Thinking and writing about the past, challenging what 'history' might be and how it could appear is an ongoing interest of this journal and an ongoing (sometimes contentious) point of connection between cultural studies and history. The shifts in how we research and write the past is no simple story of accepted breakthroughs that have become the new norms, nor is it a story where it is easy to identify what the effects of cultural studies thinking on the discipline of history has been. History has provided its own challenges to its own practices in a very robust way, while the cultural studies has challenged what the past is and how it might be rendered from a wide ranging set of ideas and modes of representation that have less to do with specific disciplinary arguments than responses to particular modes (textual, filmic, sonic), particular sites (nations, Indigenous temporalities, sexuality, literature, gender) and perhaps a greater willingness to accentuate the political in the historical.

On development of education in Tranvancore, India, and contribution of Sir Si. Pi. Rāmāsvāmi Ayyar, 1879-1966, Dewan of Travancore.

Globally, women are facing social, economic, and cultural barriers impeding their autonomy and agency. Accelerated women empowerment programs often fail to attain their targets as envisaged by the policymakers due to a variety of reasons, with the most prominent being the deep-rooted cultural norms ingrained within society. In the era of globalization, empowerment of women demands new approaches and strategies that encourage the mainstreaming of gender equality as a societal norm. The Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment is a critical scholarly publication that examines global gender issues and new strategies for the promotion of women empowerment and gender mainstreaming in various spheres of women’s lives, including education and ICT, economic participation, health and sexuality, mental health, aging, law and judiciary, leadership, and decision making. It provides a comprehensive coverage of all major gender issues with novel ideas on gender mainstreaming being contributed by men and women authors from multidisciplinary backgrounds. Gender perspective and intersectional approach in the discourses make this handbook a unique contribution to the scholarship of social sciences and humanities. The book provides new theoretical inputs and practical directions to academicians, sociologists, social workers, psychologists, managers, lawyers, policy makers, and government officials in their efforts at gender mainstreaming. With a wide range of conceptual richness, this handbook is an excellent reference guide to students and researchers in programs pertaining to gender/women's studies, cultural studies, economics, sociology, social work, medicine, law, and management.

Politicisation of Caste Relations in a Princely State: Communal Politics in Modern Travencore (1891-1947) Among the various factors that contributed for the progressive transformation of Kerala into a modern democratic society, politicization of caste played a very crucial role. Travancore which formed part of present day Kerala before integration witnessed socio-political movements in the modern period initiated by the principal communities. The net result of these movements was the transformation of pyramidal social structure into pillar social structure. It was achieved through incessant conflicts and assertions and from the position of caste victims some communities could elevate themselves to the makers of their own destinies. They transformed the society from change resistant sacred outlook to change ready secular outlook. The shift of this change was from caste hierarchical structure to inter-personal relations. In Modern Travancore social movement through protest aimed not only social change but also change in political sphere. The caste played a crucial role in the transformation of traditional society into modern society. In the traditional society the status of an individual was fixed. Children learn to act according to the established norms and deviations are punished. But with the influence of modern ideas the younger generations tend to become dissatisfied with the traditional society and readily accepted the new values. These values reflected the caste relations as well. In the changed situation the dominant caste groups played a catalytic role in social change. S.N.D.P and the Sree Narayana movement was a typical movement which experimented all these way of struggle. Political participation of the community can be seen in the movements like Malayali memorial agitation, Ezhava memorial, Civic Rights movement, Nivarthana agitation and struggle for responsible government. Conversion movement was effectively executed through actual conversion and the threat of conversion. The present work aims to unravel the phases of transformation of Modern Travancore into a democratic society through the politicization of caste relations.

Through the use of epigraphical evidence, Leslie C. Orr brings into focus the activities and identities of the temple women (devadasis) of medieval South India. This book shows how temple women's initiative and economic autonomy involved them in medieval temple politics and allowed them to establish themselves in roles with particular social and religious meanings. This study suggests new ways of understanding the character of the temple woman and, more generally, of the roles of women in Indian religion and society.