Women as Custodians of Intangible Cultural Heritage: An Empirical Study of Cultural Participation and Continuity in Chettinad, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

This study examined women as custodians of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) practices in Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India with a focus on socio-cultural reproduction and cultural continuity. From the primary survey (N=126), the study develops a Cultural Participation Index (CPI) and examined the cultural practices of heritage conservation and transmission as outcomes of the regional women's participation and contribution. The present study conceptualises cultural participation as a mediating process between structural conditions, such as family type, migration and digital access, and outcomes of cultural sustainability, focusing on the perspectives of ICH and gender-based cultural agency. which. The findings show that although the level of cultural participation is mostly moderate, there is a strong relationship with familial and social contexts, with joint-family structures supporting a higher participation and preserving traditions across generations. Contrary to the linear understanding of cultural erosion, migration does not seriously affect the continuity of cultural practices across different spatial contexts; instead, it maintains resilience and adaptability of cultural practices. The study goes further to underscore the new role of digital connectivity as an enabling mechanism in the sustenance of cultural knowledge and practices. The results of the study substantiate UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) framework, which specifically emphasises community involvement and intergenerational transmission. The study contributes to broader debates on gender, heritage and community identity by positioning women as agents of cultural reproduction, and demonstrating how cultural reproduction can be found in everyday practices that resist change in fast-transforming socio-economic contexts. The results also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 4 (Quality Education).