The value question in India: Ethnographic reflections on an ongoing debate

The terms of the debate about anthropological approaches to the value question in India have been set by Dumont, whose theories were based on his ethnographic studies in North and South India, his knowledge of the Sanskrit literature, his synthesis of the comparative ethnography of India, and his studies on the history of European economic thought. His theory of affinity as a value, one element of this general theory, was based on a critique of L�vi-Strauss and was, in turn, critiqued by Trautmann, among others. On the basis of fieldwork done in Central India, I draw attention to an unexamined assumption that all three theorists share, and I also consider its consequences

Differential Geometry of the Mixed Hodge Metric

We investigate properties of the Hodge metric of a mixed period domain. In particular, we calculate its curvature and the curvature of the Hodge bundles. We also consider when the pull back metric via a period map is K\"ahler. Several applications in cases of geometric interest are given, such as for normal functions and biextension bundles.Comment: Ameliorated exposition. Accepted for publication in Communications in Analysis and Geometr

The oral epics of the women of the Dandakaranya Plateau: a preliminary mapping

The aim of this paper is to fill in a small but significant gap in the growing scholarship on the oral epics of India by means of a preliminary mapping of some of the oral epics sung by th

Peter Berger, Subaltern Sovereigns : Rituals of Rule and Regeneration in Highland Odisha, India

departmental bulletin pape

On the Ranking of Shells and People : Comments on "A Papuan Plutocracy: Ranked Exchange on Rossell Island"

Comments on: JOHN LIEP. A Papuan Plutocracy: Ranked Exchange on Rossel Island. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2009. Pp. 376. ISBN: 978-87-7934-446-4 This is a magnificent piece of scholarship. It has been a lifetime in the making and it shows on every page, in every paragraph and every sentence of this meticulously argued and beautifully produced ethnography. If the ethnographic studies of the Massim can be likened to ndap shells of different rank, then this book will find its way into the very high division where it will circulate alongside the classics such as Malinowksi’s Argonauts and Young’s Fighting with Food. Liep not so much resolves the theoretical controversies about exchange theory that Armstrong’s 1922 book on Rossel Island shell money generated, but dissolves them and raises a whole new set of more interesting questions. Rossel Island has been defined as exceptional in Melanesian studies because of its extraordinarily complicated shell-money system and its exceptionally difficult language that bears no family resemblances with the Austronesian languages found on the neighbouring islands. Insofar as the exchange-system is concerned, Liep convincingly demonstrates that it is a variation on  a familiar Oceanic theme. He does this by presenting original data on the rules and practice of Rossel shell-exchange and situating it expertly in a broader comparative perspective. What makes this book especially valuable is that Liep is well aware of its limitations and makes no attempt to hide this. Of course, every ethnographic report is limited to some extent but what sets Liep’s book apart is that he does his best to define precisely the boundaries of his knowledge and understanding. He is careful to distinguish what he knows well from what he is unsure about and what he does not know. What he gives us then are, respectively, persuasive arguments about  which there can be little debate, speculative propositions about which reasonable people may disagree, and questions that require more research. I am primarily concerned with the latter two issues here

Considerations for sustainable tourism development in developing countries: Perspectives from the South Pacific

Nations of the South Pacific face a number of major challenges with respect to sustainable tourism development. Much of the literature presents overtly pessimistic conceptualisations of South Pacific nations as environmentally vulnerable and economically dependent. This paper argues that the narrative concerning sustainable tourism development in the South Pacific is incomplete and the predominant narrative viewing the South Pacific nations as economically and environmentally vulnerable is too simplistic. Additionally, this paper challenges the narrative that high or mass levels of tourism within the South Pacific cannot be sustainable. Based on experience derived from operational experience and consultancy, this paper provides insights into the challenges and possibilities for sustainable tourism development in the South Pacific

Policy making and civic involvement: Apathy or impotence?

This thesis discusses the current problems surrounding civic participation. Conventional political wisdom tells us that many people have become apathetic when it comes to getting involved in politics. However, I will argue that policy makers misconstrue their perception of the public because they are operating from paradigms which are not democratic. When policy makers operate from these faulty paradigms, the role of the public becomes subordinated and the public is effectively locked out of the political decision-making process. I will offer an alternative to the current paradigms in an attempt to restore the proper role of the citizens to public decision-making, in order to promote the principles of representative democracy. To provide clarity and proximity to this national problem, I will contextualize my analysis within the circumstances surrounding the Sunrise Manor Township of Clark County, Nevada