Global Issues, Local Contexts : The Rabi Das of West Bengal

Contents: I. Background and Method: 1. Introduction. 2. Economic and social organisation of Krishnagar and Nadia district. II. Culture, Community and Class: 3. A cultural account of the Rabi Das. 4. From Chamars to Rabi Das: the work of the social reformers. III. Labour Formation: 5. The demise of the artisan : changing nature of men’s work. 6. The demise of subsistence: changing nature of women’s work. 7. Growing up as Rabi Das. 8. Conclusion. Appendices: 1. Concentration of cottage industries in Nadia district. 2. Distribution of shoemakers and units in Nadia district. 3. A note on the translation of Indian terms. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

"This books is an ethnographic study of a community of leather workers (the Rabi Das), and their transformations under global capitalism. The lived experiences of the Rabi Das are embedded within the broader context of India’s economic liberalisation as well as in the local system of class and cultural relations in Bengali society. Rather than seeing the Rabi Das community as homogenous, the author highlights the essential tensions and differences marked by age and gender. These differences are borne out in the richly textured narrative accounts of the men, women and children in the community.

"The various chapters in the book provide a detailed analysis of the changing nature of their conditions of employment, education, lifestyle and survival strategies. Significantly, Dr. Ganguly-Scrase uncovers the process of Rabi Das cultural and economic marginalisation despite more than four decades of efforts towards self improvement.

"This book will be of interest to readers in anthropology, comparative sociology, development studies and community development." (jacket)