India has two key social formations, the castes and the tribes. Both groups can be studied from the perspective of society (samaj) and culture (sanskriti). However, studies on castes largely deal with social structure and less on culture, while studies on tribes focus more on culture than on social structure. What has resulted from this bias is a general misunderstanding that tribes have a rich culture but lack social structure.
This volume emerges out of an in-depth empirical study of the social structure of five Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Gujarat, western India, viz., Gamit, Vasava, Chaudhari, Kukana and Warli. It analyses and compares their internal social organisation consisting of institutions of household, family, lineage, clan, kinship rules and marriage networks. The book also deals with changes taking place in the social structure of contemporary tribal societies. While the focus is mainly on the data from tribes of western India, the issues are relevant to pan-Indian tribes.
An important contribution to the studies on tribes of India, this book will be of great interest to students and researchers of anthropology, sociology, demography, history, tribal studies, social work, public policy and law. It will also be of interest to professionals working with NGOs and civil society, programme and policy formulating authorities and bureaucrats.
Author(s): Dhananjay Kumar, Lancy Lobo
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 278
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Maps
List of Genealogical Charts
List of Tables
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Glossary
1 Introduction: Social Structure of Tribes in Western India
2 Profile of Gujarat Tribes
3 Kinship System
4 Kinship Behaviour
5 Marriage Networks and Social Space
6 Taxonomy of Households – Part I: Simple Households
7 Taxonomy of Households – Part II: Complex Households
8 Social Structure and Change in Tribes
Appendix I: Kinship Terms of Five Tribes in South Gujarat
Appendix II: Kinship Terms from Children’s Perspective
Appendix III: Kinship Terms from Wife’s Perspective
Appendix IV: Kinship Terms from Husband’s Perspective
Appendix V: Some More Kinship Terms for Group of Relatives
Appendix VI: Generation-wise Kinship Terms among Five Tribes of South Gujarat
Appendix VII: Abbreviations for Kin Types
References
Index
