CJ SONOWAL

@tiss.edu

Professor, Family and Generation
International Institute for Popultion Sciences, Mumbai/ Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

CJ SONOWAL


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https://researchid.co/sonowalcj.iips

EDUCATION

MSc, PhD

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Social and Cultural Anthropology, Ethnicity, Tribes and Tribal Development, Religion, Tribal health, Gender Relathionship
11

Scopus Publications

362

Scholar Citations

9

Scholar h-index

9

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Navigating the Cancer Journey: The Dynamic Interplay of Existential, Relational, and Structural Factors Across the Illness Trajectory
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2026
  • Does the extent of child marriage vary with religious affiliation? An analysis of Hindu and Muslim communities in India
    C.J. Sonowal, Sourav Biswas
    Journal of Biosocial Science, 2026
    Globally, child marriage is a persistent issue, adversely affecting the rights and well-being of girls. With a special focus on religious affiliation, this study explores the contributing factors leading to child marriage, such as cultural norms, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic conditions. From the Census of India 2011 data, percentage distributions of child marriage were used to assess the trends and magnitude of child marriage over the years. From NFHS-5 data, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess factors like education and wealth index. Spatial analysis techniques, including Moran’s I statistics, helped identify the geographic distribution of child marriage. Findings reveal a history of relatively high child marriage rates among Muslims and their faster decline over the last decades. In 2011, under-14 marriages among Hindus exceeded 1.03% more than that of Muslims, with a 0.33% higher incidence of under-18 marriages among Muslims. The sample-based NFHS-5 study highlights significant disparities in child marriage based on the sample populations’ religious affiliations, regions, social categories, education, and wealth. In conclusion, the issue transcends religious boundaries, is rooted in broader social and economic contexts, and advocates for multidimensional interventions.
  • Religion and Spirituality as an Ethnomedical System in the Cancer Journey: A Global Synthesis
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2025
  • Ageing and Elderly Health in Indigenous Cultures: Researching the Perspectives and Realities
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2025
  • Marginalised social groups differentials in nutritional status (BMI) among reproductive-aged women in West Bengal
    Sourav Biswas, Koushik Roy Pramanik, C. J. Sonowal
    BMC Public Health, 2023
    Background SCs and STs, historically marginalized communities in India, have been subjected to social and economic discrimination for centuries. Despite affirmative action policies, these communities face systemic discrimination and exclusion in various aspects of their lives. Poor health conditions among SC and ST women are caused by insufficient consumption of nutritious food, leading to undernutrition and related health issues. To address gaps in the literature regarding the nutritional status of these women, this study aims to compare the BMI of SC and ST women in West Bengal and investigate the factors affecting their BMI. The study's findings can inform targeted interventions to improve the nutritional status of SC and ST women in West Bengal and reduce disparities in their health outcomes. Materials and methods This study analyzed data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) to examine the distribution of underweight and non-underweight SC and ST women in West Bengal. The sample included 5,961 non-pregnant reproductive-aged SC women and 1,496 non-pregnant reproductive-aged ST women. A binary logistic regression model was used to determine how background characteristics affect the nutritional status (BMI) of respondents, while a multivariate decomposition analysis was conducted to identify the covariates contributing to the nutritional status difference between SC and ST women. QGIS 2.18.25 software was utilized to map the spatial distribution of underweight and non-underweight SC and ST reproductive-aged women. Results This study examines the nutritional status and differential background characteristics among SC and ST women in West Bengal, India. Results show that undernutrition affects the ST population more than the SC population, with age, marital status, religion, place of residence, educational status, and wealth quintile being significant factors affecting nutritional status. Food and dietary habits also impact nutritional status, with milk or curd, pulses or beans, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, and fish being associated with lower rates of underweight. Binary logistic regression analysis reveals significant associations between socio-demographic factors and underweight status among SC and ST women. Socio-demographic factors were found to be the major contributors to the gap between SC and ST women, followed by food and dietary factors. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions to improve the nutritional status of marginalized communities like SC and ST women in West Bengal. Conclusion The study highlights a significant population suffering from underweight in West Bengal, with socio-economic factors and dietary habits significantly contributing to the nutritional gap between SC and ST reproductive-aged women. Policy implications suggest targeted interventions to improve access to education and employment opportunities and promote a healthy and balanced diet to reduce the gap. Future studies could explore vulnerability risks of these domains.
  • Religious Pluralism Among the Navayana Buddhist Women: A Study in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India
    C. J. Sonowal, Mayuri Ashok
    Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 2023
    Dr B. R. Ambedkar adopted the policy of ‘religious conversion’ to provide social justice to the Mahars—an untouchable community in the state of Maharashtra. Nearly, three and a half million people accepted Navayana Buddhism on a single day under his leadership, denouncing Hindu gods and goddesses and vowed not to accept untouchable status imposed by the caste-Hindu population. Contrary to such a radical departure from Hinduism, there is evidence that a substantial chunk of the people still follows Hindu traditions and beliefs and practices, exhibiting a culture of religious pluralism. Based on a primary field study conducted among the Navayana Buddhist women in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the article examines and explains the causes of such manifestation in the studied population’s religious life.
  • Disease burden, health-belief and treatment-seeking behaviour among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups of India
    C. J. Sonowal
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2021
    Widespread health problems are prevalent among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of India, and they tend to incline towards their age-old traditional treatment practices. The PVTGs are relatively reluctant to accept modern bio-medical healthcare and treatment options available to them. The extent of interaction with and the level of exposure to the non-traditional domain directly impact the extent of acceptance of modern healthcare facilities by the tribal people. Based on the review of literature on health aspects of primitive tribal groups of India and some other relevant literature on health issues of indigenous peoples, the author tries to find out the disease burden among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups and perceptions of health, illness, and treatmentseeking behaviour prevalent among them. Further, using a conceptual framework, the author also analyses and discovers the gap in why these people are inclined towards traditional practices.
  • Tuberculosis burden in the tea gardens of assam: A discussion on the risk factors and social determinants
    C.J. Sonowal
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2020
    Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest diseases identified as the ‘disease of the poor’. India has the highest yearly incidence of TB in the world. Besides bio-medical determinants and risk factors, social determinants increase the risk factors of exposure to TB germs and after-exposure effects on a population. Growing experiences in TB control advocate more focus on intervention in social determinants as a complementary measure to the curative TB control regimen, as the curative TB control programme alone has been unable to control TB effectively. There is a high TB burden in the tea gardens of Assam despite the presence of a TB monitoring mechanism in place. This paper explores the extent of risk factors and social determinants prevalent among the tea garden worker population, which might help policy planning for controlling TB in Assam’s tea gardens.
  • The democracy of exclusion of tribal india through inclusive policies
    Eastern Anthropologist, 2011
  • Factors affecting the nutritional health of Tribal children in Maharashtra
    C.J. Sonowal
    Studies on Ethno Medicine, 2010
    The perception of health and health seeking behaviour among the tribal people world over is intertwined with lots of factors – their traditional beliefs, practices, nature of interaction with physical environment and changing social, cultural and economic domain. Tribal population world over has been exposed to a rapidly changing world around them, the depleted natural resources on which they are dependent and alien culture of monetary economy. Tribal people are mostly unable to cope with these new situations. Their social and cultural customs are in transition whereas in socio-economic front they are lagging far behind from others. Such incompatibility has made the tribal people more vulnerable to several other aspects. Health-care issue is one of such major areas that need to be address on war footing. Among several health problems faced by the tribal groups, the problem of malnutrition and undernutrition is seen as the direct consequence of socio-economic disorganization of tribal societies. The study tries to find out the impact of socio-cultural, political and economic environment on nutritional status of tribal children in Maharashtra, India. The study is based on both primary and secondary data on health and nutritional status and also observation of several aspects of tribal people. The study reveals that shortage of land and forest resources, lack of suitable job opportunity at local level and exposure to non-tribal domain has made tribal people suffer from lots of health and nutritional problems.
  • Entrepreneurship and economic development: A study among the Mishing tribe of Assam
    Man in India, 2008

