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Theme: 3. Prosperity, the Pains of Growth and its Governance
Emiko Nozawa
Chuo University, Japan
Emiko Nozawa
Chuo University, Japan
Emiko Nozawa
Chuo University, Japan
Maiko Annen
Professional Institute of International Fashion, Japan
Tomoyuki Chaya
Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Japan
Sanae Ito
National Institutes for the Humanities, Japan
Over the past few decades, South Asian societies have experienced significant social transformations, encompassing rapid economic growth, social structural changes, globalization, increasing mobility, and the expansion of education. For instance, major cities in India have constructed numerous high-rise buildings while passenger and freight transport have notably improved with infrastructure development. In rural areas, brick houses have replaced mud houses, and people now regularly access vivid live video information through smartphones. Economic growth, driven by the service sector, has led to a drop in the number of workers in the agricultural sector from 60% of the national labor force in 2000 to 44% as of 2021-22. Even marginalized communities, including urban slums and rural villages, demonstrate nearly universal school enrollment, as well as fewer occurrences of marriage and childbirth among teenagers. Amidst these remarkable transformations, however, existing disparities and constraints based on gender and socio-economic status persist in various forms within villages and urban slums. Despite profound changes in village life, deeply rooted discourses and practices surrounding gender-differentiated access to technology and control over women's sexuality persist, albeit in shifting forms. While social mobility and occupational choice for women in rural areas are greater today than in the past, demands and expectations from family and employers continue to impose significant restrictions on their lives. Although government development schemes have improved living conditions in slums, external disdain for slum residents continues to shape their housing choices. This is not to say that change and continuity are mutually exclusive dichotomies. For example, advanced communication technologies enable individuals residing in marginalized communities to preserve family ties and local traditions across national borders. Through video calls, villagers commemorate family events and local festivities with family members who are working abroad to support those left behind financially. Exploring this combination of change, intransigence, and continuity in everyday life provides insight into the choices people make and the values underlying those choices. In this panel, four presenters, who specialize in cultural anthropology, social welfare, and gender studies and have each spent more than a decade conducting research in urban and rural India and Nepal, will aim to shed light on the values and norms underlying change, intransigence, and continuity in South Asia. The presenters will explore the priorities of contemporary South Asian society in recent social transformation, and thereby contribute to a deeper understanding of the uneven nature of growth in South Asia.
Presenter: Emiko Nozawa – Chuo University
Presenter: Maiko Annen – Professional Institute of International Fashion
Presenter: Tomoyuki Chaya – Hyogo University of Teacher Education
Presenter: Sanae Ito – National Institutes for the Humanities