North Bengal Anthropologist, Vol. 04

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/5293

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Open Access
Mahali Culture and Social Change in West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Soni, Amit
Ethnographic study and analysis in Anthropology is the very base of anthropological researches in India and abroad. Mahali or Mahli is an artisan community involved in traditional bamboo craft. The present paper is outcome of ethnographic study and situational analysis of the Mahali tribe of West Bengal. An attempt has been made to present the indigenous Mahali Culture along with the socio-cultural changes in the changing modern scenario. Mahali people are master craftsmen and produce fine basketry along with doing labor work. Lots of changes are coming in the Mahali society and culture due to the impact of migration, acculturation and modernization. Their living standard is little bit uplifted by various tribal developmental programs and facilities provided in the Mahali areas, but still they are living in low socio-economic condition.
Open Access
Impact of Heavy Metal Exposure on Women and Human Reproductive Health
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Tigga, Pushpa Lata
Quality of the environment plays a significant role in human health. It was estimated that one-quarter of the global disease burden and more than one-third of the burden among children was due to modifiable environmental factors. The group of heavy metals represents pollutants that are concerned with serious health problems connected with a high global annual emission rate. The toxic effects of the heavy metals are often expressed differently on the outcome of human reproduction. Recommended medical surveillance for all heavy metals requires emergency departmental care. Literature study explored that there is a gap of knowledge in the proper toxicity survey.
Open Access
Prevalence of Anaemia and Age Related Changes in Haemoglobin Level of the Santal Labourers of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Malakar, Biswanath; Roy, Subrata K.
Background: Haemoglobin level changes with sex, altitude, physiological condition, socio-economic condition, nutrition and so on. However, age related changes in haemoglobin level have not been well demonstrated. Objective: The study tries to find out (1) the prevalence of anaemia of the Santal labourers (indigenous and endogamous group) of Birbhum district, West Bengal and (2) also to find out age related changes in haemoglobin level of the Santal labourers. Material and methods: Cross sectional data have been collected on age and haemoglobin level from 697 adult (male = 301 and female = 396) Santal labourers of both sexes of Birbhum district, West Bengal. The data have been classified into five age groups (<30, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+). Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) used separately for males and females. Results: Mean haemoglobin level of the study participants were 12.60±1.88 and 10.86±1.34 for males and females respectively. Around 60 per cent males and 80 per cent females were classified as anaemic. ANOVA depicts significant difference in haemoglobin level between/ among age groups for males but not in females. A gradual decline in haemoglobin levels observed with increment of age only in males. Discussion: Present study indicates that haemoglobin level gradually declines with progression of age in males but such consistent pattern was not observed in females. However, it is difficult to conclude with this small sample size and a particular population. Further, studies in different populations with large sample sizes are needed considering concomitant factor affecting haemoglobin level to make a generalized statement.
Open Access
Mahisasurmardini Radio Broadcast and Relevance in the Service for Mass Communication
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Ghoshal, Subhas C.
MahisasurMardini from All India Radio: Kolkata is the oldest programme in Indian broadcast scenario. The content is based on MarkandeyaPuran and the broadcast delineates arriving of goddess Durga from Himgiri (hilly tract) to this world and her historical association in kicking out the evils for restoring peace and happiness among the humankind. It acts as an errand of durgapuja centric durgotsab, one of the largest festivals in the world where there live a large group of Bengali speaking people. Study on the segments of broadcast content and co-relational listeners‘opinion thereupon has proved a very constructive feeling towards devotion. Listener audience supports to call it ever new because it recreates in their minds the sights and sounds of epic culture every year.
Open Access
Utility of Human Scalp Hair as Biomarker
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Dorjee, Binu
Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a scientific technique that allows us to assess whether and to what extent environmental pollutants enter humans (Alves 2014). The technique relied on the various biomarkers like blood, urine, nails and hair. The blood is invasive biomarker while hair is emerging non-invasive biomarkers. Hair is unique character found on all mammals but not on other animals. Hairs may be defined as slender filamentous outgrowths of the skin and are primarily composed of keratin. The present paper highlights the various features of hair which makes it a reliable biomarker such as it is non-invasive, easy to transfer and store, free of contamination, easy sampling and non expensive. It has time detection window of 1 month to a year. However, there are areas of hair research which need further attention.
