MACMILLAN The Political Economy of Uneven Rural Development: Case of the Nonfarm Sector in Kerala, India

The book shows how class relations develop and is a consequence of capitalist development of the rural non-agricultural/non-farm sector (RNFS)---seen as the dialectical relation between the forces and relations of production---as mediated by the state, which produces uneven social and spatial outcomes. Central to the framework for this book are four inter-related conceptual building blocks or themes: social relations of production, productive forces, role of the state and concrete development outcomes of capitalist production in RNFS in the context of class and non-class relations of oppressions. These four conceptual themes follow a logical sequence where each concept evolve in specific contexts within the RNFS; while connected to each other in a dialectical manner; and come together to form the central argument of the book. Review “Sudarshana Bordoloi’s book is a very good addition to the study of the rural nonfarm sector, a relatively neglected field, even when the global South is predominantly rural. It is a great contribution to Kerala studies, and will be of interest to readers across disciplines: geography, development studies, economics, sociology, and political science. It strikingly describes the challenges of equitable development that could be faced even by a much-lauded social and human development model. The book marries theoretical rigour with rich empirical detail from extensive fieldwork. Its major contribution is to bring a class analysis back to the study of the rural nonfarm sector, and simultaneously, integrate it with non-class dimensions like gender and caste. At a time, when neoliberal capitalism has become the dominant economic ideology across the globe, this book must be read beyond those studying Kerala, or India.” (Nissim Mannathukkaren, Associate Professor, International Development Studies, Dalhousie University, Canada) From the Back Cover The book shows how class relations develop and is a consequence of capitalist development of the rural nonagricultural/nonfarm sector (RNFS)---seen as the dialectical relation between the forces and relations of production---as mediated by the state, which produces uneven social and spatial outcomes. Central to the framework for this book are four interrelated conceptual building blocks or themes: social relations of production, productive forces, role of the state and concrete development outcomes of capitalist production in RNFS in the context of class and non-class relations of oppressions. These four conceptual themes follow a logical sequence where each concept evolve in specific contexts within the RNFS; while connected to each other in a dialectical manner; and come together to form the central argument of the book. About the Author Sudarshana Bordoloi is an Assistant Professor of Geography at Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA. Prior to joining Minnesota State University, Mankato, she was employed as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at St Cloud State University, Minnesota from 2014 to 2018. Dr. Bordoloi graduated with a PhD in Geography from York University, in Toronto, Canada.