South Indian Village Research Articles

Field evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test 'Parachek-F' in a post-monsoon Plasmodium falciparum malaria outbreak in villages of South India.

An indigenous rapid immunochromatographic test Parachek-F for diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria was evaluated by the field staff in a post-monsoon P. falciparum malaria outbreak in villages of district Raichur, Karnataka, South India in November 1999. The test functions based on dipstick P. falciparum histidine rich protein-2 (PfHRP-2) antigen capture assay. Of the 232 uncomplicated clinically diagnosed malaria cases, 158 (68.1%) were positive for malaria by microscopy of JSB-stained thick blood smears. Of these, 13 were infected with P. vivax, 140 with P. falciparum and 5 had mixed infections of P. vivax and P. falciparum. Malaria patients were treated with age-specific oral doses of quinine followed by primaquine. Taking microscopy as gold standard, Parachek-F detected PfHRP-2 antigen in 136 samples (ratio 0.93) and was 93.1% sensitive and 98.8% specific. Positive predictive value, negative predictive value and efficacy were 99.2%, 89.6% and 95.2% respectively. No cross reactivity was observed with P. vivax infection. False negative interpretation was associated in 40% (10/25) lower-grade parasitaemias (parasitaemia <100/p/ blood) where sensitivity was only 60%. False positive result was associated in 1 case (1/74). Cases showing false negative results had taken presumptive treatment with chloroquine prior to the test. Careful microscopical examination on thin smears of such cases demonstrated that the morphology of the parasites was abnormal and distorted indicating the parasites were affected by chloroquine. The possible role of chloroquine resulting false negative results is suggested in this communication. Positive correlation between test bands intensity and parasite density was observed (r=0.137; P<0.05). The test is indigenously developed, rapid, simple in its application and was found suitable for field condition. Parameters like patients' conditions, history of drug intake, morphology of parasites at different developmental stages are to be considered for evaluation of such tests.

Internal to external - transformation of the ecology and the body system: conceptions of ecology, health and development in South Indian villages

Internal to external - transformation of the ecology and the body system: conceptions of ecology, health and development in South Indian villages

Celebrations as social investments: festival expenditures, unit price variation and social status in rural India

Festival expenditures amount to over 15 per cent of a household's annual expenditures in rural India. Yet they have never been studied by economists. This article uses both qualitative and quantitative data from a case study of three South Indian villages to show that festivals are important public goods in the village, but neither a pure entertainment motive nor an altruistic desire to contribute to a public event seems to explain their size. Households which spend money on festivals, everything else held equal, are able, however, to generate tangible rewards - lower prices on food, higher social status and more invitations to meals from other families. This indicates that active participation in festivals generates private economic and social returns which help resolve a potential free-rider problem. The evidence is consistent with the notion that festivals serve as mechanisms by which communities build social networks.

Celebrations as Social Investments: Festival Expenditures, Unit Price Variation and Social Status in Rural India

Festival expenditures amount to over 15 per cent of a household's annual expenditures in rural India. Yet they have never been studied by economists. This article uses both qualitative and quantitative data from a case study of three South Indian villages to show that festivals are important public goods in the village, but neither a pure entertainment motive nor an altruistic desire to contribute to a public event seems to explain their size. Households which spend money on festivals, everything else held equal, are able, however, to generate tangible rewards - lower prices on food, higher social status and more invitations to meals from other families. This indicates that active participation in festivals generates private economic and social returns which help resolve a potential free-rider problem. The evidence is consistent with the notion that festivals serve as mechanisms by which communities build social networks.

The Marriage Squeeze Interpretation of Dowry Inflation: A Comment

In a recent paper, Rao (1993) advanced a marriage squeeze explanation to the secular rise in real dowries, so-called dowry inflation, witnessed in India. Arguing that the relevant ages with respect to marriage are 10–19 for women and 20–29 for men, Rao found that the ratio of women to men in those age groups had increased over time. Moreover, this sex ratio was found to have a positive and significant impact on dowry when one controls for differences in traits of brides and grooms. The empirical results presented here suggest that Rao’s findings are not robust. Using the same data, I fail to replicate his main result, that is, that the sex ratio (women 10–19/men 20–29) has a positive impact on dowries. Moreover, Rao’s specification—regressing dowries on differences in spouses’ traits (bride’s minus groom’s)—imposes the restriction that attributes influence dowries in a symmetrical fashion, ignoring compelling evidence against that assumption. I find that regressing dowry on individual traits instead of differences improves the model fit considerably.

The effects of land sales restrictions: evidence from south India

Abstract The effects of land sales restrictions on credit use, land investment and cultivation decisions are investigated using data from two villages in south India. Sales restrictions are found to have little effect on credit supply and demand or demand for land improvements. Some household characteristics are found to affect investment demand on plots subject to sales restrictions in one village, suggesting that the ‘transactions effect’ of such restrictions may be inhibiting allocative efficiency. However, we also find that household characteristics influence investment on titled plots, and that the magnitude of impact of such characteristics is greater on titled plots. These results imply that sales restrictions are not a major source of inefficiency in the villages studied, and suggest that the nature of village credit and land markets and enforcement of sales restrictions are critical determinants of the impacts of such restrictions.

