Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

1977

Keywords

Weavers, India, Kānchipuram, Weaving

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Owen Lynch

Second Advisor

Michael M. Horowitz

Third Advisor

Brian L. Foster

Abstract

This study is concerned with the effect a planned system of economic growth and the development of the co-operative movement as national policy has had on one local group of people for whom these policies have been devised. The silk weavers of Kanchipuram, a city located in Madras State, are the group selected for study. The research is directed toward answering four questions: (1) what is weaving as a way of life; (2) how, or to what extent, does the occupation itself structure the social relations of those involved in it; in particular, what kind of relationship exists between caste as a basic unit in Indian society and weaving as an occupation; (3) how did the introduction of co-operatives as an organizational form change the way of life of the weavers, both in terms of the structure of the industry and in terms of weaving as a way of life; and (4) to what extent and why are co-operatives successful or failures?

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