Economy, livelihood, and cultural continuity among the Birjia: An ethnographic study from Jharkhand
Social Science Journal for Advanced Research, 6(3), 98–104, 2026
Anthropology · Ethnography · Research
Vivek Kumar
Anthropologist | Researcher | PhD Scholar
I am an anthropologist and PhD scholar at the Department of Anthropology & Tribal Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi. My work engages Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural cognition through long-term qualitative ethnographic fieldwork among the Birjia community of Latehar district, Jharkhand.
Current Doctoral Research
“Cultural Cognition of Birjia: An Anthropological Study”
Doctoral research in progress (2021–present) at the Department of Anthropology & Tribal Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, under the supervision of Prof. Rabindranath Sarma. Supported by the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste (2023).
Research Interests
Areas of enquiry
- 01
Indigenous Knowledge Systems
How communities generate, transmit and safeguard knowledge about land, ecology, healing and craft outside formal institutions.
- 02
Cognitive Anthropology
Cultural models, classification, memory and reasoning — how shared conceptual structures shape everyday perception and practice.
- 03
Kinship & Marriage
Descent, alliance, terminology and the changing organisation of household and affinal relations.
- 04
Ethnography & Field Methods
Long-term participant observation, life histories, and reflexive approaches to writing culture.
- 05
Tribal & Indigenous Communities
Social organisation, livelihoods and continuity among Adivasi and Indigenous communities.
- 06
Economic Anthropology
Subsistence, exchange, labour, markets and value in non-industrial and transitional economies.
- 07
Material Culture
Objects, technology and craft as carriers of meaning, skill and social memory.
- 08
Indigenous Rights
Land, forest and cultural rights; representation, policy and advocacy.
- 09
Culture & Social Practices
Everyday practice, ritual and social life as the ground on which cultural meaning is made and sustained.
Selected Publications
Writing
कोरकू जनजाति का मौखिक इतिहास
वागर्थ (Vagartha), 18 June 2025, 2025
Deity Worship in Korku Tribe: An Anthropological Exploration
The Academic: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(6), 20–36, 2024
Academic Activities
Conferences & seminars
Deity worship, sacrifice, and religious syncretism as Indigenous knowledge among the Birjia of Jharkhand
Indian Anthropology Congress 2026, organised by INCAA with the Department of Anthropology and Centre for Study of Social Inclusion, Pondicherry University · Feb 2026
Indigenous Knowledge System Addressing Contemporary Issues and Global Challenges in Tribal and Indigenous Communities
World Anthropological Union Congress 2025 · Nov 2025
Death, Memory, and Heritage: Anthropology of Ancestral Worship and Funeral Custom in Present and Past
World Anthropological Union Congress 2025 · Nov 2025