This paper examines changes that have (and have not) occurred – at the village level in Karnataka where most or the state’s residents live, and at higher levels when they impinge upon villages – since 1972. Substantial changes have occurred on many (though certainly not all)...

This paper explores three important but interrelated issues: The power of example; the fragment as evidence; and finally, the field experience and the possibility of generalisation. These issues are central in the current discourse of social science practice in which serious doubts are being raised...

This essay attempts to look beyond the long-standing qualitative-quantitative tug of war in studying society. It takes as an example one approach, the case study, that often acts as a bridge between the positivist and interpretive epistemological positions. Arguing the case for more openness in...

This paper is written as a practical and accessible guide to some key issues in mixed methods research. It explores six broad strategies that can underpin the mixing of methods and linking of different forms of data, be they qualitative, quantitative, or spanning this divide. The paper outlines...

Obituary: Sharmila Rege (1964 to 2013)

What is the character of our cities? What are the attributes of inequalities and social exclusions in towns, metropolises and mega cities? How do urban structures and forms characteristic of pre capitalist cities of India reorganize itself as capitalist relations enter into these cities? What...

ASER 2005 is a citizen's assessment of the status of elementary education in rural India. Facilitated by Pratham, & executed by local groups in each district, it is the largest household survey on school education in India done by non-government bodies. ASER 2005 reached 332,971 children in...

Medical ethics did not become a recognized subject in the syllabus of Britain's medical schools until 1993. This Witness Seminar transcript records the development of international ethical codes, the response to them over the period 1963-93 by students and doctors and the extent of resistance...

There has been a clear change in the cultural milieu of the IT city Bangalore in the last few years. And while this may not be only due to the call centres that have sprouted providing high-paying jobs to thousands of young people, they are certainly a significant influence.

The present work builds on the affirmed desire of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) to be judged on both its scientific rigor and the policy implications that the Commission’s work will generate. It contributes to the general discussion on the social determinants of...