Struggling with Destiny in Karimpur, 1925-1984 by Susan S Wadley

Struggling with Destiny in Karimpur, 1925-1984 by Susan S Wadley

Susan Wadley first visited Karimpur - the village 'behind mud walls' made famous by William and Charlotte Wiser - as a graduate student in 1967. She returned often, adding her observations and experiences to the Wisers' field notes from the 1920s and 1930s. In this long-awaited book, Wadley gives us a work of unprecedented scope: a portrait of an Indian village as it has changed over a sixty-year period. She hears of changes in agriculture, labor relations, education, and the family. But Karimpur's residents do not speak with one voice in describing the ways their lives have changed - viewpoints vary considerably depending on the speaker's gender, economic status, and caste. Using cultural documents such as songs and stories, as well as data on household budgets and farming practices, Wadley examines what it means to be poor or rich, female or male. She demonstrates that the forms of subordination prescribed for women are paralleled by those prescribed for lower castes. Villagers also speak of political struggles in India, and of the importance of religion when confronting change. Their stories, songs, and life histories reveal the rich fabric of Karimpur and show how much can be learned from listening to its people.

Susan S. Wadley is Professor of Anthropology at Syracuse University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780520084070
ISBN 10	0520084071
Title	Struggling with Destiny in Karimpur, 1925-1984
Author	Susan S Wadley
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University of California Press
Year published	1994-07-27
Number of pages	319
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.