SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

Social and Network Relations: This relates to the last objective
of the study. Sericulture has provided new interactional avenues and
enhanced social prestige and status. The study has brought out the
diverse interactional openings and networking in the social milieu of
sericulture. The friendship interactions assume special significance in
the context of sericulture. Close kinship relationships are discerned
among most of the sericulturists. There is also a diffusion of sericulture
through kinship influence. Sericulture facilitates the consolidation of
kin-relations through mutual exchange of sericulture resources and
knowledge. Such interactions also help easing out the burden of high
investment in sericulture. Exchange labour is also discerned among the
close relatives. Some sericulturists prefer to engage hired labourers
from their own non-sericulture kin-families. Such relations are discerned
more among the affinal kin than among the families of siblings.
As there is a decline in the jajmani interactions of the service
castes, sericulture has come to the rescue of some of them who have
some access to land and inigation resources. The labour interactions
have taken a new dimension with the introduction of sericulture. The
labour intensity of sericulture has necessitated alternative labour
strategies and facilitated in developing new labour equations in the
context of sericulture. The patronial relations of the past have been
replaced with friendly relations, to ensure an assured and committed
labour. This has also helped reducing the tensions and distance between
the higher and lower castes. The necessity of obtaining some of the
sericulture inputs has helped developing certain dependency relations
with certain artisan communities within and outside the village. The
regular visits to the markets have provided opportunities of urban
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