The Green Revolution and cultural change in a Punjab village, 1965-1978
Leaf, M.J.
Economic Development and Cultural Change 31(2): 227-270
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-0079 DOI: 10.2307/1153479Document Number: 392342
The article describes the main features of the Green Revolution in a Punjabi village (in India) between 1965 and 1978. A study conducted in 1965 shows that there were six distinct general cultural systems in the village, systems of conceptualized objects and related practices. The villagers used these six systems to define their most widely recognized interests and relations. These systems are: ecology, division of labour, economy, kinship, Sikh religion, and political parties. The article reviews how these systems have changed during these years, in order to determine the costs and benefits of the Green Revolution in the area. The gains have been real in both ecological and economic terms, despite inflation, and have been accompanied by increased equity and political stability in the village.