a book about us - Tamil-Brahmans-Making-Middle-Class-Caste

[kunjuppu]

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google preview gives 19 or so pages and then some pages towards the end. I felt, after reading those available pages, that the book is not about Tamil Brahmins but is a meandering account of brahmins in different parts of India, or some such thing. Does not look worth the high price!

sangom, this is more an academic anthropoligic book, than a novel like narrative. chances are that it is filled with graphs and fact findings, interspersed with some family anecdotes. on the whole, i think, it will have a text book like dullness, which only the dedicated scholar might approve.

after reading the introduction, i am not curious to proceed further.

 

[mskmoorthy]

While looking for reviews of the book mentioned in the thread, I stumbled on to this "academic" paper titled "Confrontation and Compromise Middle-Class Matchmaking in Twenty-First Century South India" by Nicole Wilson. Here is a ink to that paper
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/4267

Abstract:
During my fifteen-month stay in the suburbs of Madurai, Tamilnadu, South
India, I was privileged to witness the complicated process of marriage alliance
matchmaking for several Tamil youth, including Radhika Narayanan, a
twenty-one-year-old Tamil Brahmin girl and close friend, as well as another
bride-to-be, Priya. Using conversations with Radhika, her family members,
and her friends, as well as data extrapolated from participant observation in
both Radhika’s and Priya’s matrimonial events, this article uses the multitudinous
modes of matchmaking employed by both women’s families to investigate
the complexity and delicate balance inherent in contemporary matchmaking
among middle-class Tamils and India’s burgeoning middle classes. In highlighting
the confrontations between materialism and morality, neocolonialism
and nationalism, and individualism and filial piety that lie at the heart of
middle-class matchmaking, this ethnographic examination will provide insight
into the world views and lifestyles belonging to and shaping one of the most
powerful segments of our global community.
keywords: middle class—matchmaking—south Ind

If you ike this artice you can also read a brief summary of her report in page 10 of this South Asian report
https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/moynihan/sac/Newsletter2010.pdf

 

[Raji Ram]

......... In my post # 11, in my response to Chandru, I hinted at this as I too read the abridged version.. Chandruji should be happy that it is after all a story of an Iyer

Come on Ganesh! You should have guided us how to read it! :ranger:

Chandru Sir will be more unhappy because the cover has a TK Iyengar instead of Vadama Iyer!!

FYI, my brother in law said that Vadama Iyers put chandhanam like crescent moon on the forehead to differentiate from others!

He follows it till date!

 

[Raji Ram]

google preview gives 19 or so pages and then some pages towards the end. ........!

Yes Sir.

I mentioned about the number of pages in introduction as 11.

To be exact, 1 to 12 missing the 10th page.

 

[Raji Ram]

.......... after reading the introduction, i am not curious to proceed further.

Hope the e book sellers don't read this thread!

 

[krish44]

While looking for reviews of the book mentioned in the thread, I stumbled on to this "academic" paper titled "Confrontation and Compromise Middle-Class Matchmaking in Twenty-First Century South India" by Nicole Wilson. Here is a ink to that paper
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/4267

Abstract:
During my fifteen-month stay in the suburbs of Madurai, Tamilnadu, South
India, I was privileged to witness the complicated process of marriage alliance
matchmaking for several Tamil youth, including Radhika Narayanan, a
twenty-one-year-old Tamil Brahmin girl and close friend, as well as another
bride-to-be, Priya. Using conversations with Radhika, her family members,
and her friends, as well as data extrapolated from participant observation in
both Radhika’s and Priya’s matrimonial events, this article uses the multitudinous
modes of matchmaking employed by both women’s families to investigate
the complexity and delicate balance inherent in contemporary matchmaking
among middle-class Tamils and India’s burgeoning middle classes. In highlighting
the confrontations between materialism and morality, neocolonialism
and nationalism, and individualism and filial piety that lie at the heart of
middle-class matchmaking, this ethnographic examination will provide insight
into the world views and lifestyles belonging to and shaping one of the most
powerful segments of our global community.
keywords: middle class—matchmaking—south Ind

If you ike this artice you can also read a brief summary of her report in page 10 of this South Asian report
https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/moynihan/sac/Newsletter2010.pdf

thank you msk sir

read with lot of interest .

one finds lots of research students these days producing work related to tamil brahmin community,their living styles, worship, marriage practices guided by foreign professors.
however very few indians professors take any interest in such subjects though young scholars of indian origin work on such subjects.
no formal studies are undertaken by indians themselves
we do not have even a census of tamil brahmins in tamilnadu and elsewhere .only extrapolated data based on 70-80 yr old data.we can only talk of various issues based on hearsay giving free play to our perception and imagination.

