Cultural Studies

Indigenous literature and cultural practices have emerged as important areas of contemporary research, offering valuable insights into identity, community, history, knowledge systems, and human behaviour. This article examines the significance of indigenous storytelling as an oral and dynamic cultural practice through which beliefs, memories, values, and social experiences are transmitted across generations. It highlights how indigenous narratives function as sociological and cultural archives that connect individuals, communities, and broader social structures while maintaining links between the past, present, and future. The transition from oral traditions to written documentation, particularly during the colonial period in India, also raises concerns regarding cultural misrepresentation, appropriation, marginalisation, and the loss of indigenous agency. Although early folklorists produced valuable records, their interpretations were often influenced by limited understanding of indigenous languages and cultures. Later scholarship contributed to restoring greater recognition of indigenous voices and narratives. The article argues for a methodological shift in the study of indigenous cultures, moving beyond rigid external theoretical frameworks toward interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches that recognize cultural diversity, oral memory, ritual, religion, and community knowledge. Meaningful engagement with indigenous communities is essential for developing nuanced interpretations and safeguarding cultural heritage. Strengthening institutional support, research initiatives, and dedicated programmes in folklore and indigenous studies can further promote the preservation and scholarly understanding of indigenous literatures and cultural practices.

This editorial examines the expanding influence of artificial intelligence on contemporary social, professional, cultural, and environmental life. It considers both the opportunities and risks associated with the rapid development and normalization of AI, with particular attention to human connection, critical thinking, artistic expression, employment, algorithmic bias, discrimination, and environmental sustainability. The discussion highlights concerns surrounding dependence on personalized AI systems, the reproduction of biases through data driven algorithms, the growing resource demands of data centres, and the changing nature of employment in an increasingly technology driven economy. Alongside these contemporary concerns, the issue of the Indian Journal of Social Enquiry presents a diverse collection of scholarly contributions addressing education, history, democracy, gender, environmental movements, public finance, literature, ecology, and community based conservation. The featured studies examine theatre based education, the historical contribution of Zorawar Singh, democratic legitimacy among youth in Nepal and Sri Lanka, ecofeminist interpretations of Indian environmental movements, the fiscal impact of GST in Gujarat, poetry and ecological conflict in Northeast India, and community conserved areas. Collectively, the issue encourages critical social enquiry by connecting contemporary challenges with historical experiences and emerging perspectives on progress, development, citizenship, culture, and sustainability.