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Does the extent of child marriage vary with religious affiliation? An analysis of Hindu and Muslim communities in India
    CJ Sonowal, S Biswas
    Journal of Biosocial Science 58 (1), 17-37 , 2026
    2026
  • Social Determinants of Tuberculosis: Unpacking the Triad of Poverty, Stigma, and Social Exclusion
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • A Global Synthesis of Indigenous Mental Health Paradigms Beyond the Biomedical Model
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • Religion and Spirituality as an Ethnomedical System in the Cancer Journey: A Global Synthesis
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • Traditional Ecological Knowledge as Health Sovereignty: Ethnomedical Systems, Resilience and Justice in Indigenous Communities
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • Nutritional Health of Tribal Children in India: Bridging Cultural Perceptions and Objective Assessments
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • Ageing and Elderly Health in Indigenous Cultures: Researching the Perspectives and Realities
    CJ Sonowal
    2025
  • Anthropological Investigations in Contemporary India: A cross-cultural perspective
    CJ Sonowal, M Borgohain
    OrangeBooks Publication , 2024
    2024
  • Tribal Hinduism Contested An Autoethnography of Sonowal Kacharis of Assam
    CJ Sonowal
    Anthropological Investigations in Contemporary India: A cross-cultural … , 2024
    2024
  • Risk factors and social determinants of tuberculosis an anthropological study in the tea gardens of Assam
    C Sonowal
    Anthropological investigations in contemporary India: A cross-cultural … , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 1
  • Religious Pluralism Among the Navayana Buddhist Women: A Study in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India
    CJ Sonowal, M Ashok
    Contemporary Voice of Dalit 15 (1_suppl), S45-S55 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 3
  • Marginalised social groups differentials in nutritional status (BMI) among reproductive‑aged women in West Bengal
    KRPCJS Sourav Biswas1*
    BMC Public Health 23 (842), 2-18 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 27
  • Religious Conversion and Emancipation of Untouchables: Gandhi’s View, Ambedkar’s Action and Beyond
    CJ Sonowal
    Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 2455328X231198672 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 3
  • Rural transformation and the changing ecology of tribal domain: A study among the tribes in Assam, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of Human Ecology 79 (1-3), 21-33 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 3
  • Changing Trends in Livelihood in Tribal Domain of Assam An analysis of Census data
    CJ Sonowal
    International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention 11 (4), 65-77 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 2
  • Disease burden, health-belief and treatment-seeking behaviour among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups of India
    CJ Sonowal
    Health-belief and Treatment-seeking Behaviour among the Particularly … , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • Indigenous Knowledge System of Tribal People: A Need Based Plan of Investigation and Some Instances from Assam, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of the Social Sciences 48 (4), 1443-1457 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Uranium Mining and Public Health Issues: Reassessing the Contention between Scientific Evidence and People’s Experience in Jadugoda, Jharkhand, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of the Social Sciences 48 (4), 425-437 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Tuberculosis burden in the tea gardens of Assam: a discussion on the risk factors and social determinants
    CJ Sonowal
    Stud. Ethno-Medicine 14 (3-4), 119-138 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Community involvement in forest management: A social analysis of joint forest management in Maharashtra, India
    CJ Sonowal
    J Hum Ecol 72 (1-3), 148-166 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 7

