Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Dr C.J. Sonowal

Assistant Professor
Mumbai Campus, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies

Qualification

M.Sc., Ph.D. (Dibrugarh)

Contact

moina[at]tiss[dot]ac[dot]in

Email:

moina@tiss.ac.in

chunuda@yahoo.com

Phone: 91-22-25525354

Mobile: 9987521466

Orcid-id: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8717-1480

Twitter: @sonowalcjs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonowalcj/

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cj-Sonowal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandra-jyoti-72285971/

I have a Master's degree from Dibrugarh University, Assam, with a specialisation in Advanced Social and Cultural Anthropology.
Worked as an Assistant Research Officer in the Directorate of Cultural Research in Arunachal Pradesh.
Qualified UGC NET in 1991 for JRF and Lecturership.
Received Ph. D. from Dibrugarh University, Department of Anthropology on "Gender Relationship among the Tribes" in 1996.
Joined TISS in the year 1992 as a Lecturer in the Unit for Child and Youth Research.
Worked as an Associate Professor in the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies from 2011 to 2021 in TISS.
Worked as a Professor in IIPS, Mumbai from 2021 to 2023.
Selected as a Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies, Tezpur Central University, Assam.
Presently attached to the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies.

Primary research interests are:

Tribes and issues related to tribes that include:

Identity and Ethnicity among the tribes.
culture and religion among the tribes.
socio-political movements among the tribes.
Tribal development and issues of Autonomy and self-determination.
Health issues of tribal people.
Gender and violence against women among the tribes.

Books:

Gender System among the Sonowal Kacharis. Raj Publishing House, 2000.
Quest for Identity, Autonomy and Development: Contemporary Trends in Ethnic and Tribal Assertion in Assam. Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2010, Volume-1.
Quest for Identity, Autonomy and Development: Contemporary Trends in Ethnic and Tribal Assertion in Assam. Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2010, Volume-2
Religion and Ethnic Reconstruction among the Tribes of Northeast India. Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2013.
Tribal Women in Oral Tradition. Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2014.
Medical Anthropology. Analyzing Health Issues among Tea Tribes of Assam. Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2018.
Social Exclusion: A Discourse on Tribal Societies in Assam, Akansha Publishing House, Delhi, 2020.
Anthropological Investigation in Contemporary India: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Edited, Orange Books Publishers, Ranchi, 2024.
Rural Transformation in Tribal Domain - A Critical Analysis. Notions Books, Chennai

Articles and Chapters etc: (Selected ones only):

