<![CDATA[Niruta Publications

<![CDATA[Niruta Publications - Book Reviews]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:50:01 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Greying India and Grave Challenges]]>Mon, 14 Mar 2016 07:13:35 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/greying-india-and-grave-challenges

K.R.Gangadharan
Social Work Foot Prints 6 (1)

The life expectancy at birth in India has risen to 66 years over the last nearly thirty years, which is more than a twofold increase since the late 1940s. According to the 2011 Census, the population of persons 60 and above in the country was 103.8 million, which is about 8.6 per cent of the total population. The demographic profile as per the United Nations depicts that in the years 2000-2050, the overall population in India will grow by 55 per cent, whereas the people in the 60 and above age-group will increase by 326 per cent and those in the age-group of 80 plus by 700 per cent.

The massive increase in the elderly population in India poses serious economic, health, political, social, familial and other challenges.

The present book by Professor T.K. Nair titled “Older People in Rural Tamilnadu” is based on a study conducted by him about forty years ago. The original book, published in 1980, has been abridged into a small one for the benefit of researchers and others concerned with ageing, who continue to evince interest in the book. As the late Dr. Malcolm Adiseshaiah stated, the state level study by Prof. Nair is the first of its kind in India and as a benchmark research work, the findings are very relevant.

The book contains seven chapters: introduction, health, family, work, income security. isolation and conclusion. Only about 75 per cent of the elderly in 1975 were ambulatory without difficulty, and 1.69 per cent were bedridden. But now the percentage of the bedridden older persons will be higher. Another significant finding is that only 44 per cent of the elderly could do different personal tasks (bathing, going to toilets, dressing, moving about the house, etc.) without any difficulty. Opinions on self-estimate of health indicate that while 44 per cent said that they were in poor health, only 17 per cent rated their health as good.

Of great importance is the living arrangement of the elderly in the villages. Nearly one in four older women (24 per cent) was found to be living alone. On the whole, 30 per cent of the elderly men and women were either living alone or living with their spouses only. Only one-third of the elderly were living with a married son. A detailed analysis of the rural households showed that only 15 per cent of the families were joint families in Tamilnadu villages even four decades ago. An interesting question is the preference of the living arrangement in old age by the older persons. Only 23 per cent prefer living with a married son, whereas 32 per cent prefer to live alone or to live with their spouses by themselves.

Nearly 60 per cent men and about 30 per cent women continued to work in their old age. More than a half of the elderly women (52 per cent) had no income of their own. They were widows or the divorced or the never married. Among older men in similar marital categories, 35 per cent had no income. However, the elderly couples without any income were fewer: only 13 per cent. Nearly three-fourths of the older persons reported that they were always or often lonely. Older women experiencing loneliness are far in excess (80 per cent) of lonely older men (69 per cent). In old age, a perceptible decline in community roles was observed in the Tamilnadu villages even forty years ago. Only 18 per cent of the elderly reported that they were approached for any advice by villagers. Further, only ten per cent were members of village panchayats.

The draft National Policy on Senior Citizens, submitted to the government in 2011 by a committee of which I was a member, states as follows:

Rural Poor Need Special Attention
Many households in the rural areas at the bottom of the income distribution in India are too poor to save for their old age. Available resources are used to meet daily consumption needs. The poverty in rural areas for older persons is increasing and needs attention. Hence rural poor would need social security in large measure.

An important feature of the book is the research methodology section which explains the selection of a large representative sample of 1,598 older men and women from 200 villages in Tamilnadu chosen using the probability sampling method. Researchers will also have the benefit of the data collection experiences faced by the research team which are recorded in detail in the book. This book is a very valuable addition to the gerontological literature.

Dr. K.R. Gangadharan
Past President, International Federation on Ageing
Chairman, Heritage Foundation and Heritage Health Care

]]><![CDATA[Some Aspects of Community Empowerment and Resilience]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:58:33 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/some-aspects-of-community-empowerment-and-resilienceRituparna Bhattacharyya

This book, edited by Venkat Pulla and Bharath Bhushan Mamidi, addresses the narratives of community empowerment, resilience and coping mechanisms, using a fresh lens and renewed approach. It remains well-documented that the process of community empowerment stems from community engagement, lead- ing to increased participation by the community. In their first chapter, Pulla and Mamidi outline the nuanced challenges faced in modern day community empower- ment. Using the contested notions of power, empowerment and community resil- ience, they argue that while resilience entails ‘successful adaptation’, coping strategies may not. Successful adaptation is a road to build the individual’s or communities’ personal and/or environmental resources—problem-solving skills, enhancement of self-confidence and boosting of social relations.