Open Access
Health Seeking Behaviour among the Migrant Tribal Workers of Tea Plantation in Assam: Some Observations
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Kar, R.K.
In anthropology, emphasis is generally put on the group; and on the study of human beings within the framework of a culture. Every culture has its own notion regarding health and health seeking behaviour; and this is often referred to as Health Culture. The health of any community, particularly of a tribal community is a function of the interaction between cultural and biological practices, the genetic attributes and the environmental condition. It has long been recognized that Health Culture is a suitable field for ethnographic research in anthropology. In the paper, an attempt has been made to have an understanding of the health culture of the migrant tribal worker in Assam tea plantation with special reference to their health seeking behavior. The people generally subscribe to their own understanding of health, disease and disease etiology, as defined by their tradition and culture. With regard to disease etiology, they believe in both supernatural and natural forces. Some diseases are believed to be the outcome of the wrath of supernatural powers; and some are caused by natural factors. Their prolonged contact with the modern medicare system for around sixteen decades does not seem to have the desired impact on their overwhelming subscription to the traditional sub-culture of medicine. Despite the availability of modern medicare services at the door step, the people usually give priority to traditional or folk medicine. The inability of folk medicine to cure some ailments sometimes may compel them to avail of the services of the hospital or some other modern health practitioners. Sometimes, however, they continue both the treatments simultaneously. On the whole, till date, the migrant tribal tea workers in Assam are by and large, relatively more tradition-oriented with regard to their health seeking behaviour. Sometimes, however, both the traditional and the modern health care systems have been found to complement each other; and the people use both the systems apparently without any reservation or any feeling of contradiction.
Open Access
Turmoil of Alcoholism: An Exploration of Alcoholics in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital of Assam
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Medhi, Birinchi K.; Sharma, Hemanta
From time immemorial alcohol is used for refreshment and to prevent and cure diseases by different populations of the world. Preparing country liquor is an age old skill in a good number of societies which is handed down from one generation to the next principally through the process of enculturation. Country liquor is indispensable to the socio-cultural system of innumerable societies of the world. Such communities generally produce this type of alcohol from different floral parts utilizing their indigenous knowledge. In such societies country liquor is used in different contexts of life, even to appease the Gods and spirits. At present alcohol is less used as medicine and mostly used as addictive material. Consumption of excessive alcohol has created a kind of irreversible turmoil in the modern world causing physical, mental, economic and social degradation. It should be noted that alcohol is consumed even by the members of those societies, who do not have the pristine system of making this drink. When a person cannot resist his or her intense desire of alcohol consumption and take it frequently, which ultimately destroys his or her physical and mental abilities partially or to a great extent, additionally harming in his/her social and occupational arenas, then this anomaly of the person is known as ‘alcoholism’. Alcoholism is an alarming disease and the person suffered from is known as ‘alcoholic’. Today alcoholism is a devastating problem throughout the world. In this endeavour an intricate attempt has been made to evaluate some dimensions of the alcoholics treated in the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam and the gateway of North East India.
Open Access
Effect of Family Structure on Child Immunization in the Rural Area
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Srivastava, Namita
Negligence towards immunization may result in serious health risks not only for the deprived child but for the society too as diseases meant to be controlled by vaccination are infectious. Apart from technical loopholes, there are many factors embedded in social and cultural set up of the people which act as obstacle for success of such programs aimed at improving public health. In rural society the type of family, in which child is reared, is also significant importance in this regard. This paper aims to explore how a particular family type, nuclear or joint, affects the immunization status of children.
Open Access
The Pottery - A Cultural heritage in New Style: An Ethnographic Study in the Villages of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Ray, Bedprakash
The pottery was originated in Neolithic period, present in recent time and will exist in future. The knowledge and skill of pot making is transmitted from generation to generation within the Kumors community. It is a craft distinctive of agrarian economy. Today pottery in India is fairly a large business with so many small and large scale industries making high class pottery all over the nation. In West Bengal, pottery is also one of the most popular crafts made by Kumors mainly found in the districts of Bankura, Murshidabad, Medinipur (both purba and paschim), Nadia and North 24 Parganas. But it is also a mentionable fact in rural West Bengal that many of the Kumor families are unable to cope up with the forces generated by globalization as well as industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, a large number of Kumor families have been giving up their traditional occupations and searching for some alternatives. On the other hand, those Kumor communities are coping with the forces generated by globalization, industrialization and urbanization have been earning huge amount of cash money. It has been happening in the villages Chaltaberia and Ramkrishnapalli where the Kumors are more interested to make globally demanded terracotta figurines and show pieces by giving new shape, size, decoration and colour instead of traditional style. So we can say that, the pottery, a cultural heritage has been changing its old style in various places of west Bengal. The pottery will may exist in new style in future. The traditional pots are requiring preserving for the future generation otherwise these may be extinct from the country. Therefore, the author did field work among the Kumors of above mentioned two villages for finding out the reasons of why and how the size, shape, decoration, colour and types of traditional pottery have been changed by the Kumors.