Spousal Violence among Tribal Societies in Northeast India: Analysing Through the Lens of Gender Subordination and Women's Empowerment. Violence Against Women, Sage Journal.
Does the Extent of Child Marriage vary with Religious Affiliation? An Analysis in Hindu and Muslim Communities. Journal of Family Issues, Sage Journal.
Ageing and Elderly Health in Indigenous Cultures: Researching the Perspectives and Realities. Studies on Ethno‑Medicines.
Nutritional Health of Tribal Children in India: Bridging Cultural Perceptions and Objective Assessments. Studies on Ethno‑Medicines.
Marginalised social group differentials in nutritional status (BMI) among reproductive-aged women in West Bengal. May 2023, BMC Public Health 23(842):2-18, DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15635-6.
Sonowal, C.J. (2023). The Th
reat of Self-Identity to a Sonowal Kachari and Some Humour (In Assamese). In, Kusum Sonowal Saikia and Umesh C. Sonowal (Eds.), The Bulletin of Sonowal Kachari Sahitya Sabha, The Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, Govt. of Assam, Dibrugarh, Pp. 106-137.
Sonowal, C.J. (2023). Religious Conversion and Emancipation of Untouchables: Gandhiʼs View, Ambedkarʼs Action and Beyond. Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 1‑13, DOI: 10.1177/2455328X231198672, (online first).
Sonowal, C.J. (2023). Problems and Prospects of Writing Indigenous History of Sonowal Kacharis. In, Ratan Hazarika and R. Saikia Sonowal (Eds.), Sonowal Sambhar, Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, govt. Of Assam, Pp. 26‑45.
Sonowal, C.J. (2022). Tribal Hinduism Contested: An Auto‑ethnography of Sonowal Kacharis (Tribal) of Assam. Bulletin of the Department of Anthropology, Dibrugarh University. (Golden Jubilee Edition), Vol. 50: 32-53.
Sonowal, C.J. (2022). Rural Transformation and the Changing Ecology of Tribal Domain: A Study among the Tribes in Assam, India. Journal of Human Ecology, 9(1‑3): 21‑33.
Sonowal, C.J. (2022). Investigating the Process of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies: A Research Study Guideline with Special Reference to Tribes of Assam. In, M. Talukdar and A Baruah (Eds.), Current Research Trend: A Multidisciplinary Bouquet, DHSK College, Dibrugarh, Pp. 1‑16.
Sonowal, C.J. (2022). Changing Trends in Livelihood in Tribal Domain of Assam: An analysis of Census data. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention,11(4): 65‑77.
Sonowal, C.J. (2021). Religious Pluralism Among the Navayana Buddhist Women: A Study in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India. Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 1–11 (August, 2021) (Online First).
Sonowal, C.J. (2021). Use of Anthropological Knowledge in Rural Transformation in Tribal Domain: Some Contextual and Methodological Issues with Special Reference to Assam. In: Sarthak Sengupta and Juri Borah (Eds.), Socio‑Cultural Contours of North‑East India, Mittal Publications, New Delhi, Pp. 55‑82.
Sonowal, C.J. (2021). Mythology, Cultural Expansionism and Nation Building in India: An Anthropological Interpretation. In: N.K. Gogoi and M. Sharma (eds.), Indiaʼs North East: Contribution of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Dibrugarh University, Pp. 47‑70.
Sonowal, C.J. (2021). Disease Burden, Health‑belief and Treatment‑seeking Behaviour among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of India. Studies on Ethno‑Medicine, 1‑2): 60‑73.
Sonowal, C.J. (2020). Uranium Mining and Public Health Issues: Reassessing the Contention between Scientific Evidence and People's Experience in Jadugoda, Jharkhand, India. Journal of the Social Sciences, 48(4): 426‑435.
Sonowal, C.J. (2020). Tuberculosis Burden in the Tea Gardens of Assam: A Discussion on the Risk Factors and Social Determinants. Studies on Ethno‑Medicines, 14(1‑3):119‑138.
Sonowal, C.J. (2020). Sustainability of Fishing as a Caste‑Based Traditional Occupation: An Analysis of Studies on the Kaibartas of Assam, India. Journal of Human Ecology, 72(1‑3): 60‑76.
Sonowal, C.J. (2020). Indigenous Knowledge System of Tribal People: A Need‑Based Plan of Investigation and Some Instances from Assam, India. Journal of the Social Sciences, 48(4): 1443‑1455.
Sonowal, C.J. (2020). Community Involvement in Forest Management: A Social Analysis of Joint Forest Management in Maharashtra, India. Journal of Human Ecology, 72(1‑3): 148‑166.
Sonowal, C.J. (2019). Social Movements: Concepts, Genesis, Theories and Some Instances. In Sarthak Sengupta (ed)., Social Movements in Northeast India, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, Pp 17‑52.