The second chapter by Vishanthie Sewpaul, Thobeka Ntini, Zama Mkhize and Snegugu Zandamela is an attempt to reconnect community empowerment with emancipatory social work. Drawing upon the voices of students who gained emancipatory social work education and personal experiences obtained from community-based practices in a disadvantaged school at Durban, South Africa and using the Freirian-Gramscian-Althusserian theoretical analyses and praxis, they argue that radical and empowerment of social actions could serve as a key to the development of critical consciousness. For this, the community-based social work practices require to erase the legacies of colonialism. Rather the meaning of an emancipatory approach should be attached to people-centric empowerment, consciousness raising, participation and ecological development.
The third, fourth and twelfth chapters, respectively by Leisha Townson and Pulla, Deborah G. Graham and Rosemary Rae, bear conspicuous parallelism on reflexivity and positionality. Townson and Pulla revisit the concepts— reflexivity, positionality, privilege, situated knowledge and perceptions and explore the entangled connections between these concepts. In doing so, it probes the efficacy and power of positionality of the researcher(s) in conducting social work research, and identifies that these notions uniquely shape an individual researcher’s critical interpretation of a particular piece of research because the thoughts, knowledge and experiences of the researcher are intrinsically inbuilt in the self-reflective process and thereby, ‘interpretation can be four-fifths of the truth’ (Twyman, Morrison, & Sporton, 1999: 313–325).
In her article, ‘Lost to View: Resilience of Indigenous Australians in the Face of Systematic Racisim’, Graham reiterates that how one perceives and stereotypes a particular individual or a community are linked to the deeply embedded beliefs gained from socio-cultural training and social interaction within the society they live in, and adhere to the values they gain from. Using examples of racism, Graham shows how automated thinking reshapes one’s thinking about indigenous Australians and, thereby, urges upon proselytising equity and strengthening social justice but valuing their uniqueness. In a familial context, Rae addresses the highly contested notions of ‘power’ and ‘empower- ment’ in the making of ‘service user involvement in social work education in the UK’. Banking upon reflections, Rae advocates that one should not neglect
‘resilience’ because it ‘can inform… practice… [and] help in choos[ing] new social work students for training’.
The fifth chapter is a critical review by Ndungi wa Mungai where he argues that the Afrocentric paradigm based on the principles of ubuntu, meaning African values and ethics in human services and embedded in African philosophies, history, culture, values and ethics, should be applied in pursuing Afrocentric social work practices. The application of Afrocentric approaches rather than borrowed approaches would buttress human rights and attenuate the sufferings and everyday modern challenges of the people of Africa in a far better way. In the said context, he argues that in order to build a resilient future, capable of tackling African social development challenges, the foundation of their indigenous culture should be revisited to be strengthened further as the ‘past, present and future are all interconnected’.
Using the narratives of visual and performing arts, the article by Pulla and Anne Riggs (Chapter 6) displays the role of the arts in community empowerment. Visual and performing arts have always been a part of communities in promoting strengths and creativity—a road to build rich cultural capital. Ensconced in rich figures and using the individual’s and communities’ voices, the article demon- strates how the arts and the community can stimulate resilience. For example, the Figure 8 bespeaks as to how a ‘[w]oman survivor of sexual abuse and family violence expresses her loss and grief, but also finds a community who under- stands her past and with whom she can share a future’. In a similar article, Chapter 14, Antoinette Day and Kalpana Goel unfold how children, surviv- ing domestic violence, have used the dimensions of ‘hope’. While doing so, the authors emphasise the significance of ecosystems in an individual’s life in rebuilding resilience and hope and echoes that the value of an ecosystem’s frame- work could be used to burgeon research on coping, resilience and social work practice. Nonetheless, violence against women and children remains pandemic across different cultures and countries of the living planet.