Open Access
Incidence of Colour Blindness among the Santals of East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Karmakar, Sarnendu; Biswas, Subir
Open Access
Effect of Family Environment on Children’s Well-Being: A Case Study
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Gan, Biswanath; Biswas, Samar Kumar
Family environment is an important issue which influences on child’s well-being including social, emotional or psychological part. Family plays an important role in educatingsocializing children. It is said that family is a primary institution where a child learns a lot by observing and teaching, and know what is wrong or right, should or should not. Our child is a vulnerable asset and future wealth of society. Thus, it is a duty of every parent to protect their children against all forms of exploitation and nourish them properly to make a healthy society. But there are so many children in our country are being exploited by their poor family environment and in this context the present studied families are a burning example. The focus of this paper is on family environment that influences the social, emotional or psychological well-being of children in the stone crushing society of Balasan River Basin, Darjeeling district, West Bengal.
Open Access
Menstrual Characteristics of Young Adults
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Mukherjee, Ipsita; Ghosh, Jyoti Ratan
Menstrual health plays a key role inwomen’s sexual and reproductive life. Thepurpose of this study is to understand the age atmenarche and menstrual characteristics of young adults in a rural area of West Bengal.The present cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among one hundred and one young adult females of age 18 to23 years. Data were collected on age, age at menarche and menstrual characteristics by using questionnaire.The mean age at menarche of the study participants was 12.07 (1.37) years. Duration of average menstrual discharge and number of days of peak discharge of the studied population was 4.84 (1.38) days and 3.03 (1.5) days, respectively. The result also revealed that menstruation skipped in 16.83per cent girls in last one year. When menstrual discharge problems were considered, it was observed that majority (74.25%) of the girls feels some degree of pain and discomfort. However, 8.91per cent of the girls had irregular periods.Premenstrual syndrome was observed in most (91.09%) of the girls, of which majorities reported abdominal pain (58.41%), followed by back pain (38.61%) and weakness (32.67%). An overwhelming majority (74.25%) of the girls reported the nature of menstrual discharge to be in the form of a mixture of fluid and clots. Interestingly, gynaecological problem was observed in all girls. Thefindings of this study would help health care professionals to devise future health care programs on menstrual health.
Open Access
Breastfeeding Practices in Tribal and Caste Population of West Bengal: A Comparative Study
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Mitra, Shreyosi; Ray, Subha
Breastfeeding has typically been studied as a discrete behaviour predicted by biological and social-cultural factors. The objectives of this study were to investigate into the pattern of and understand the knowledge and attitude of breastfeeding practices among the lactating mothers belonging to Bengali Hindu caste (BHC) and tribal groups. A total number of 167 lactating mothers were selected from Bengali Hindu caste population residing in the rural (100) and urban(40) areas of South and North 24 Parganas districts and from the tribal groups residing in rural areas (27) of Purulia district West Bengal. The selection of the study areas and of the participants was done on the basis of operational convenience. Data types include the time of initiation and duration of breastfeeding, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding, feeding colostrums and the knowledge and attitude of the mothers towards breastfeeding. Data on socio-economic information of the participants were taken as additional variable. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire. Trend in the results indicate that the practice of exclusive breastfeeding was lower in the Bengali Hindu caste population compared to the tribal population; feeding of colostrums is very common to the tribal mothers but not for their Bengali Hindu caste counterparts. Although the participants from both tribal and Bengali Hindu caste population were aware about the beneficial effect of breastfeeding, yet their attitude towards this behaviour varied widely.
