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Description
Madhopur is a village in North India that was extensively studied by American anthropologists in the early fifties. In particular they identified certain political and economic trends in the changi...ng social structure of the village. We went back to Madhopur in 1978 to see how far these trends had in fact developed and what changes had taken place in the past twenty-five years. The film includes interviews with representatives of the main social groups in the village: land-owners, labourers, a village teacher and the chairman of the village council. In particular the viewer is invited to identify the political factors underlying the explanations they give of social change.
Madhopur is a village in North India that was extensively studied by American anthropologists in the early fifties. In particular they identified certain political and economic trends in the changi...ng social structure of the village. We went back to Madhopur in 1978 to see how far these trends had in fact developed and what changes had taken place in the past twenty-five years. The film includes interviews with representatives of the main social groups in the village: land-owners, labourers, a village teacher and the chairman of the village council. In particular the viewer is invited to identify the political factors underlying the explanations they give of social change.
| Module code and title: | D232, Comparative politics |
|---|---|
| Item code: | D232; 01 |
| First transmission date: | 09-03-1979 |
| Published: | 1979 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:23:35 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Carol Haslam |
| Contributors: | David Potter; Graeme Salaman; G. S. Joshi; Rudra Datt Singh; Shin Kumar Singh |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Caste system; India; Politics; Social change |
| Footage description: | The village of Madhopur. Examples of housing in the village. A Thakur house. Man ploughing field. Examples of local craftsmen at work. Dr Rudra Datt Singh, a leading Thakur, talks about changes that have occurred in the village, the extension of the franchise and changes in land law. A local school teacher, Shin Kumar Singh, talks about how attitudes towards education have changed, and how education has altered the attitudes of the Chamars towards their role in society. School children are shown attending a lesson in the open air. The chairman of the local council, Mr Pande, gives his views of changes in the village. He attributes most of the changes to technical improvements, such as the introduction of new wells. Next Chamar workers give their views of change in the village. They argue that little of substance has changed. They are still poor and do not own any land. The commentator now analyses the political implications of what each of these observers has said. He isolates important political factors to which these people attribute change. The Chamar workers talk about the failure to implement government land reforms in the district, their poor wages and the failure of a strike they held. A young Thakur argues that the chamars should work harder if they want more money. The chamars talk about political parties and their inability to influence the local council, the Panchayat. Mr Pande explains that government grants are distributed through the Panchayat. The Chamar workers criticise the way in which these are allocated and the timing of the distribution. The commentator sums up the political lessons that can be learned from studying the village. |
| Production number: | FOUD001P |
| Videofinder number: | 105 |
| Available to public: | no |