 

[krish44]

Hope the e book sellers don't read this thread!

scholarly books do not appeal to tamil brahmins

this book is damned without reading.

grossly unfair to the researchers

we brahmins value our money more than research work on us. somebody has sweated for years to

produce this document. if we cannot read some research work ,let us not condemn it.

we do not like dry documented evidence about us and our lifestyles .

I pity the researchers

 

[Raji Ram]

scholarly books do not appeal to tamil brahmins ........

Dear Krish Sir,

You too wanted ONLY the comments, right?

Oh! You are also a tambram!

 

[krish44]

Dear Krish Sir,

You too wanted ONLY the comments, right?

Oh! You are also a tambram!

quite true
.
I did not fully read the tamil book

I did not condemn it either.

I read the first few pages for which you posted a link

I did read the research paper on tamil marriages posted by msk murty ji

I hope to read the balance of the other book also

for some reasons I am unable to get my hands on the book . I hope to do so in future.

I have not fully forgotten my tambrahm roots yet

thanks for reminding me.lol

 

[V.Balasubramani]

scholarly books do not appeal to tamil brahmins

I pity the researchers

I pity such opinions.

 

[krish44]

I pity people with preset ideas with limited vision and no thirst to learn from experiences different

from theirs given by others.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

I sympathize for the opinion of the mind which is devoid of good ideas, vision and thirst for knowledge, positive thoughts etc but with only ruling passion of hatred towards anything good.


P.S: Kunjuppu Sir, pl. excuse me for being a party to derail the thread.

 

[krish44]

I sympathize for the opinion of the mind which is devoid of good ideas, vision and thirst for knowledge, positive thoughts etc but with only ruling passion of hatred towards anything good.


P.S: Kunjuppu Sir, pl. excuse me for being a party to derail the thread.

some like to live in reflected glory of opposing anything others write.

they have absolutely nothing of their own to offer except negative thoughts about everyone

 

[V.Balasubramani]

some like to live in reflected glory of opposing anything others write.

they have absolutely nothing of their own to offer except negative thoughts about everyone

Reflection of the mind which assume too much, but write pointlessly, sad.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

I agree with your views.
I also present that having shiva vibhuti does not represent brahmins, as NB also use vibhuti if they go to shiva or ganesh temple.

I also present that having namam does not represent brahmins, as NB also use namam.....

Two samples, one from Naidu community, another from Mudaliar community:
I had affiliation with educational institutions where they played a role.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

some like to live in reflected glory of opposing anything others write.

they have absolutely nothing of their own to offer except negative thoughts about everyone

"Reflected glory" implies a situation whereby an individual associates himself with known
successful others such that the winner's success becomes the individual's own accomplishment-
it is not about someone offering negative thoughts. IMO, you could qualify eminently for
negative thoughts.

You are barking at the wrong tree!

 

[krish44]

the above member appears to be the most erudite and scholarly person in this forum

he appears to belong to'" successful others"" he talks about.

so suggest to some to stop hounding me and stop talking negative about me.

instead follow the path shown by the wise member above and attain moksha

 

[auh]

The cover of the book clearly illustrates that the one of the authors may be from Iyengar community.

Should there be any logical relation between the cover of the book and the community of the author? Please establish such a rationale before coming to a conclusion (as you have done above).

Does Tamil Brahmin mean only Iyengar community?

Why are you asking this question? Do you have any motive behind this? How relevant is this question to the topic?

The Iyengar population is very less compared to Iyer and Iyers are more successful in all fields than Iyengars.

Do you have any statistic to make such a claim? If not please refrain from making sweeping statements.

The cover should have both.

Maybe your personal opinion, but again irrelevant here.

Iyers should desist buying this book, take it up with the authors about the stupidity and seek clarification as to why the cover only depicts Iyengar.

I presume that since you have nothing to contribute about the content of the book, you are doing time-pass by such statements !

Indirectly the authors probably mean Tamil Brahmins mean Iyengar only.

Are you happy?