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India has a long-standing tradition of village studies. Within this tradition, observation of the same village or villages over long periods of time has a special place, because it highlights the transformation of economic systems and social structures in rural areas.

The essays in this volume examine the challenges and outcomes of such longitudinal research from a variety of angles. They address three broad themes: the first concerns the method and conceptual framework of longitudinal village studies; the second shows how wide and integrated accounts of particular villages can improve understanding of both economy and society; and the third explores particular topics in some detail, including production structures, land, labour, gender, and migration, within this broader framework.

By bringing together these different contributions, the book aims to illustrate the range of analytical and policy issues that can be addressed in such long-term studies; highlights the problems and potentials of the longitudinal method; and encourages more work in this tradition.