Animal husbandry and social reproduction: a case study from Haryana

Yadav, Srishti (2024) Animal husbandry and social reproduction: a case study from Haryana. Review of Agrarian Studies, 14 (1). pp. 56-81. ISSN 22494405

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Abstract

The paper explores how petty commodity producing (PCP) households employ regional social and patriarchal norms to exert control over women’s labour power, particularly with respect to women’s labour in the household. It draws on primary field evidence from southern Haryana to argue that animal husbandry, for which labour is expended by married women, is primarily oriented towards meeting the nutritional and consumption requirements of PCP households of the dominant caste and that the sale of output is aimed at meeting cash input requirements. Animal husbandry is therefore a productive activity aimed at meeting reproduction needs. Consumption practices and the labour process in animal husbandry of milch animals are rooted in their socio-cultural association with the Ahir identity, which enables their continuation despite the low monetary returns from animal husbandry. Among landless households, animal husbandry is more actively pursued as an income-generating activity, and women exhibit greater control over decision-making. The difference in the place of animal husbandry in the livelihood strategies of the dominant caste and Scheduled Caste households indicates the complex interplay of economic activities, social identity, and gender norms in this region.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Yadav, Srishti
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	Social sciences > Sociology & anthropology > Social interaction Social sciences > Economics
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Arts and Sciences
Full Text Status:	Public
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/6939
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.25003/RAS.14.01.0006

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