Agrawal, Arun (1990) Distribution of Decisionmaking Responsibilities Among Raikas: Commons as a Rational Response to Problems of Complexity

Conference: Presented at "Designing Sustainability on the Commons," the first annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, September 27-30, 1990.

Abstract: "The research on which the paper is based focused on migrant shepherds, the Raikas, in semi-arid Rajasthan. This paper analyzes decision making among the Raika shepherds while they migrate. Through arriving at an understanding of decision-making amongst the shepherds, my research aims to accomplish two things: 1) Provide a support for the argument that the shepherd and herders make rational decisions; and 2) Show where external intervertions by policy-makers and development agencies will be more fruitful and effective. In this paper, however, I am working with part of my data and as such will primarily work towards the first aim of my research. To do this, i.e. to show that shepherds make rational decisions, I take decisions undertaken by the shepherds as the basic unit in my analysis."