The effects of land sales restrictions: evidence from south India

AbstractThe effects of land sales restrictions on credit use, land investment and cultivation decisions are investigated using data from two villages in south India. Sales restrictions are found to have little ellect on credit supply and demand or demand tor land improvements. Some household characteristics are found to affect investment demand on plots subject to sales restrictions in one village, suggesting that the ‘transactions effect’ of such restrictions may be inhibiting allocative efficiency. However, we also find that household characteristics influence investment on titled plots, and that the magnitude of impact of such characteristics is greater on titled plots. These results imply that sales restrictions are not a major source of inelficiency in the villages studied, and suggest that the nature of village credit and land markets and enforcement ot sales restrictions are critical determinants of the impacts of such restrictions.

A patient who changed my practice: The importance of touch

In a busy neurosurgical practice the patients are presented by the residents after examination. Often the diagnosis is apparent, as in the case of the 80 year old woman who had severe trigeminal neuralgia and who came from a remote village in south India. From the way she walked in, …

Impact of Erratic Rainfall and Mica Mines in a South Indian Village

This paper presents a case of a South Indian village where mica mining made a detrimental effect on agriculture which was already suffering from erratic rain fall Together both the factors have aff...

Epidemiology of acute filarial episodes caused by Wuchereria bancrofti infection in two rural villages in Tamil Nadu, south India

This year-long study investigated the epidemiology of acute filarial episodes due to Wuchereria bancrofti in 2 rural villages in south India. The annual incidence of 96.5 episodes/1000 population was significantly higher in males (108.5) than females (84.1) and strongly age dependent. First occurrence of acute disease was observed in 0.86% of the population, and the average duration of each episode was 3.6 ±2.0 d. Although more than half (63.5%) of the affected individuals suffered only 1 episode, a few experienced as many as 8 over the one-year period. Individuals with chronic disease were more prone to acute attacks, with 82.9% of the total episodes occurring in this group. No seasonal pattern was observed in the frequency of episodes. Probit analysis showed that the number of episodes per affected person was dependent on sex and chronic condition. Swelling of lymph nodes in the inguinal region and fever were the most common symptoms of acute disease. The high incidence and resulting debility observed in this study suggest that acute episodes are a significant health problem associated with lymphatic filariasis. There is clearly a need for more studies on this acute form of filarial disease to aid in the understanding of the aetiology and epidemiology of acute episodes, in planning appropriate control interventions, and in evaluating the resulting health burden.

Impact of lymphatic filariasis on the productivity of male weavers in a south Indian village

Impact of lymphatic filariasis on the productivity of male weavers in a south Indian village

Ideology, Power and Resistance in a South Indian Village

L'A. analyse les mecanismes de resistance a l'oppression mobilises par les Dalits dans une communaute rurale du sud de l'Inde. Il analyse l'organisation du pouvoir dans le cadre du systeme des castes et s'interroge sur l'egalite au sein d'une meme caste. Il envisage les strategies de resistance elaborees par les Dalits pour lutter contre les discriminations dont ils sont victimes de la part des castes les plus elevees. Il evoque les strategies de pouvoir adoptees par ces dernieres

Women's Work, Autonomy, and Birth Control: Evidence From Two South Indian Villages

In this study we contrast two South Indian villages which offer women very different employment opportunities. Many women in Village I roll beedis, which are crude hand-rolled cigarettes. The structure of beedi work was designed to meet the needs of the beedi contractor, but inadvertently it has provided women with substantial autonomy. In Village II very few women work for pay. We argue that these different employment opportunities affect women's autonomy, which in turn influences important demographic outcomes. More precisely, we argue that greater autonomy will increase contraceptive use among women who want no more children. We find strong support for this hypothesis. But, because there are few competing employment opportunities in Village II, women in that Village have received substantially more education than those in Village I. This higher level of education is also associated with greater contraceptive use. Thus, overall, the level of contraceptive use does not vary greatly between villages. More...

