Publication

This paper surveys the findings of village studies on rural society and economy carried out in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu over the past two decades. In particular, the areas it covers include 1) agriculture and rural livelihoods; 2) agricultural labor; 3) land, class and caste relations; and 4) social policy interventions. The authors argue that the importance of agriculture in rural livelihoods has declined in Tamil Nadu and that far fewer village households are now agricultural petty commodity producers. They also suggest that despite a relative increase in employment and living standards, Tamil Nadu has a long way to go to achieve a meaningful level of social justice.