The Cultural Economies of Traditional Livelihood Systems and Adivasis in Kerala Western Ghats: An Appraisal

Abstract

It is a well-documented observation that the economic systems of tribal communities are undergoing changes to varying degrees across the country. There is a plethora of endogenous and exogenous factors, predominantly the latter, that contribute to this change. By focusing on two tribal communities inhabiting unique ecological settings in the Western Ghats region of Kerala, this work, through an ethnographic study, attempts to understand and elucidate the process of this change and its reflections on the overall economic systems of the people. The study reveals that any analysis of the economic systems of tribal communities that have maintained traditional systems must be examined in differential relation to modern economic systems. In the incompatibilities between these two types of systems lies the root cause of the dilemma and the often mutually insoluble nature of the systems. Based on empirical evidence from the traditional economy, which emphasises NTFP and cultivation, the study identifies peculiar troubles and an unpromising future due to these incompatibilities.