Pattern of Consumption in Rural Bengal:Continuity and Change

This book is based on a research study conducted in the district of Birbhum of West Bengal, India. The study was conducted in four villages from two CD Blocks of the district. The district Birbhum is one of the backward districts of West Bengal and the economy is totally dependent on agriculture and allied activities. The regional disparity in terms of occupation, literacy rate, communication, availability of market and other facilities, soil fertility, irrigation facilities make a huge difference in the changing pattern of consumption expenditure incurred by the sample households. In this book I have tried to explain how a village is changing with time. How villagers became accustomed with the modern amenities and facilities and how they have been changing their livelihood. In some of the cases it is the impact of globalisation and in some of the cases the modern amenities entered in to the villages with their necessity – to run their livelihood properly. These changes even helped to change the rural economy. On the other hand there are some unchanged legacy already exist in the rural areas – like illiteracy, health indicators, gender inequality.