Contents: Acknowledgements. Introduction/Sukant K. Chaudhary and Soumendra Mohan Patnaik. I. The concept of tribe: 1. The concept of tribe with special reference to India/Andre Beteille. 2. The peasant dimensions of Tribal Societies in India//J.S. Bhandari. 3. Tribe and problem of cultural boundary/Soumendra Mohan Patnaik. II. The mainstream: 4. Tribes and the mainstream of Indian Society and culture/K.S. Singh. 5. Concept of the mainstream/Subhadra Channa. 6. National integration/Vinay Kumar Srivastava. III. Tribal cultures of India: 7. Situating tribal women/Nilika Mehrotra. 8. Thinking about tribal art/Nita Mathur. 9. Concept of Garasia Law and Justice: some contradictions with State Legal System/Nikhil Chandra. 10. Religious pluralism among the Pauri Bhuinya/Surendra Kumar Jena. 11. Medical and health practices in Rural Rajasthan: a case study of Wali (Udaipur District)/Deepshika Baranwal. 12. Tribal health in India: perspectives in medical anthropology/Gautam K. Kshatriya. 13. History, identity and society among the Mahali of West Bengal/Sonali Chatterjee. IV. Tribal development: challenges ahead: 14. The development debate: current concerns and emerging perspectives/S.P. Srivastava. 15. Anthropology of tribal development: the Kondh Case/Sukant K. Chaudhary. 16. Human rights and development caused displacements: a study of Sonbhadra Tribals/H.S. Saksena. 17. Tribal development: agenda for endogenous development/S. Bhakthavatsala Bharathi. 18. Tribal development in India: towards a search for alternatives/A.R.N. Srivastava. V. The changing scenario: 19. Transformation of tribes in India: terms of discourse/Virginius Xaxa. 20. Envisioning the future of the tribal people in the new millennium/Jaganath Pathy. 21. Struggle for Azadi: Adivasi Movements in Chhattisgarh/Mokshika Gaur and Soumendra Mohan Patnaik. Index.
"The volume posits a critique to the prevalent dichotomy between the mainstream of Indian society and the tribal cultures. Here, an attempt has been made to explore why this dichotomy came into existence and what have been its consequences in the socio-politically reality of the nation. Drawing from both micro and macro studies the authors question the utility of traditional anthropological discourses on tribal societies. An endeavour to move beyond the straightjacketed approach helps in understanding the nuances the fluidities of cultural boundaries. It also enables us to see tribals as both victims and instruments in the social and political processes of nation-building.
Further, the volume examines the structure and processes of the tribal society vis-à-vis their problems, policies, transformation, ethnic discourse and the future. It will be of interest to planners, researchers and students from both a theoretical perspective and empirical understanding." (jacket)
