Dhodia: Industrialisation and Change in a Primitive Community

The work is the outcome of field research among the Dhodias who are settled agricultural tribe on the plains of Valsad and Surat districts of Gujarat. The distinct strip of valleys between the Arabian Sea and the Sahayadri range in the southern part of Gujarat State is the country of Dhodias. The present volume deals with the impact of industralisation in the socio-cultural life of Dhodias who came in contact with such industry since 1952. industrialization is a major process of changing the face of a society. The changing economic environment in their area has compelled the Dhodia to new patterns of life in which an urban and industrial economy is superseding the agricultural economy and a sedentary life. This empirical study shows that after retaining the core of culture by the Dhodi as, they have adapted new life-style to the new environment which is created due to the introduction of a giant industrial setup in their habitat. The socio-cultural system among them have developed various norms and values favourable to the process, of technological advancement and industrialization; yet they still have retained their ethnic homogeneity.