Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 3(11), pp. 598 - 607
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.031104
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'Unheard Voices of Van Gujjar Women': A Thematic Analysis of Coping Patterns by Women in the Context of Sedentarization among Himalayan Pastoralists

Rubina Nusrat ^*
Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia University, India

ABSTRACT

The Van Gujjars families migrating to the Alpine pastures today face the same fate of being the ‘victims of conservation'. It started in the forest of foothills at the beginning of the 1990s with Rajaji National Park, but during the last decade most of the summer pastureland in the upper ranges has also been converted into national parks, global heritage sites or sanctuaries. Apart from National parks, Van Gujjars elsewhere had the right to graze their animals in parts of the forest against a fixed grazing fee. But now some forests are being closed by the implementation of Joint Forest Management Programmes. This Paper is based on a mixed research in which the quantitative aspect aimed at identifying the factors and levels of women empowerment before and after sedentarization through a Women empowerment Index. Qualitative research aimed to explore perspectives of young women from Gujjar community in terms of patterns of coping in their sedentarized life. Narratives of women presented a sense of collectivism and identification with issues and concerns of other Gujjars in terms of an identity of victimhood and a sense of being marginalized and socially excluded. Following patterns of coping emerged from narratives: Use of existing resources, Women as Livestock owners and managers, Women as Leaders in Migration, Work Participation and status of women, Women as Builders of Asset base, Gujjar women- the Natural resource managers, Coping through normalizing and acceptance, Coping in social matters and Assurance for moneylenders.

KEYWORDS
Van Gujjar, Women Empowerment, Sedentarization, Coping Patterns

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Rubina Nusrat , "'Unheard Voices of Van Gujjar Women': A Thematic Analysis of Coping Patterns by Women in the Context of Sedentarization among Himalayan Pastoralists," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 3, No. 11, pp. 598 - 607, 2015. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.031104.

(b). APA Format:
Rubina Nusrat (2015). 'Unheard Voices of Van Gujjar Women': A Thematic Analysis of Coping Patterns by Women in the Context of Sedentarization among Himalayan Pastoralists. Sociology and Anthropology, 3(11), 598 - 607. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.031104.