In search of grassroots frugality: Everyday learning and experiential knowledge to navigate water uncertainties in the Bundelkhand region, India
by Birendra Singh, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2023, ISBN: 9789064901751
Abstract: Different disciplines, philosophical traditions, cultures, and religions have discussed frugality and its various material and non-material implications for human life. The application of frugality in the context of innovation and technology to cater to the needs of poorer sections of society is often known as frugal innovation. This thesis situates various manifestations of frugality in their social context while emphasizing everyday grassroots realities. Taking inspiration from sociology and anthropology, it zooms in on the intersectional relationship between resource ownership, institutional access, and lived experience (i.e., prior knowledge) to understand what is frugal and who embraces frugality in a particular local context.
Abstract: Different disciplines, philosophical traditions, cultures, and religions have discussed frugality and its various material and non-material implications for human life. The application of frugality in the context of innovation and technology to cater to the needs of poorer sections of society is often known as frugal innovation. This thesis situates various manifestations of frugality in their social context while emphasizing everyday grassroots realities. Taking inspiration from sociology and anthropology, it zooms in on the intersectional relationship between resource ownership, institutional access, and lived experience (i.e., prior knowledge) to understand what is frugal and who embraces frugality in a particular local context.
