Data Collection and Field Research Opportunities and Problems in India

There are few countries in the world which can provide such a wide range of problems for field study as India. For both macro and micro level studies, spatial variations in physical, cultural, economic and political conditions within a short distance may be phenomenal and provide a complex matrix for analysis. India is divided into linguistic states. A linguistic state in turn may contain tertiary subcultures, each with a different set of conditions within its boundaries. On a linguistic state may be superimposed three distinct areas of tertiary subcultures, viz., urban, rural-and tribal, each with different levels of education, standard of living, housing, clothing and diets, and even speaking different dialects, and the language of the state. Despite such a wide range, and often steep gradients in socioeconomic conditions, it is generally contended that there is an undercurrent of the Indian culture linking the entire country. A popular adage about India's culture is "the unity in diversity." To identify and measure this "unity in diversity" or lack of it in several aspects of life, is a most fascinating opportunity and a problem for conducting field research in India