A Study on variation in nature of participation in work by younger and elderly Bodo tribal farm women of Assam

Ms.Bijoylaxmi Bhuyan; Dr. Indira Barua; Dr. Deepanjana D.Das

Volume : IV, Issue : VI, June - 2015

A Study on variation in nature of participation in work by younger and elderly Bodo tribal farm women of Assam

Ms. Bijoylaxmi Bhuyan, Dr. Indira Barua, Dr. Deepanjana D. Das

Abstract :

Women in Assam, especially the rural people comprising of various communities are bounded by different customs and traditions and women take an active role in its preservations and help to transmit it from generation to generation. They perform the traditional roles of household and community management governed by socio–cultural aspects unique to each community. This rural population is mostly agriculturist and it is the base of their socio–economic security. An ordinary Bodo farm woman is the main player to sustain life activities at home, farm and animal husbandry like all other of her genre. Standard anthropological methods, personal interview and observations were used to elicit information from 500 randomly selected samples belonging to two age groups to see their variation in nature of participation in different activities with respect to age. The farmwomen were divided purposively and were categorized as younger (25–45 years) and elderly group (46–65 years) for the convenience of the present study. All together 250 respondents in each of the two age groups who were actively involved in household, farm and allied activities were purposively selected. A combined method of study was designed involving both qualitative and quantitative technique. Results show that performance frequency score of some activities were higher in younger group compared to elderly. Difficulty score of the two groups was almost similar for same type of activities. Time spent pattern was different. Involvement of elderly group was less compared to younger in home and farm activities but in allied activities involvement of the former group was comparatively higher. Systematic analysis of various aspects of performing a particular type of work helps to evolve easier and better means of doing work to create work simplification and higher efficiency. Economic quantification of involvement of younger and elderly respondents in home, farm and allied activities in terms of mandays spent amounted to Rs. 5,911.83 and Rs. 4190.66 per month respectively. Calculation of man–days helped to understand the incognito economic contribution of this section of population.