In Chapter 7, Azlinda Azman argues that the concept of person-in-environment remains paramount in fostering significant transformation in an individual’s internal and external development, which in turn helps the individual to mean- ingfully cope and become resilient ‘in achieving what they hope [for] in life’. Using social work perspectives, Azman, however, argues that the three notions— coping, resilience and hope always remain intertwined when social workers try to improve and develop the conditions of the individuals, groups and (or)
communities.
Chapter 8 by Lambert K. Engelbrecht on financial illiteracy is witness to the fact that many poor households and communities around the world lack know- ledge on financial matters and are unable to understand as to how money can be earned, managed and invested. Hence, financial illiteracy remains one of the key challenges of social work organisations working on to lift people out of poverty. In the increasingly neoliberal climate, although organisations continue to train poor households and communities to develop their financial literacy skills, chal- lenges remain. Engelbrecht, therefore, provides an integrable review of a six-stage strategy embracing the ‘context of financially vulnerable households; a conceptu- alisation of financial literacy; perspectives on and approaches to financial literacy as a fundamental capability; a theoretical foundation of community education; practices of financial capability programmes; and a reflection on the significance of community education’ aimed at improving financial literacy, which in turn could empower communities.
Using case studies from South-east Asia, the Middle East and Australia, Shawn Somerset in Chapter 9 discusses how the dimensions of culture and environmental sustainability builds on resilience to food (in)security for populations in economic transitions. Using three perspectives—material hardship, nutrition transition, self-efficacy and food security resilience, Somerset unfolds how ‘food secu- rity and acquisition across three continents reveal potential pathways to change trajectories of food security inherent in nutrition transition’.
It is well known that the practices of social work embrace human rights. In Chapter 10, Mungai and Pulla probe the problems and opportunities in addressing poverty and human rights issues in 21st century Asia. In doing so, they discuss not only economic growth, development and poverty but also how the growing challenge of human trafficking exacerbates poverty, often concealing the voices and rights of the marginalised via varied forms of exploitation. Chapter 11 by Subhash Chandra Mamidi and Bharath Bhushan Mamidi sheds light on the unprecedented spurt in missing children of India—statistics unveil that a stag- gering 0.17 million children on an average go missing every year, often abducted for bonded labour, domestic help, sexual exploitation, organ trade or kidnapped for ransom.
Hence, building helplines and caring for these missing children remains para- mount. Their joint research stems from the techniques and practical ways using very limited resources by a group of volunteers at the Centre for Research and People’s Development in reuniting 370 missing children with their families. Both Mamidi and Mamidi contend that the empirical measures adopted for reuniting these children could be replicated in pursuing similar issues.
Drawing upon the narratives of 27 survivors of the Bosnia and Herzegovina war of the 1990s, Goran Basic (Chapter 13) analyses the implacable experi- ences of the war. The narratives of the interviewees suggest that reconciliation is possible if certain conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are ‘justice for the victims of the war, confession from the offender and his emotional involvement’. The narrative analysis further suggests that forgiveness is central to reconciliation and the key to forgiveness occurs only when emotions are exchanged between survivors and perpetrators.
Given its geographical location, floods are a perennial problem that Bangladesh faces. Each year, floods not only wreck properties but also wipe away human lives. Using semi-structured interviews, the article by Pulla and Tulshi Kumar Das (Chapter 15) discusses the coping strategies and resilience of 25 women- headed households, living in the haor (wet land), mired in acute poverty and affected by regular floods in four districts of Sylhet, Bangladesh.
The final chapter by Pulla and Richard Hill serves as an epilogue where the authors draw upon their personal experiences and deploy autoethnography to reflect on their understanding of resilience to recreate a road to building hope for change.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in community empower- ment, resilience and social development across the globe—including social workers, sociologists, human geographers, development scholars and anthropologists.

