Authors : Dr. Basheer K. K.; Shravan K. P.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yyzf48hs

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug1584

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This paper examines the socio-economic condition of the Kumbaran pottery community in Wayanad district, Kerala, against the backdrop of widening livelihood insecurity, rural occupational transition, and the declining viability of hereditary crafts. Drawing on primary data from 60 respondents across the three taluks of Wayanad, the study analyses the weakening economic base of pottery and the growing gap between parental preference and the occupational choices of the younger generation. Only 28.3 per cent of respondents reported pottery as their principal source of income, reflecting the low, irregular, and seasonal returns from the craft. Although 71.7 per cent of parents preferred continuity in the traditional occupation, only 10 per cent reported interest among their children. The findings suggest that the decline of pottery in Wayanad is not merely an outcome of occupational withdrawal or loss of cultural attachment, but of declining economic viability under changing market and institutional conditions. Its future depends on sustained institutional support, technological adaptation, skill formation, improved access to raw materials, and stronger market linkages.

Keywords : Traditional Pottery; Kumbaran Community; Livelihood Insecurity; Intergenerational Occupational Mobility.

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