This book examines the social life of fishing communities in South India. It shows how modernization has brought changes to coastal communities in the post-Independence era. It focuses on inter- and intra-community dynamics, social structure, the role of religion and migration. The volume also links how developmental discourses have transformed the fabric of these communities, as well as the impact of environmental degradation on their traditional livelihoods. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of sociology and social anthropology, development studies, demography, history of migration and diaspora studies and South Asian studies.