ndigenous Knowledge, an accumulated knowledge of the poor and marginalized for generations, transmitted orally, and carefully preserved in the cultural practices of the people, is under severe threat today. Changing environment and deep penetration of the forces of globalization and technologization into the remote areas have many a times made this knowledge obsolete. There is a growing concern that IK ingrained in people’s context-specific knowledge of ensuring food security, of human and animal health, and resource management practices needs to be documented, both in situ and ex situ. This volume is a modest attempt in this direction. With 26 chapters divided into 5 sections and contributed by anthropologists, activists, botanists, computer scientists, pharmacologists, environmental scientists, and sociologists, this volume is a rich compendium of Indigenous Knowledge research in India and abroad. The sections in the volume focus on theoretical and methodological issues pertaining to Indigenous Knowledge, case studies on the knowledge of different ethnic groups, tribal ethno-medical practices, loss of Indigenous Knowledge and the role of Indigenous Knowledge and the role of Indigenous Knowledge in social development. The volume is a source book for Indigenous Knowledge research and will be of immense interest to anthropologists, environmental scientists, ethno-botanists, ecologists, computer scientists, sociologists, NGOs and development administrators.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kamal K Misra
Kamal K. Misra is Professor and Head, Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad. He had his academic training at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; and the University of Kent at Canterbury, United Kingdom. He is also a recipient of commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship and the Fulbright Fellowship. Dr. Misra has taught at Utkal University, the University of Hyderabad and at Austin College, Texas, USA. He specializes in Environmental Anthropology, Anthropological Linguistics and Theory in anthropology. He has extensively carried out fieldwork in Northeast, Central and South Indian tribal and rural communities. His publications include Social Structure0 and Change among the Ho of Orissa (1987), Tribal Elite and Social Transformation (1994), Text Book of Anthropological Linguistics (2000), and Peoples and Environment in India (2001), co-edited with M.L.K. Murty. He has over 50 research papers published in national and international journals, and book chapters. Dr. Misra is on the Board of Editors of Indian Anthropologist, and Man and Life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kishor K. Basa
"Kishor K. Basa has been teaching archaeological anthropology in the Department of Anthropology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar since 1980. A Ph.D. from University of London and a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow, University of Cambridge, Professor Basa was Director, IGRMS, Bhopal; Indian Museum, Kolkata and Anthropological Survey of India. He was President, Archaeology Section of Indian History Congress as well as Anthropological and Behavioural Science Section of Indian Science Congress. He has excavated the sites of Malikhoja (Sankerjung), Harirajpur and Gourangapatana—all in Odisha.
There are no reviews yet.