Sonowal, C.J. (2019). Revisiting the domain of Oral Tradition and Folklore among the Tribes of Northeast India. In: Sarthak Sengupta (ed.), Dimension of Anthropological Research in Northeast India, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, Pp. 27‑54.
Sonowal, C.J. (2018). Revisiting the Status of Tribal Women: Deconstructing Matriliny among the Khasis. In, Sarthak Sengupta (ed.), Anthropology in North East India, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, Pp 197‑222.
Sonowal, C.J. (2018). Revisiting the Domain of Ethno‑Medicine: Some Issues and Methods. In: Sarthak Sengupta (ed)., Indigenous Health Practices among the People of North‑East India, Kalpaz Publication, Pp 29‑44.
Sonowal, C.J. (2017). History of Religion of Indigenous Population of Brahmaputra Valley. In S. Sengupta (ed), Contemporary Anthropological Research in Eastern and Northeastern India, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, Pp. 115-137.
Sonowal, C.J. (2014). Women in tribal societies” a reading material written for IGNOU in anthropology (block vi: social stratification and gender; unit- 5: women in tribal societies)
Sonowal, C.J. (2014). Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies: A Methodological Issue in Studying Tribes in Assam. In A. Chandra (Ed.), Indigenous Population and Social Exclusion in India, New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House.
Sonowal, C.J. (2014). Forest Villages in Assam. In S. Sengupta (ed), Exploration in Anthropology of Northeast India, Gyan Publishing House, Delhi, Pp. 113-135.
Sonowal, C.J. (2014). Autonomy without being Autonomous: The Fate of Much-Hyped Dreams of the Lesser Groups. In A. Sarmah (Ed.), Democracy and Diversity in North East India, Guwahati: DVS Publishers.
Sonowal, C.J. (2014). Anthropology in North-east India: an Insider's View. INCAA Bulletin, Pp. 2-9.
Sonowal, C.J. (2011). The Democracy of Exclusion of Tribal India through Inclusive Policies, The Eastern Anthropologist, 64(4): 383–394.
Sonowal, C.J. (2010). Transition of Gender System Through Time and Space: Case Study of a Tribal Group in Assam, India, Global Journal of Human Social Sciences, 10(4): 16-28.
Sonowal, C.J. (2010). Factors Affecting the Nutritional Health of Tribal Children in Maharashtra, Studies on Ethno-Medicine, 4(1): 21-36.
Sonowal, C.J. (2009). Politics of Immigration, Resentment and Threat to National Integrity: A Political Discourse on Assam, India, Icfai University Journal of International Relations, 3(2): 51-70.
Sonowal, C.J. (2009). Environmental Education in Schools: The Indian Scenario. Journal of Human Ecology, 28(1): 15-36.
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Indian Tribes and Issue of Social Inclusion and Exclusion, Studies of Tribes and Tribals. 6(2): 123-134.
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Entrepreneurship Development: A Study Among the Tribes of Assam, In R. Satyanarayana (Ed), Tribal Rights: A Praxis. Amicus Books, ICFAI University Press, Hyderabad, pp: 230-268.
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Entrepreneurship Development: A Case Study Among the Tribes of Assam, The Icfai Journal of History and Culture, 2(2).
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: A Study among the Mishing Tribes of Assam, Man in India, 80 (4): 529-546.
Sonowal, C.J. (2007). Tradition Vs Transition: Acceptance of Health care Systems among the Santhals of Orissa, Studies on Ethno-Medicine, 1(2): 135-146.
Sonowal, C.J. (2007). Demographic Transition of Tribal People in Forest Villages of Assam, Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 5(1): 47-58.
Sonowal, C.J. (2003). Radiation and Tribal Health in Jadugoda: The Contention Between Science and Sufferings. Stud. Tribes Tribals, 1(2): 111-126.
Sonowal, C.J. (2000). Child Rearing Practices and Gender Roles: A Case Study Among the Sonowal Kacharis of Dibrugarh, Assam. Indian Anthropologist, 30: 37‑46.
Sonowal, C.J. (1998). Tribal Situation in Dadra and Nagar Haveli: Development and Transition. Journal of Human Ecology, 9: 249‑255.
Sonowal, C.J. (1997). Declining Youth Dormitory: A Case of Culture Change among the Adis of Arunachal Pradesh 1997 In K.C. Mahanta (ed.) Peoples of the Himalayas: Ecology, Development, Culture and Change: Kamla-Raj Enterprises, Delhi. Pp. 307-316.
Sonowal, C.J. (1995). Identity crisis and revivalism among the Sonowal Kacharis: a plain tribe of Assam. Man in India, 75: 49‑58.
Sonowal, C.J. (1995). Forest Villages in Assam: Continued Ghettoisation. Economics and Political Weekly, 32: 2441‑2443.
Sonowal, C.J. (1994). Rites of Passage and Gender Roles among the Deoris and the Sonowal Kacharis. Journal of the Indian Anthropological Society, 29: 239‑245.