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Environmental education in schools: The Indian scenario
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of human ecology 28 (1), 15-36 , 2009
    2009
    Citations: 84
  • Factors affecting the nutritional health of tribal children in Maharashtra
    CJ Sonowal
    Studies on Ethno-Medicine 4 (1), 21-36 , 2010
    2010
    Citations: 41
  • Indian tribes and issue of social inclusion and exclusion
    CJ Sonowal
    Studies of Tribes and Tribals 6 (2), 123-134 , 2008
    2008
    Citations: 33
  • Tradition vs transition: Acceptance of health care systems among the Santhals of Orissa
    CJ Sonowal, P Praharaj
    Studies on Ethno-medicine 1 (2), 135-146 , 2007
    2007
    Citations: 32
  • Marginalised social groups differentials in nutritional status (BMI) among reproductive‑aged women in West Bengal
    KRPCJS Sourav Biswas1*
    BMC Public Health 23 (842), 2-18 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 27
  • Demographic transition of tribal people in forest villages of Assam
    CJ Sonowal
    Studies of Tribes and Tribals 5 (1), 47-58 , 2007
    2007
    Citations: 25
  • Radiation and tribal health in Jadugoda: the contention between science and sufferings
    CJ Sonowal, SK Jojo
    Studies of Tribes and Tribals 1 (2), 111-126 , 2003
    2003
    Citations: 21
  • Disease burden, health-belief and treatment-seeking behaviour among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups of India
    CJ Sonowal
    Health-belief and Treatment-seeking Behaviour among the Particularly … , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • Forest villages in Assam: Continued ghettoisation
    CJ Sonowal
    Economic and Political Weekly, 2441-2443 , 1997
    1997
    Citations: 17
  • Community involvement in forest management: A social analysis of joint forest management in Maharashtra, India
    CJ Sonowal
    J Hum Ecol 72 (1-3), 148-166 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 7
  • Religion and ethnic reconstruction among the tribes of Northeast India
    CJ Sonowal
    Akansha Publishing House , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 6
  • Indigenous Knowledge System of Tribal People: A Need Based Plan of Investigation and Some Instances from Assam, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of the Social Sciences 48 (4), 1443-1457 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Uranium Mining and Public Health Issues: Reassessing the Contention between Scientific Evidence and People’s Experience in Jadugoda, Jharkhand, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of the Social Sciences 48 (4), 425-437 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Tuberculosis burden in the tea gardens of Assam: a discussion on the risk factors and social determinants
    CJ Sonowal
    Stud. Ethno-Medicine 14 (3-4), 119-138 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 5
  • Gender System Among the Sonowal Kacharis, a Plain Tribe of Assam
    CJ Sonowal
    Raj Pub. House , 2000
    2000
    Citations: 5
  • Sustainability of fishing as a caste-based traditional occupation: An analysis of studies on the Kaibartas of Assam, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of Human Ecology 72 (1-3), 60-76 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 4
  • Child rearing practices and gender roles-a case study among the Sonowal Kacharis of Dibrugarh, Assam
    CJ Sonowal
    Indian Anthropologist 30 (1/2), 37-46 , 2000
    2000
    Citations: 4
  • Religious Pluralism Among the Navayana Buddhist Women: A Study in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India
    CJ Sonowal, M Ashok
    Contemporary Voice of Dalit 15 (1_suppl), S45-S55 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 3
  • Religious Conversion and Emancipation of Untouchables: Gandhi’s View, Ambedkar’s Action and Beyond
    CJ Sonowal
    Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 2455328X231198672 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 3
  • Rural transformation and the changing ecology of tribal domain: A study among the tribes in Assam, India
    CJ Sonowal
    Journal of Human Ecology 79 (1-3), 21-33 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 3