Women as Custodians of Haryanvi Folk Songs: Perceptions of Intergenerational Cultural Transmission among Rural Women in Haryana, India

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22660225

Sandhya Sharma¹ and Jatesh Kathpalia² (Department of Culture, Directorate of Students’ Welfare , CCS HAU Hisar, Haryana¹ and
Department of Sociology, CCS HAU Hisar, Haryana²)

Intangible cultural heritage is preserved via traditions, knowledge and expressions handed down through generations of communities. Oral traditions and folk music depend primarily on ongoing engagement and learning between generations. The present study was designed to analyse the perceived role of rural women in the maintenance, transmission and enrichment of Haryanvi folk songs throughout generations and to chronicle the social and cultural roles connected with these traditions. The research was carried out in the villages of Fatehabad and Kurukshetra districts of Haryana. The data collected were evaluated using frequencies and percentages. The responses were fairly evenly spread across the age groups, 35.50% aged 18-30 years, 32.50% aged 30-50 years and 32.00% aged 50 years and above. 28.50% were illiterate and 40 per cent had education up to 10+2. Majority of the respondents were married (74.50%), belonged to nuclear family (69.50%), had marginal land-holdings (47.00%), and had considerable mass-media exposure (55.50%) and no organisational membership (57.00%). The perceived role of women in cultural preservation was especially salient: 75.00% claimed that women have always played a major role in the preservation of culture and customs, while 68.50% identified women as the main bearers of the folk-song heritage. Also folk songs were considered to be associated with social connection (56.50%), family participation (54.00%) and informal learning during ordinary labour (53.00%).In the study area, rural women saw themselves as significant caretakers and informal transmitters of Haryanvi folk-song traditions. The results imply that ordinary social and family situations remain key domains for cultural learning. Strengthening women-led, community-based and intergenerational documentation and transmission can help sustain the viability of Haryanvi folk traditions.