Open Access
Resources and Livelihood Strategies of the Shompen: An Overview
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Dinda, Amitava; Chakraborty, Sumitabha
Understanding the variation of resources in the ‘aborigines’ life cycle in relation to optimal allocation of resources is the central concern of today’s life history theory. Now-a-days due to unrestrained human intervention, the ecosystems both terrestrial and marine are witnessing negative changes. For forest dwelling societies, who depend on the forest to fulfil bulk of their needs, these changes do not augur well of their future. Forest is an inseparable part of tribal life. Most of the tribal communities live in and around forests. The forests provide them with edible fruits and leaves, roots and tubers, honey, and water etc. The symbiotic relationship existing between the tribal people and the forests is not confined to the economic activities alone. This symbiotic relation depends upon the fulfilling the human needs without irreversibly damaging the recuperative capacity of ecosystem. For tribal communities the forest serves as the life support systems and they take all preventions against destruction of forest and forest wealth. The Shompen, a mongoloid tribe, inhabit in the Great Nicobar Island of the Nicobar group of islands. They are in semi nomadic stage and live in the interior forest of the Great Nicobar Island. Along with other means of subsistence, fishing is one of their main sources of livelihood what they practice in the traditional way by exploiting the forest ecology. As a member of ecosystem communities, the Shompen always tries to make optimum utilization of the sweet water fishes as well as marine water resources. The present study attempts to discuss about the availability of natural resources and their sustainable use by the Shompen in the realm of livelihood pattern. In addition, the study also tries to find out suitable strategies for sustainable development of the Shompen keeping in view the cultural integrity of the region, fragility of ecosystem, preservation of biological diversity and maintenance of life support system
Open Access
Rural-Urban Comparison of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Hypertension: A Study from West Bengal, India
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Das, Milon; Ghosh, Arnab
Objectives: Virtually no study has been under taken to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice for hypertension in people of Asian Indian origin. The present study was aimed to investigate and compare the knowledge, attitude and practice for hypertension in people living in two contrasting habitat- rural and urban. Methods: A total of 457 participants (227 individuals from rural area including 87 males and 140 females & 230 individuals from urban area including 97 males and 133 females) aged 30 to 80 years took part in the study. Socio-economic information as well as participants’ responses to hypertension was taken using a close ended schedule. Results: It was evident that not only urban people but rural people also had knowledge and attitude towards the causes and risk for hypertension however, only a small proportion of participants in both areas had right practice towards hypertension. Conclusion: Adequate public health initiatives including public awareness and healthy practice toward hypertension are utmost required to better comprehend the problem of hypertension in people of Asian Indian origin who genetically are predisposed to many cardiovascular disease risk factors including hypertension.
Open Access
Practice of Ethno-Medicine for Abortion and Anti-fertility among Tribals of Chhattisgarh
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Kolay, Swapan Kumar; Mahant, Sushila D.
India is a habitat of large number of indigenous tribals’ people. They are known as by their simple but unique life style. Inspite of their tradition, culture and identified social organisation, they have tremendous knowledge of herbal plants and its medicinal values. In many tribals communities’ sterilization is prohibited but they maintain birth between children by specific antifertility and abortificiant herbal medicine. Objective: By above background the aim of the research study is to find out the reasons by which traditional method of abortification and sterilization are prevalent among tribals’ communities, and to explore their knowledge about herbal plants which they used for antifertility and abortion. Methodology and Study Area: The method of data collection is based on secondary literature review and field work. Some selective tools like questionnaire, structured and semi structured schedule, focus group discussion had been used for acquiring data and knowledge from women, herbal healers and knowledgeable persons separately. In tribals’ areas, lots of state and central government programmes are working but the local people are not availing benefit from the institutions. So, typical tribals dominating block Bastar, Chhattisgarh, is selected for study. Result: The finding of the study reveals that the prevalence of poor institutional facility in tribals’ areas and superstitious believe on herbal healers, are the main reasons for the practicing of antifertility and abortificiant herbal medicine. The illiterate tribals have knowledge about the herbal plants but they don’t know about the pathological values and its effects on the patients. Sometimes this partial knowledge create dangerous for patients’ health. Conclusion: Herbal plant diversity is abundantly found in the forest of Bastar which needs to specify their medicinal uses and productive utilization. In this paper specific antifertility and abortificiant plants are documented. Thus, plant drugs used in the tribals and rural areas deserves detailed studies. The efficacy and safety of most of the traditional remedies of the tribals are required to be subjected to scientific verification particularly in chemical investigation.
