Economic Vulnerability of Tribal Households in Wayanad, India: Gendered Dependence on Medicinal Non-Timber Forest Products| Chapter 5 | New Advances in Business, Management and Economics Vol. 10

 

Wayanad district of Kerala, India, is considered highly vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on agriculture, plantation crops, and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). The combined impacts of erratic rainfall, declining forest cover, and soil degradation intensify the challenges of achieving sustainable agriculture in the region. This study quantitatively assessed the economic vulnerability of tribal households in the Wayanad District of Kerala with a specific focus on their dependence on Non-timber Forest Products (Medicinal plants) as a primary livelihood source. A survey of 90 households was conducted and the Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI) was constructed based on three parameters: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Determinants of economic vulnerability were analysed using a logit regression. The results reveal that both male-headed and female-headed households are highly dependent on income derived from Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), particularly medicinal plants, which contribute approximately 75% and 70% of their total household income, respectively. Female-headed households (FHHs) were found to be more vulnerable across all key components of vulnerability assessment, including exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Female heads bear the burden of household expenditure with fewer resources, reduced overall income, and lower capacity to adjust, especially to climate change and environmental degradation. Economic vulnerability was found to be significantly influenced by a number of factors, including gender, the presence of chronic illness in the household, asset ownership, and monthly per capita income. The proportion of households that were not warned of an upcoming natural disaster was the most influential indicator for exposure, while the average livelihood diversification index influenced the sensitivity of medicinal plant collectors. MHHs benefited from broader social capital, stronger institutional linkages, and better access to productive resources, resulting in lower vulnerability scores. In contrast, FHHs experienced structural disadvantages, including weaker social networks and income volatility, highlighting pronounced gender disparities. By addressing differential vulnerabilities between MHHs and FHHs, this study contributes to the empirical understanding of socio-economic dynamics in forest-dependent tribal communities. These findings highlight the need for gender-sensitive policies to strengthen adaptive capacity among tribal communities. Policy recommendations include strengthening institutional support, improving access to health care and financial assets, promoting livelihood diversification, and implementing gender sensitive development strategies.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Cenmichon Khodang
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur- 680656, Kerala, India.

 

Chitra Parayil
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur- 680656, Kerala, India.

 

Abhishek S
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur- 680656, Kerala, India.

 

Samananda Keisham
Department of Environmental Science, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur, 795003, India.

 

Arnab Roy
Division of F&ASM, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nabme/v10/6291

 

Rhyming Roles: Gender Representations in Early Childhood Education through Critical Discourse Analysis |Chapter 4 | Language, Literature and Education: Research Updates Vol. 7

 

Nursery rhymes play an important role in the formal and informal development of toddlers. The rhyme is used to impact values that make the young grow into responsible citizens. It punctuates various social activities where socially accepted themes are communicated (Muranda & Maruzani, 2022). In children, it fosters intimacy and close relationships, therefore creating a sense of belonging. Through music, toddlers expand their communicative abilities and their imagination. Music enables toddlers to express themselves freely and develop a degree of confidence and creativity, as well as academic skills and socially accepted behaviours. In pursuance of international calls to eradicate gender inequality in communities, the study aims to make a gender analysis of selected ECD rhymes. Three popular Early Childhood Development (ECD) rhymes (Old Mac Donald Had a Farm, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Five Little Ducks) were subjected to a three-pronged analytical lens adopted from critical discourse analysis. The rhyme lyrics were analysed in the following ways: (i) analysis of the rhymes as discourse, (ii) rhymes as performed language, and (ii) description of discourses about the rhyme. Conclusions from the study show that there is a critical role that music plays at ECD level. However, nurturers seem oblivious to the role that rhymes play in perpetuating traditional gender stereotypes that fuel gender inequality in our communities. The description of rhyme discourse further adds to the dynamic meanings that can be exposed by CDA. The discourse in these rhymes takes place in the natural, everyday settings. The actors and the themes that are used in the lyrics all make reference to the realities that the young interact with on a daily basis. This helps the toddlers to link the world of fantasy to the realities in their everyday lives. The analysis of these rhymes may help in making stakeholders aware of the need to come up with gender-neutral rhymes that promote equal opportunities for girls and boys in all spheres of life, even as they grow up. The use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) helped the study unpack these explicit and implicit gender ideologies that prevail in ECD rhymes. The issue of these gender connotations at the ECD level needs urgent attention, for failure to do so is a recipe that will contribute to rhetoric in the pursuit of gender equality in our communities.

 

Author(s) Details

Nyevero Maruzani
Gender Institute, Midlands State University, P.O. Box 9055, Gweru, Zimbabwe.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/lleru/v7/5967