Occupational Caste Groups' Illness and Health in India: Lessons from the Lives of Conservancy Workers

This book examines the status of public health care services to marginalised and disadvantaged populations in India, sociological perspectives on illness and health, and manifest perceptions of illness and health. It emphasizes the need to address the longstanding issue of discriminatory practices towards specific caste-based occupational communities, such as the Hadis. It provides in-depth insights into the various stages of health-seeking behavior, the significance of healers within the social fabric of the Hadi caste, and the complex interplay of agencies and institutions that shape the perceptions of conservancy and menial workers regarding illness and health. The chapters unravel layers and sites of agencies and institutions shaping the perceptions of conservancy and menial workers about illness and health. It offers an avenue of research to readers and scholars interested in understanding perceptions of illness and health among caste-based occupational groups in India with the help of intensive fieldwork data. This book is intended for a diverse audience, including policymakers, urban development practitioners, ethnographers, public health academics, anthropologists and sociologists.