RiverSTEPS analyses the different ecologies and social relations from the Western Ghats down to the Bay of Munnar. It explores the riverine identities of the inhabitants of the twin cities Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai along the river benches of the Thamirabarani in Tamil Nadu. Riverine identities examine the relation different people maintain to the river and the land, as it shapes the way they see the world and react to it. We analyze the different social meanings, economic usages and ecological relations from the source at the ridge to the river’s delta joining the ocean. Thus we are able to connect material relations to social structure as well as reflect on its institutional consequences. By this, we show the potential of grounded concepts to link analysis and the potential for action.
More: https://www.sobi.uni-passau.de/en/southeast-asian-studies/research/riversteps