Secondary Sources
The Effects of Resistance
The Effects of Resistance
In these sources, we examine how the reform movements discussed in the first set of secondary sources have shaped Kerala in the later parts of the 20th century.
This article focuses on the social transformation of a village in Kerala called Edakkad. It looks at over six decades of history and how and why these social changes occurred. The section that will be talked about the most is the section on how these transformations impacted women. The article states that women were slowly challenging the traditional norms for women due to the increase in educational access. By traditional norms, the article refers to an example of women only caring for their children and homes. However, after women began to call out for change and were able to have the opportunity to grow themselves, their roles slowly started exceeding these traditional norms. It’s important to note that the changes for women began after individuals of various castes began to engage in diverse employment roles, causing the mix of castes’ traditions, clothing, and roles. This article really highlights how these social transformations began with the strong caste implementations being challenged which lead to more rules being questioned such as women traditional norms.
Based on this article, it can be inferred that educational advancements and reform movements had a significant influence on Kerala's social development. It only makes sense that the more educated the women were allowed to be, the more likely they would want to join reform movements to have their voices heard, especially since the caste's implementation was slowly being put to an end.
This article shows the effects of women’s movements and resistance in Kerala. Most of our sources focused on the caste clothing impacts, however, we need a source that talks about these reforms and how the moral standards of women in Kerala truly shifted as the castes began to shift as well. It provides the gap needed on what the significance women’s movements really had on women in Kerala. Therefore, focusing on how a village in Kerala went through these social changes will greatly support the point we’re trying to make from this perspective.
This article focuses on the historical evolution of women’s movements in Kerala. It even uses a wordplay of “her-story” instead of “his-story” to implement the change that has occurred. The article mentions that even though a lot of change occurred, issues like religion may have prevented the Kerala women to act on the reform movements because their religion favored the traditional norms that most women from different castes wanted to challenge. This article really highlights how women of Kerala still face discrimination whether or not the traditional norms and the caste implementation exist. They talk about how the difference in between the genders was always something to struggle with and can even be seen being implemented during the times of caste divisions. During caste divisions, men still had more rights and authority over women which shaped the traditions and clothing the Kerala women had to obey. The article ends off by saying that the Kerala women would always need to continue their battle for women’s rights and can only exhale once they reach gender equality.
Based on the article, helped us infer that even though Kerala is often known for being a progressive state based on going from deep-rooted traditions such as the breast tax all the way to having women be able to hold government positions, it doesn’t mean that it’s enough. It’s definitely a huge impact and improvement, but the Kerala women still feel wronged. This is because, throughout the entirety of time, Kerala women have always needed to work harder to prove themselves, and this is just a long battle that they are fighting. During the caste traditions, women were always degraded and were told to always have a strong aura around them. This can go for all women, but for the sake of this project only Kerala women will be mentioned.
This article is a great source to support the “Perspectives on Social Change in a Kerala Village” article, as it does not talk much about the impact of women’s movements on the women themselves, something this article effectively conveys. This article fills in the gaps for the previous source while highlighting all aspects of women’s movements which will provide the crucial understanding on how these changes occurred after the demolished caste system and how some of the caste system traditions still impact Kerala women to this day.
This source examines how Kerala’s social hierarchy, caste system, and identity have shifted in response to modernization. This source is particularly relevant for understanding Kerala’s historical caste-based restrictions and women's resistance movements, as it offers a contextual backdrop to traditional norms such as the breast tax and caste-specific dress codes. By investigating the intersections of caste and modernity, the book provides insights into the broader social transformations that influenced Kerala’s complex caste and gender politics. The authors’ backgrounds in anthropology enhance the credibility of the research, with their fieldwork offering unique, primary insights into Kerala’s social structures.
The source includes first-hand accounts from the authors on their experience with modern day Kerala, and ex-untouchable caste families and how their experience in Kerala has changed with the shift in social perception and status. They discuss how caste prejudice and hierarchies persist and take form in today’s Kerala, and mainly discuss caste practices and associated occupational developments. Women take a larger role in maintaining the household with many claiming the “housewife” title as men venture into the public sphere, and see a larger participation of lower castes in politics. Caste and community identity in late-20th century Kerala is discussed and we are able to infer strong differences between lower caste participation in community between pre- and post-colonial South India.
This perspective makes the book a valuable source for understanding how modernization has challenged and redefined caste and gender dynamics. This helps us link Kerala’s historical social practices to contemporary identity and social equity issues, by using other sources to study the pattern of changes in an independent Kerala. We are able to trace transforming social norms to changes in caste dynamics and the new emphasis of stronger gender-based roles in Kerala society. While it may not be possible to learn much about caste or class-based sartorial practices from this source, the discussion about general caste and class based changes helps us identify how these may have led to changes in clothing standards for women as well.