Sustainable practices in traditional jobs of Kerala: A contextual analysis

Abstract

Kerala boasts a remarkable heritage of traditional occupations that thrived in the previous century. These vocations encompassed a range of fields, from working with coir, handicrafts, gold smithery, black smithery, to ayurvedic practices, and beyond. The present study seeks to comprehend the sustainable prospects of these age-old crafts within the state of Kerala. To achieve this end, a secondary analysis was conducted between 2010 and 2023, drawing from fifteen relevant articles subjected to contextual scrutiny. The findings of this research indicate that socio-economic factors exert a significant, adverse effect on the sustainability of traditional occupations. In addition, the integration of technological advancements has also played a role in this development. The promotion of sustainable practices entails the consideration of other factors such as dearth of youth participation in traditional jobs, scarcity of resources, urbanization, industrialization and advent of modern technology,. As such, a holistic and systematic approach can help to empower traditional occupations within Kerala.