Adoption of Tissue Culture in Horticulture: A Study of Banana-Growing Farmers from a South-Indian State

Society provides human, physical and cultural resources for the growth and development of science and technology. In turn, developments in science and technology influence society. As such, technology and society are obviously in a reciprocal relationship, and all social institutions are affected by technology. Understanding the influence of technology in bringing about social change has assumed greater significance in current sociological research, given the development of technological advances such as information technology and biotechnology. In this context, this book provides an understanding of the influence of the adoption of tissue culture, one of the techniques of biotechnology, on the social organization of production, and of social relations in the production process, including attitudes, knowledge and practices associated with the cultivation of fruit crops, which have been commercially important in the context of increasing demand for fruit. The book deals with one of the most commercially successful biotechnologies, plant tissue culture technology (PTC) in horticulture. The sociological study of the social economy of crops has recently gained significance in studies concerned with science, technology and society (STS) studies. This book is unique in its examination of the nature of the adoption of plant tissue culture technology by farmers, and of issues concerning PTC technology at the micro-level.