Book Reviews published in IJSW, TISS:

Sonowal, C.J. (2009). Empowerment of Women and Ecological Development, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Victims of Social Injustice: A Study of Women Landless Labourers, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2008). Participatory Local Social Development: An Emerging Discipline, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2005). The right to development: A primer, centre for development and human rights, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2004). Towards Comprehensive Women's Health Programmes and Policy, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2003). Child labour and the right to education in South Asia: Needs versus rights? IJSW, (Book review).
Sonowal, C.J. (2001). Against child labour: Indian and international dimension and strategies IJSW, (Book Review), 2001.
Sonowal, C.J. (2001). Tribal policy in India, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (1999). Blue Mountain Revisited: Cultural Studies on the Nilgiri Hills, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (1998). Village, caste, gender and method: Essays in Indian social anthropology, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (1997). The problem of changes: A study of North‑east India, IJSW, (Book Review).
Sonowal, C.J. (1997). Highlanders of northwestern Himalayas, IJSW, (Book Review).

Articles Reviewed as an External Reviewer for various Journals: Verified and Recorded in Publons:

(2023). Strengthening the Healthcare Workforce for Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria: Lessons and Strategies. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health.
(2023). Some of Indigenous Technical Knowledge Practices Practiced in Barak Valley Zone of Assam with Special Reference to Animal Husbandry, Plant Protection and Fish Capturing Techniques. Applied Biological Research.
(2023). Relationship Between Profile Characteristics of Televiewing Farmers and Effectiveness of Farm Broadcast Programmes in Andhra Pradesh State of India. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Protection and Conservation of Lakes in India: Legal Discourse with Reference to Wetland Rules 2017. South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics.
(2023). Present Practices and Constraints of Juice and Gur Production from Date Palm Trees in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Marketing Pattern of Orange Cultivation in Wokha District of Nagaland, India. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Livestock Rustling Versus Agriculture: A Threat to Sustainable Provision of Agricultural Products and Livelihood of the Farmers in Nigeria. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Impact of NFSM on income and productivity in Adilabad district of Telangana. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Evaluation and Performance of Integrated Crop Management in Chilli in Rainfed Tracts of Prakasam District. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change.
(2023). Challenges and Problems to Implement Policy in Bangladesh. Advances in Research.
(2023). Awareness and Utilization of Various Weather Based Advisory Services in the Western Zone of Tamil Nadu. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Assessment of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices (CSAP) Adopted by Crop Farmers in Adapting to Climate Change and Environmental Issues in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
(2023). A Study on Awareness of Extension Personnel About Use of Digital Marketing Applications. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology.
(2023). Ungoverned Highlands to Contested Space: The Changing Dynamics of Nationalization Discourse in Arunachal Pradesh. Asian Ethnicity.
(2023). Social Status of Sericulture Enterpriser in Solapur District of Maharashtra. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Psychological Research Progress in Lung Cancer Patients. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health.
(2023). Effects of Indigenous Farming Practices on Maize Production in Ondo State, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2023). Contribution of New Rice for Africa (nerica) Farming on Livelihood Security of Smallholder Households in Migori, Kenya. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). Varietal Evaluation of Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema Grandiflora T.) Under Open Field Conditions of Prayagraj. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science.
(2022). Utilization Pattern of E-resources, Problems and Suggestions By the Post-graduate Students of Rvskvv, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). Relationship Between Health Status and Quality of Life Among Elderly Widow Women. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). Prosecuting Orphanage Trafficking in Nepal. Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond.
(2022). From Parasitic Feudalism to Responsible Hierarchy: the Emergence of a “Political” Vocabulary among the Sora of Tribal India. HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory.
(2022). Evaluation of Strawberry (Fragaria X Ananassa Duch.) Cultivars for Growth, Flowering and Fruiting Behavior Under Farmer’s Field Condition (Baadi) in the Chhattisgarh Plain Region. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology.
(2022). Constraints Faced By the Tribal People in the Bio-diversity Conservation of Eastern Ghats. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Adaptation Strategies in Shashogo District, Hadiya Zone, South Ethiopia. Uttar Pradesh Journal Of Zoology.
(2022). Attitude of Farmers on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in Tumkur District of Karnataka. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). The Aspects of Changing Livelihood in an Emerging Semi-Urban Area: A Study in Assam. International Social Science Journal.
(2022). Garrett Ranking Analysis for Constraints Faced By Selected ICTs Based Agristart-ups in Effective Functioning. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). An Appraisal of Traditional Rice Cultivation in Kerala, India. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2022). Agronomic Practices Followed By Farmers in Order to Attain Maximum Yield. Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research.
(2021). Profile Analysis of Tribal Farmers of Vidarbha Region. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
(2021). Forest Exploitations and Forest Management for Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria. International Journal of Forestry and Wood Science.
(2021). Changes in Incidence of Morbidities of Children and its Determinants in Northeast India. Demography India.
(2021). The Mundas: an Ethnic Community in the Southwest Coastal Region of Bangladesh: Buno/kuli/Sarna/Horoko, Indigenous People During the British Period Coming from Ranchi. Cogent Environmental Science.
(2021). Social inclusion of migrant workers in a pandemic: Employing consumer vulnerability lens to internal Indian migrant experience. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
(2021). First Nation Peoples’ Nutrition and Exercise Group Programs: Sonowal, C.J. (2021). Transforming an Understanding of Success Through the Lifeworld. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being.
(2020). Restructuring Institutional Care: Challenges and Coping Measures for Children and Caregivers in the Post-COVID-19 Era. Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond.
(2020). Assessment of Child Malnutrition and Poverty in Pakistan. Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports.
(2020). A Survey of Health-Seeking Behaviour of Residents in Two Local Government Areas in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health.

