Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Fellow

Centre for Environment and Development
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
Bangalore, India

My professional work since 2002 has been built around the interdisciplinary area of Development Studies. I have drawn theoretical insights from economics, social anthropology and critical development studies and aim at better integration of qualitative, quantitative and participatory methods to enhance knowledge and inform policies. The focus of my past research has been on multidimensional poverty and vulnerability, particularly at the household level, and participatory development. At ATREE, I am extending vulnerability analysis to integrate social and ecological systems, as part of the work initiated with colleagues in the Land, Water and Livelihoods programme in selected locations in Kerala and Karnataka. In addition, I have a growing interest in the social implications of environmental change. I am also involved in teaching foundations of social sciences and field research methods in ATREE’s doctoral programme.

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Education

• 2009 Ph.D. (Development Studies), Tilburg University, The Netherlands
• 2001 M.B.E. (Business Economics), Cochin University of Science and Technology, India
• 1998 B.A. (Economics), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India

Publications

Journal articles

• 2010 B.K. Thomas, R. Muradian, G. de Groot & A. de Ruijter, 'Confronting or Complementing? A Case Study on NGO-State Relations from Kerala, India’, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 21(3): 358-70
• 2010 B.K. Thomas, 'Participation in the Knowledge Society: the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement compared with participatory development', Development in Practice, 20(2): 270-6
• 2010 B.K. Thomas, R. Muradian, G. de Groot & A. de Ruijter, 'Resilient and Resourceful? A Case Study on How the Poor Cope in Kerala, India', Journal of Asian and African Studies, 45(1): 29-45
• 2009 B.K. Thomas, R. Muradian, G. de Groot & A. de Ruijter, 'Multidimensional Poverty and Identification of Poor Households: A Case From Kerala, India', Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 10(2): 237-57
• 2008 B.K. Thomas, 'Methodological Debate in Poverty Studies: Towards 'Participatory Qual-quant'?', Development in Practice, 18(2): 280-8

Teaching

• 2011, 2009, 2008: Social Sciences foundation (C2, F2), Research methods (C5, C2): co-taught
• 2011: Sessions on Political Economy (C3) and Sustainable Livelihoods (C4)

Contact

bejoy.thomas@atree.org , bejoykt@yahoo.com