study inter-generational mobility, including processes such as: transfer of wealth, diversification of economic activities, rural-urban migration, changes in landownership, tenancy, division of labour, and the development of new markets for credit. The contrasting agro-ecological conditions in the original sample design will enable a broader understanding of change over recent decades than a more restricted sample would allow. An opportunity would also be given for reconsideration of concepts of agrarian class structures in the understanding and explanation of agrarian change.
Department/s
- Sociology
Publishing year
2006
Language
English
Document type
Conference paper
Topic
- Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Keywords
- sociology
- sociologi
Conference name
The 19th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies
Conference date
2006-06-27
Conference place
Netherlands
Status
Unpublished
Project
- Social Mobility and Agrarian Transformation - An Indian case
Research group
- Sustainability and Development Studies