Urban Migration And Cultural Transformation Among The Paliar Community

Abstract

The Paliar tribes of Tamil Nadu, traditionally dependent on forest-based subsistence activities, has experienced significant socio-cultural and economic transformations under the influence of urbanisation and migration. Once isolated within ecological niches, the Paliar community is increasingly exposed to modern labour markets, educational opportunities, and welfare interventions by the state. This shift has resulted in a gradual transition from traditional livelihoods such as hunting, gathering, and shifting cultivation to wage labour, service-oriented employment, and urban-based occupations. However, the process has not been uniform; while urbanisation has opened avenues for upward mobility and integration into mainstream society, it has also accelerated the erosion of cultural practices, oral traditions, and indigenous knowledge systems. Migration, both voluntary and forced, has contributed to the reconfiguration of kinship networks, social hierarchies, and ritual practices. By combining ethnographic insights and policy perspectives, the analysis the dynamics of urbanisation and migration reshape tribal cultures without fully erasing their distinctive heritage