Research Projects undertaken:
1. Reconstructing the Ethnic History of Sonowal Kacharis of Assam. The Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, Government of Assam.
2. Gender Subordination and Women's Empowerment as the Determinants of Violence Against Women among Tribal Societies in Northeast Indian States- an analysis of NFHS-5 data. Funded by IIPS, Mumbai internal Funding.
3. A Study of Women Domestic Workers amid the COVID-19 Related Lockdown: A Combination of Literature Review and Field Study on the Problems of Women Domestic Workers Working in Navi‑Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sponsored by Research Council, TISS.
4. Problems and Prospects of Rural Transformation among the Tribes in Assam. Sponsored by the MHRD under the IMPRESS programme and administered by ICSSR.
5. Socio-Anthropological Study of Gowari Community of Maharashtra (Co-Researcher as an Anthropologist). Funded by Tribal Development Department, Govt. of Maharashtra. (2020).
6. Health and Treatment-seeking behaviour among the Tea Garden workers in Assam, with special reference to the incidence of TB. Sponsored by Research Council, TISS.
7. Situating Violence against Women within the Gender system among the Tribes of North East India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya). Sponsored by the ICSSR Research Programme.
8. Investigating the process of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies among the Tribes of Assam. ICSSR, Major Research Project.
9. Social Analysis of Joint Forest Management and National Afforestation Programme Scheme in Maharashtra. Sponsored by the Research Council, TISS.
10. Administration of Forest Villages and Tribal Situation in Assam. Sponsored by the Research Council, TISS.
11. Factors Affecting the Health of Tribal Children in Maharashtra. Sponsored by the Research Council, TISS.
12. Environmental Orientation to School Education: An Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Programme by Government of India. Sponsored by the Department of Education, MHRD, GOI.
13. Problems and Prospects of Entrepreneurship Development among the Tribal Youth in Assam. Sponsored by BRS, TISS.
14. Problems of youth in forest villages: A study in Dibrugarh district, Assam. Sponsored by BRS, TISS.
15. Youth Dormitory and Enculturation Process among the Adis of Arunachal Pradesh. Sponsored by BRS, TISS.

Teaching:

Tribal Movement in India
Development Issues among Tribes
Research Methodology (qualitative).
Basic Foundations of Sociology and Social Anthropology.

M. Phil Guidance:

30 Students received MPhil under my guidance

PhD Guidance:

7 Researchers Received PhD under my Supervision
7 Research Students are pursuing PhD under my guidance.

M.A. Research Guidance:

Supervised more than 50 MA students in their Research Dissertations.