Understanding Nature Of Poverty In Isolated Communities: A Study on Implications of Isolation Induced Poverty in Fishing Communities of Kerala

Abstract

The central tendencies of social indices that are associated with the population of Kerala often deceptively represent the outlier communities—the fishing community and the adivasis. The significance that fish and fisheries demand in the socio-cultural foundations of the society has not translated into economic benefits for the fishing community. They have been excluded from the mainstream economic and socio-cultural progress, owing to them, inter-alia, living on the fringes of the land mass, dependent on common property resources, akin to the adivasis who resort to the forested habitats. The study attempts to unveil the structures that perpetuate their social isolation and penury utilizing an intersectionality analysis that focuses on the interplay of space, religiosity and gender in the community. The paper also endeavors to analyze the social welfare components for the fisher folk community operationalizing the National Policy on Marine Fisheries and the websites of .organizations striving to uplift the community. In order to address these objectives, the paper adheres to qualitative research methods and presents an ontological framework illustrating a comprehensive picture of the fishing community.