G K Karanth | Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva (original) (raw)
Papers by G K Karanth
Investigating Local Knowledge: New Directions, New Approaches, 2004
eshpande, R S, K V Raju, S M Jharwal, and D Rajasekhar (Eds.) DDevelopment Windows: Essays in Honour of Professor V M Rao. New Delhi: Academic Foundation , 2011
As fieldworkers we identify and classify our 'subjects' but rarely wait till we get to know how t... more As fieldworkers we identify and classify our 'subjects' but rarely wait till we get to know how they perceive themselves - identities as they give themselves and/or ascribe to one other.
Anthropologists do not usually demand ... exacting standards and will settle to regard as adequat... more Anthropologists do not usually demand ... exacting standards and will settle to regard as adequate whatever can yield promising explanations at any given time. But if we can be more liberal in our judgments of adequacy, we should also be more conscientious in appraising our kit of conceptual tools. All too often concepts come burdened with the connotations and implications of the past contexts that gave rise to them. Hence a periodic review of our stock of ideas is neither an exercise in antiquarian nostalgia, nor a ritual occasion for rattling the bones of our ancestors. It should be, rather, a critical evaluation of the ways we pose and answer questions, and of the limitations we might bring to that task.
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or misutilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or mis-utilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2017
The objective of this paper is to reflect upon the changing culture of eating out among middlecla... more The objective of this paper is to reflect upon the changing culture of eating out among middleclass households in Bengaluru. While exploring the increasing differentiation of foodscapes in the city, this study examines the notion of food waste and other waste that is generated in the course of food preparation and consumption in public places. It relates the novel patterns of food consumption outside the home with the emerging patterns of family organisation and changing food tastes. With more and more Bengalureans eating out as a way of life, as entertainment and as a means of escaping the pressures of running a kitchen in a dual/multiple-income family, food waste shifts from the home to restaurants. Using observations and interviews with consumers as well as with restaurateurs, the paper reflects on the implications of these processes in terms of waste generation and waste management. Full text Several of the ideas in this case study owe their origins to several long discussions held, or field visits made, in the company of Christine Lutringer, Shalini Randeria, Suren Erkman and Marlyne Sahakian. I wish to express my sincere thanks for that collaboration. My sincere thanks also go to all the respondents. Grateful thanks are due also to many friends and colleagues: Sunayana Ganguly, Megha Shenoi, Uma Rani, and a few others preferring to remain anonymous, but who responded to a questionnaire 8/27/22, 8:27 AM 'Foodscapes' in Bengaluru-Changing Patterns of Family Eating Out and Waste Generation
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or mis-utilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, Nov 20, 2020
<jats:p> Contributions of M. N. Srinivas to the understanding of changing nature of caste, ... more <jats:p> Contributions of M. N. Srinivas to the understanding of changing nature of caste, village and politics have been well documented and continue to be under focus several decades after his scholarly formulations on them. This article is an attempt to focus on the nature of changes that are occurring in the realm of his contributions to the field of social science research methods—especially to the tradition of intensive field research whether in rural or urban locales. Not only have the field sites' amenability to research has undergone a major change, the institutional context in which social research is practised have radically transformed. This article is an attempt to track some such changes in both the contexts and to reflect upon the emerging challenges to social science research in general and the idea of 'field' research in particular. One of the questions it raises and attempts to answer is: Is sociology and social anthropology becoming more dependent on secondary data, and the source becoming a web than the field? </jats:p>
Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of MultidisciplinaryResearch, 2014
ABSTRACT Towns and cities have always been sites of attraction not only as centers of trade and c... more ABSTRACT Towns and cities have always been sites of attraction not only as centers of trade and commerce, seats of administration and power centers but also providing facilities for health and education. This is especially true of post-colonial nations such as India, marking differences between rural and urban areas in many significant ways. The late colonial and early post-colonial periods experienced widespread social change and witnessed a surge in rural students seeking formal education in locales far away from their places of origin—be they villages or small towns. While their families may have been relatively immobile, the children (usually, male) were made to find sponsorship for temporary migration and hospitality among the urban dwellers. With urbanization, many such practices of sponsorship and serving as hosts to needy students have since disappeared. This paper is an attempt to present an “auto-ethnographic” account of some of the practices of hosting students in and around Bangalore, South India.