Open Access
Conflict, Tension and Violation of Human Rights in West Bengal, India with Special Reference to Lalgarh, West Medinipur
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Biswas, Samar Kumar
The Marxist-based social theory argues that individuals and groups (social classes) within society have differing amounts of material and non-material resources (the wealthy vs. the poor) and that the more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit the groups with less powerful groups. In this regard, extreme level of inequality in all forms and in all fields such as economy, politics, religion, education, social etc. exist in the traditional Indian society since long and because of these, continuous conflicts, unhappiness between powerless poor/downtrodden people and powerful elites are reported. The prime aim of this article is to know the recent-past conflicts, abductions, killings, torturing, violation of basic human rights etc. that took place in West Bengal; and its effects on the development of local the people; and the reasons and interest behind those conflicts.
Open Access
Survive, Effectiveness and Entrepreneurship among the Marginal Urban Women of Purulia, West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Bhui, Sudip; Sao, Gourav
Urban population is becoming greater than rural population in coming few decades, in acquaintance of this urbanization, socio-economic elements of our population is going through a transition. Urban women have a liberal, flexible, prosperous setting in their habitation as well as socio-economic atmosphere. People of Purulia town still suffer from caste constrains like untouchabilities, permissive job providing, stigmatized identity in mass interactions in domestic sphere. Women of under this study area keep them active through Mahila Samiti, club memberships, workers union, ceremonial committees, and member of political parties. Their organized behaviors, decision making processes, multifaceted social status come under analysis to delve out the elements, innovations and instrumentalised skill for enhancing women entrepreneurship and welfare in general especially in Indian situation.
Open Access
Effect of Student Teacher Ratio on Class Time Management in Primary Schools of West Bengal: A Study based on Implementation of RTE, 2009, India
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Majumder, Arup
Education is the basic way for accelerating the human development process of a country. Under the sphere of education system, primary education gets the highest priority regarding itself as the base of formal education. Primary education in West Bengal, as all over the country, suffers from many deficiencies including problems of infrastructure, shortage of schools, shortage of teachers, the financial handicap of the parents, and so on. These deficiencies have long been recognised and formed part of the popular discourse on the shortcomings of primary education in the state. The student teacher ratio have been an effect on school management where the number of student is very low in number, but according to our Right to Education Act 2009, it have been clear by our general observation that the 30: 01 pupil teacher ratio (PTR) effect on the primary school in both rural and urban areas. In where, mainly two or three teachers primary school, situated in different parts of India as well as West Bengal. Directly or indirectly our educational system means student teacher ratio has been effect on school management. There are so many works which are very essential to do for a head teacher as well as teacher-in- charge to maintain the official works which are also effect on the class as well as the teaching learning process in a primary school. Beside this also effect on the student achievement, it is also leads to minimize the learning quality in a primary school. Mainly by this study we would try to understand the effect of student teacher ratio on the primary school management in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, according to Right to Education Act, 2009. On the basis of this background we would try to understand the original effect of Student teacher ratio on the primary level. The main objectives of this anthropological study were to know the effect of pupil teacher ratio in the maintenance the school daily time table, effects on the classroom management by the Head teacher/ Teacher in charge, to coordinating school management at the primary level as well as the student achievement. The study reveals that the pupil teacher ratio is important but number of teacher against each class is equally important for preserving and increasing the standard of the primary school education.
Open Access
The WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS)
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Debnath, Sampriti
The World Health Organization (WHO) Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) (1997-2003) was a community-based, multi-country project in collaboration with other institutions to formulate new growth references for infants and young children. This study was a combination of a longitudinal study and a cross-sectional study. The subjects had favourable socio-economic conditions to grow with low mobility. Other inclusion criteria were absence of health or environmental constraints on growth, absence of maternal smoking and breast fed children and adherence to the feeding recommendations by MGRS. Data was collected from 8,500 children from Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States of America. This study has published the standards which describe how healthy children should grow under optimal health and environmental condition. The growth charts formulated by the MGRS study are also known as WHO growth charts. The standards formulated by this study which are applicable to all the children worldwide irrespective of ethnicity, feeding practices and environmental diversity.