Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies (Vol. 8: Structure and Exchange in Tribal India and Beyond)

Documentation of various facets of tribal social reality is very much essential before they are totally eclipsed by the rapid process of globalization of the world economy. While examining the current literature on tribal societies we notice a curious absence of scientific studies based on intensive fieldwork among a large and important section of the world population. The series Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies tries to fill in this gap and thereby attempts to remove our ignorance on many aspects of tribal world. The ongoing series has already brought out four earlier volumes, namely, (1) Structure and Process; (2) Developmental lssues: Transition and Change; (3) Social Concern; (4) Social Realities; (5) The Concept of Tribal Society; (6) Tribal Situation in India; and (7) identity, Intervention and Ideology in Tribal India and Beyond. This volume, containing seventeen papers, addresses the key issues concerning structure and exchange in Tribal India and beyond. Analysing the different aspects of the Bali Jarta, the contributors deliberate on the buffalo sacrifice of the konds, brotherhood and otherhood in Bastar, sister exchange in Middle India and the concetp of society in Highland Ofissa. They also present an elaborate discussion on village relations, the segmaentary lineage system and the models of social life in tribal India. The issue of ‘to he or not to be a tribe’ in India has also been addressed.