Economic Dualism and Structure of Class

The impact of the capitalist system of production on traditional economic systems has interested a whole generation of scholars and planners alike. This book is an invaluable addition to the studies of the interrelationship of the economic and the social organization and the dialectical relationship between them. Specifically this work has analyzed the tea plantations, their economic and social system, the impact of market economy and its effect on the traditional productive systems of the tea-plantation work. A deeply researched book, it had involved the author in many years of field work resulting in an excellent ethnography of the region. Set in the plantations of North Bengal, the micro-level analysis nevertheless throws light on the macro-level processes by which indigenous economic systems are being constantly drawn into a global capitalist economy. Relying largely on a Marxist framework of analysis, the author has produced a scholarly work of immense importance to understanding the micro-processes of interrelationship between economic and social variables. A book to draw the attention of all interested in Agraian social structure, micro-level economic process, globalization and capitalization and ethnographic studies.

About the author
Virginius Xaxa is presently Reader in Sociology at Department of Sociology Delhi University. He has previously taught at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. Dr. Xaxa has been a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow at School of Oriental and African Studies, London and Post-doctoral in the studies of agrarian social structure and change, sociology of development, plantation labour and tribal studies. He has published a large number of papers in reputed journals and is coauthor of the book, ‘Tea Plantation Labour in India’.