Akhil Gupta Books

This definitive study integrates recent critiques of development and postcolonial studies to examine the implications of the postcolonial condition for rural populations in the Third World. Focusing on local agricultural practices in India since the 1960s “green revolution,” the author challenges the binary of “developed” versus “underdeveloped” and critiques the idea of a singular postcolonial experience. This work advances the discourse on modernity in the Third World and proposes a new framework for ethnographic research. Based on fieldwork in Alipur, rural north India, from the early 1980s to the 1990s, the study critiques post–World War II development policies and explores the concept of the “indigenous” in various contexts. It begins by analyzing the interplay between the global food economy, transnational capital, and technological advancements in wheat production. The author also investigates village politics in Alipur, revealing how specific discourses shaped governmental policies regarding the green revolution. By connecting village life to national and global dynamics, the study discusses the ramifications of environmentalism, particularly in light of the Rio Earth Summit, and how global treaties may adversely impact subaltern communities. Through nuanced observations on rural politics, nationalism, gender, and modernization, this innovative work draws from diverse fields, including anthropology, sociology, and poli

Among the social sciences, anthropology relies most fundamentally on "fieldwork"―the long-term immersion in another way of life as the basis for knowledge. In an era when anthropologists are studying topics that resist geographical localization, this book initiates a long-overdue discussion of the political and epistemological implications of the disciplinary commitment to fieldwork.These innovative, stimulating essays―carefully chosen to form a coherent whole―interrogate the notion of "the field," showing how the concept is historically constructed and exploring the consequences of its dominance. The essays discuss anthropological work done in places (in refugee camps, on television) or among populations (gays and lesbians, homeless people in the United States) that challenge the traditional boundaries of "the field." The contributors suggest alternative methodologies appropriate for contemporary problems and ultimately propose a reformation of the discipline of anthropology.