interdisciplinary research in analytical and applied areas of social sciences, encompassing diver... more interdisciplinary research in analytical and applied areas of social sciences, encompassing diverse aspects of change and development. ISEC works with central, state and local governments as well as international agencies by undertaking systematic studies of resource potential, identifying factors influencing growth and examining measures for reducing poverty. The thrust areas of research include state and local economic policies, issues relating to sociological and demographic transition, environmental issues and fiscal, administrative and political decentralisation and governance. It pursues fruitful contacts with other institutions and scholars devoted to social science research through collaborative research programmes, seminars, etc. The Social and Economic Change Monograph Series provide an opportunity for ISEC faculty, visting fellows and PhD scholars to disseminate their ideas and research work. Monographs in the series present empirical analyses and generally deal with wide...
Investigating Local Knowledge, 2019
Based on evidence from two Indian villages (CR Palli in Andhra Pradesh and Kodipalli in Karnataka... more Based on evidence from two Indian villages (CR Palli in Andhra Pradesh and Kodipalli in Karnataka), this chapter describes the process of change in rural leadership patterns and its consequences on the management of natural resources. The earlier leadership is ...
Soviet-style socialism has failed, yet the transition to capitalism has often proved to be fraugh... more Soviet-style socialism has failed, yet the transition to capitalism has often proved to be fraught with hazards. In this book, western and South Asian scholars analyze regional differences, and show that in India co-operative enterprises are pioneering a middle path.
Focusing on two south Indian villages where development-oriented research was conducted for over ... more Focusing on two south Indian villages where development-oriented research was conducted for over two years, this chapter examines the scope and limitations of promoting mutual learning through 'research feedback' to rural communities. The chapter aims to share the practical ...
... My thanks are due to Dr. KV Sridharan, Director of Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, who sponso... more ... My thanks are due to Dr. KV Sridharan, Director of Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, who sponsored this report. To Dr. Sridharan and also to Smt. Prabha Krishnan I am grate-ful for their comments and suggestions made on the earlier drafts of this report. ...
Investigating Local Knowledge: New Directions, New Approaches, 2004
eshpande, R S, K V Raju, S M Jharwal, and D Rajasekhar (Eds.) DDevelopment Windows: Essays in Honour of Professor V M Rao. New Delhi: Academic Foundation , 2011
As fieldworkers we identify and classify our 'subjects' but rarely wait till we get to know how t... more As fieldworkers we identify and classify our 'subjects' but rarely wait till we get to know how they perceive themselves - identities as they give themselves and/or ascribe to one other.
Anthropologists do not usually demand ... exacting standards and will settle to regard as adequat... more Anthropologists do not usually demand ... exacting standards and will settle to regard as adequate whatever can yield promising explanations at any given time. But if we can be more liberal in our judgments of adequacy, we should also be more conscientious in appraising our kit of conceptual tools. All too often concepts come burdened with the connotations and implications of the past contexts that gave rise to them. Hence a periodic review of our stock of ideas is neither an exercise in antiquarian nostalgia, nor a ritual occasion for rattling the bones of our ancestors. It should be, rather, a critical evaluation of the ways we pose and answer questions, and of the limitations we might bring to that task.
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or misutilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or mis-utilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2017
The objective of this paper is to reflect upon the changing culture of eating out among middlecla... more The objective of this paper is to reflect upon the changing culture of eating out among middleclass households in Bengaluru. While exploring the increasing differentiation of foodscapes in the city, this study examines the notion of food waste and other waste that is generated in the course of food preparation and consumption in public places. It relates the novel patterns of food consumption outside the home with the emerging patterns of family organisation and changing food tastes. With more and more Bengalureans eating out as a way of life, as entertainment and as a means of escaping the pressures of running a kitchen in a dual/multiple-income family, food waste shifts from the home to restaurants. Using observations and interviews with consumers as well as with restaurateurs, the paper reflects on the implications of these processes in terms of waste generation and waste management. Full text Several of the ideas in this case study owe their origins to several long discussions held, or field visits made, in the company of Christine Lutringer, Shalini Randeria, Suren Erkman and Marlyne Sahakian. I wish to express my sincere thanks for that collaboration. My sincere thanks also go to all the respondents. Grateful thanks are due also to many friends and colleagues: Sunayana Ganguly, Megha Shenoi, Uma Rani, and a few others preferring to remain anonymous, but who responded to a questionnaire 8/27/22, 8:27 AM 'Foodscapes' in Bengaluru-Changing Patterns of Family Eating Out and Waste Generation
International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement, 2022
This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare... more This chapter explores the funds collected by the Karnataka Construction and Other Workers Welfare Board (KCOWWB)—a welfare institution in the Indian state of Karnataka—through a special tax, or ‘cess’. It discusses the controversies surrounding the collection and management of cess funds, including contentious issues regarding their non- or mis-utilisation, and analyses the different purposes for which they have been used, particularly given the fact that they have been drawn upon to provide relief in special cases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). It argues, therefore, for the suitable modification of the laws that govern these funds so that they may be drawn upon when necessary in unforeseen situations without becoming a perpetual fallback option for the State.
Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, Nov 20, 2020
<jats:p> Contributions of M. N. Srinivas to the understanding of changing nature of caste, ... more <jats:p> Contributions of M. N. Srinivas to the understanding of changing nature of caste, village and politics have been well documented and continue to be under focus several decades after his scholarly formulations on them. This article is an attempt to focus on the nature of changes that are occurring in the realm of his contributions to the field of social science research methods—especially to the tradition of intensive field research whether in rural or urban locales. Not only have the field sites' amenability to research has undergone a major change, the institutional context in which social research is practised have radically transformed. This article is an attempt to track some such changes in both the contexts and to reflect upon the emerging challenges to social science research in general and the idea of 'field' research in particular. One of the questions it raises and attempts to answer is: Is sociology and social anthropology becoming more dependent on secondary data, and the source becoming a web than the field? </jats:p>
Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of MultidisciplinaryResearch, 2014
ABSTRACT Towns and cities have always been sites of attraction not only as centers of trade and c... more ABSTRACT Towns and cities have always been sites of attraction not only as centers of trade and commerce, seats of administration and power centers but also providing facilities for health and education. This is especially true of post-colonial nations such as India, marking differences between rural and urban areas in many significant ways. The late colonial and early post-colonial periods experienced widespread social change and witnessed a surge in rural students seeking formal education in locales far away from their places of origin—be they villages or small towns. While their families may have been relatively immobile, the children (usually, male) were made to find sponsorship for temporary migration and hospitality among the urban dwellers. With urbanization, many such practices of sponsorship and serving as hosts to needy students have since disappeared. This paper is an attempt to present an “auto-ethnographic” account of some of the practices of hosting students in and around Bangalore, South India.
interdisciplinary research in analytical and applied areas of social sciences, encompassing diver... more interdisciplinary research in analytical and applied areas of social sciences, encompassing diverse aspects of change and development. ISEC works with central, state and local governments as well as international agencies by undertaking systematic studies of resource potential, identifying factors influencing growth and examining measures for reducing poverty. The thrust areas of research include state and local economic policies, issues relating to sociological and demographic transition, environmental issues and fiscal, administrative and political decentralisation and governance. It pursues fruitful contacts with other institutions and scholars devoted to social science research through collaborative research programmes, seminars, etc. The Social and Economic Change Monograph Series provide an opportunity for ISEC faculty, visting fellows and PhD scholars to disseminate their ideas and research work. Monographs in the series present empirical analyses and generally deal with wide...
Investigating Local Knowledge, 2019
Based on evidence from two Indian villages (CR Palli in Andhra Pradesh and Kodipalli in Karnataka... more Based on evidence from two Indian villages (CR Palli in Andhra Pradesh and Kodipalli in Karnataka), this chapter describes the process of change in rural leadership patterns and its consequences on the management of natural resources. The earlier leadership is ...
Soviet-style socialism has failed, yet the transition to capitalism has often proved to be fraugh... more Soviet-style socialism has failed, yet the transition to capitalism has often proved to be fraught with hazards. In this book, western and South Asian scholars analyze regional differences, and show that in India co-operative enterprises are pioneering a middle path.
Focusing on two south Indian villages where development-oriented research was conducted for over ... more Focusing on two south Indian villages where development-oriented research was conducted for over two years, this chapter examines the scope and limitations of promoting mutual learning through 'research feedback' to rural communities. The chapter aims to share the practical ...
... My thanks are due to Dr. KV Sridharan, Director of Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, who sponso... more ... My thanks are due to Dr. KV Sridharan, Director of Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, who sponsored this report. To Dr. Sridharan and also to Smt. Prabha Krishnan I am grate-ful for their comments and suggestions made on the earlier drafts of this report. ...