Situating marriage payments
There are very few contextual accounts of bride-price payments among north Indian communities. Despite the paucity of ethnographic data, assumptions regarding transitions in the practice are commonplace. This article discusses marriage payments among the Bedia community within the broader context of their survival upon familial prostitution and focusses upon how they construe bride-price and dowry, both practiced under varied circumstances. I argue that Bedia marriage payments do not neatly fit into the prevailing assumptions regarding transitions from dowry to bride-price and are constructed differently under different conditions. The internal variations and contradictions in these constructions are interpreted in light of the social location and practices of Bedias.
Gender Questions at the Margins: The Case of Nomadic and DNT Communities
The nomadic and denotified (DNT) communities are one of the extremely marginalized segments of Indian society. Although they are internally differentiated, they have some significant common concerns that are not necessarily identical with those plaguing other marginal groups. This article provides a broad overview of gender issues which are particularly critical for these communities but which have barely received any systematic attention. Drawing upon the author’s research and interaction with members of these communities as well as government reports and other secondary sources, the article examines these issues from the point of view of the marginal position of these groups vis-à-vis the larger society as well as from the perspective of institutions and practices prevalent within these groups. The author argues that gender issues should be integral to policy frameworks as well as other debates about nomadic and DNT communities.
Fieldwork in geography teaching: A critical review of the literature and approaches
Abstract Virtually all lecturers in geography recognise the importance of fieldwork as a vital mode of teaching in the subject. This paper draws on material produced as part of a HEFCE review of teaching and learning in the field and assesses the implications of recent changes in higher education for field studies in geography. The literature on the development of, and recent changes in, fieldwork practice is reviewed and assumptions about appropriate forms of teaching and assessment are challenged. The need for carefully integrated preparation of project‐orientated fieldwork is stressed and the importance of debriefing and feedback after field visits is emphasised. Various suggestions for guidelines on good practice are presented. Finally, a range of future issues and problems in fieldwork is identified and discussed.