Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

I) Compilation of archival and secondary materials on the problem;
Ii) Compilation of the locally available documents, records and private
collections;
iii) Conducting an on the spot examination of then resources of the region;
Collection of oral testimonies from the inhabitants of the region, including
women;
iv) Conducting group discussions among elderly people of the region
2. Analysis. This would involve classification of data under the following headings:
i) Lived experience and knowledge
ii) Form of production, labour and patterns of livelihood.
iii) Forms of exchange.
iv) Generation of taste
3. Using the results of the analysis, it is proposed to arrive at a general synthesis of
the human geographic, economic, historical and cultural patterns that contribute to
the making of the livelihood in the region.
The modes of arriving at the synthesis had not been worked out during the initial
phases of the study. The realization that conventional tools of historical analysis is
insufficient for such an exercise was already clear in the initial stage itself, but
how to attempt a more comprehensive form of analysis and synthesis was a
problem that the research team had to resolve in actual practice. Hence, it will be
useful to have a general idea of the work done by the research team, which was
actually an exploration into the possibilities of evolving such a method.