96/00524 Rural waste management in south Indian village — A case study

96/00524 Rural waste management in south Indian village — A case study

The Social Context of Family Planning In a South Indian Village

A quasi-anthropological approach was employed to collect information between June and October 1987 through questions and participant observation in a village with 196 currently married women in the state of Tamil Nadu India. The cigarette and brick industries had a strong influence on the lives of the local population. More than 90% of couples were aware of at least 1 contraceptive method. All knew about sterilization but only 6% knew the condom and the IUD and 2% knew about the oral contraceptive pill. 57% of husbands approved family planning (FP). 58% of wage laborers and 68% of the self-employed salaried people and businessmen approved it. Family size limitation was practiced even before the advent of modern contraceptives to fulfill social and cultural expectations and improve the health of mothers and children. Only 26% of the women with at least 2 children were practicing FP all of whom were sterilized. 36 women had undergone sterilization and one husband had had vasectomy. No one used the IUD the pill or the condom. During 1985-86 the national sterilization acceptance rate was 35% compared to 41% in Tamil Nadu. Just 10% of acceptors had 2 living children; 43% had 3 children; and 46% had at least 4 children. The acceptance rate was 35% among women whose husbands were landless vs. 19% among those who owned land. The acceptance of sterilization amounted to 21% among wives of farmers 27% among wives of wage laborers and 36% among the wives of self-employed salaried and businessmen. 2/3 of eligible women did not intend to use FP in the future mainly because of health reasons. Some opted for coitus interruptus which was not associated with adverse health effects. The unequal relationship between husband and wife also discouraged the practice of contraception. Men usually did not consent to the use of condoms or undergo vasectomies.

Dying before the Mahābhārata War: Martial and Transsexual Bodybuilding for Aravāṉ

Two tamilmahābhāratafolk cults that I have studied recreate the Indian epic's “sacrifice of battle” in their festivals, and rethematize, in the symbolic registers of south Indian village goddesses and regional kingdoms, its meditations on death and regeneration (Hiltebeitel {1976} 1990:245–360; 1988a:394–435). One is the cult of Draupadī (the epic's chief heroine); the other that of Kuttantavar, son of Arjuna (the epic's chief hero) and the serpent-woman UlupT. I will focus here primarily on the latter. Kuttantavar is a Tamil deity whose myths and rituals orchestrate multiple, multiform deaths. The enormity of death that is incorporated in either cult's performance of theMahābhāratawar is, in the Kūttāṇṭavar cult, condensed into the reiterated deaths and revivals of this one hero, and expressed metaphorically through mythic and ritual forms of body-building—involving icons, effigies, and persons—that construct, transform, dismantle, and reconstruct bodies and heads. Although the metaphor could also apply to Draupadī cult rituals, it is especially appropriate for Kūttāṇṭavar, who is built up like Kirilov in Dostoievsky'sThe Possessed.What is surprising in his cult, and or moment for this paper, is that this primarily martial metaphor has been appropriated by Alis, Tamil transsexuals or “eunuchs.”

Rural waste management in a south indian village — A case study

A micro-level study was carried out in a typical south Indian village to assess the quantity and type of wastes generated and its present mode of management. This information was used to identify the appropriate technologies which could enhance the value of the waste produced and, at the same time, improve the economic conditions of rural people. The study indicated that nearly 2364 tons of rural wastes in the form of crop residues, animal manure and human excreta are produced annually in the village with a population of 510. About 77% of the waste generated in the village was used as domestic fuel, animal fodder and organic fertilizer for crop production. The rest (23%) was left out in open fields for natural decomposition. The energy balance sheet of the village indicated that the present consumption of biomass resources was 50% less than that actually required for various domestic and agricultural applications. Anaerobic digestion of animal manure and human excreta produced in the village could yield 82% of the domestic energy required besides enriching the waste by 3–4 times as compared to conventional storage on the ground. If the traditional mud chulha (stove) were replaced by an improved chulha, each family unit could reduce their annual biomass (fire wood) consumption by about 2/3. Commercializing the utilization of coconut and paddy biomass using the village's man-power and facilities could increase the rural family income several fold.

Economics of Marriage Change in a South Indian Village

ABSTRACTThe Indian marriage system has undergone major changes in the last few decades. Studies have found an expansion and intensification of dowry and increase in age at marriage. Using information from a village in Tamil Nadu, south India, this article shows that recent marriage changes in the study village (increased number of love‐marriages and stagnation or slight decline in marriage age) are caused by the economic independence and personal autonomy among the younger generation which are products of major changes in the socio‐economic organization of the society.

Farmer participatory approaches to achieve fodder security in south Indian villages

Farmer participatory approaches were used to identify problems and needs as perceived by local people and to develop strategies to achieve fodder security in south Indian villages. Indigenous knowledge systems as they relate to agroforestry were explored. The farmer participatory approaches have laid the foundations for selecting appropriate agroforestry technologies and developing suitable fodder security policy options. Potential benefits and risks as a result of implementing agroforestry projects were also discussed.

Old Age Support: Expectations and Experiences in a South Indian Village

Future expectations of support in old age and current conditions of living among the elderly are analysed in the context of changing socio-economic structures in a South Indian village. Evidence shows that the traditional means of support – sons – are becoming less reliable. The experience of the elderly, on the other hand, shows that the elderly are in a worse economic situation than would be expected from the Indian cultural ideal. In particular, the poor and women are most affected in terms of old-age support. The evidence about the link between fertility and old-age support suggests a middle position in the Cain-Vlassoff debate. While existing living conditions make children the main source of support in old age, they are becoming less reliable as a result of recent economic and social changes.