Reference

Twyman, C., Morrison, J., & Sporton, D. (1999). The final fifth: autobiography, reflexi- vity and interpretation in cross-cultural research. Area, 31(4): 313–325. DOI: 10.1111/ j.1475-4762.1999.tb00098.

Rituparna Bhattacharyya
Independent Researcher and
In-Charge of Training and Development, Alliance for Community Capacity Building in North East India rituparna.bhattacharyya@accb.org.uk, sarma.rituparna@gmail.com

]]><![CDATA[“Perspectives on Coping and Resilience” – A Critical Essay]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:08:52 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/perspectives-on-coping-and-resilience-a-critical-essayRachel Mitchell
International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, Vol.1. No.2

Abstract:
Literature examining concepts of coping and resilience within a range of diverse fields such as social work, psychology, art, spirituality and management science, have emerged and have shifted a focus from sustainable practices to resilience building. A recently released book, Perspectives on Coping and Resilience “examines the interplay of individual, family, community and social factors, and deepens our understanding of the human ability to ‘bounce back’ – a vital competency for success” (Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013). Perspectives on Coping and Resilience brings together the above mentioned disciplines and their relevance within individual, group and community resilience building. This paper will review and build upon the writings of Pulla, Shatte and Warren (2013) and a variety of extended authors whilst highlighting key areas of children and emotional stability, gender issues, trauma and violence.

Keywords: Coping, Resilience, Social Work, Human Services, Emotional Stability, Bouncing Back, Strengths
Approach

Introduction:
Pulla, Shatte & Warren (2013, pp. 12-13) clearly link the resilience of an individual, group or system to its ability to interact with and adapt to the present environment, along with the production of strengths to cope with the stress and adversity experienced within a crisis. This ability to ‘bounce back’ - in biological, psychological and social terms – relies on an understanding of risk factors which have the ability to hinder successful adaptation and maintenance of typical functioning within changing circumstances and environments (Wu, Feder & Mathe, 2013). A need for such resilience is a basic human right (Pulla, Shatte & Warren, p. viii,) which calls for greater resilience building efforts across a range of disciplines, including social work, psychology and management science. Perspectives on Coping and Resilience (Pulla, Shatte & Warren) brings together relevant findings on resilience and resilience building, across a range of disciplines and levels of society. The text highlights areas of children and emotional stability, gender issues, trauma and violence and their relevance to coping and resilience, with reference to the strengths perspective. The 24 contributors to this text have also given weight within specific chapters to national and organisational resilience, addiction and co-dependence, art therapy and arts practice, spirituality and young people with disabilities.

Pulla, in Perspectives on Coping and Resilience distinguishes between and categorises coping strategies as cognitive-focussed, appraisal-focussed and emotions focussed (Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p. 7) and distinguishes between effective and maladaptive coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies are those which appear effective and successful in the short-term, but fail as long-term coping techniques (pp. 9-10), and have the ability to hinder the development of resilience as it creates a false sense of adaptability and success.

Resilience is framed as not only impacting upon macro and meso levels of society, but is rooted within “our beliefs and values, in our character, experiences, values and genes (and influenced by and influencing of) our habits of mind – habits we can cultivate and change” (Zolli, 2012, p. 14). These factors have the ability to create an environment in which resilience may be built, alongside cooperative and trusting surroundings, strong communities and leadership and structural adaptability (p. 15). The ability for communities and organisations to remain dynamic and adaptable ensures openness to reconfiguration, and in turn, allows a degree of coping and resilience. Resilience implies that an individual, group or community will recover from trauma and crisis, display competence and obtain reasonable outcomes, whilst using these adversities for growth (p. 15). Emotional responses occur within the cognitive, behavioural, and neurophysiological and biochemical levels of an individual (Warren in Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p. 392) and regulation across these levels results in the ability to “control the urges to engage in impulsive behaviours, such as self-harm, recklessness, or physical aggression, during emotional distress” (p. 388).

Hudson and Pulla define emotional regulation and the common characteristics portrayed in children who demonstrate resilience, and the context in which children may develop this. For example, having a high tolerance to distress, secure attachments and social supports - including a sensitive and responsive carer who is familiar with the specific needs of the child and provides a stable, safe and predictable environment where emotional communication is encouraged. A child having opportunities to grow and learn gradually through practice of processing distress and having a stable emotional environment to return to, adequate financial resources, appropriate neurological and emotional development and a carers appropriate self-regulation are all positive environmental factors said to frame resilience within an individual child (pp. 17, 103 & 116). This emotional regulation allows the child to respond flexibly and in a socially appropriate manner in an array of differing environmental changes – “allowing for spontaneity as well as being able to inhibit behaviour” (Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p. 101). The most common characteristics Luthar (2006) found within resilient children were “good cognitive ability…and temperaments that facilitate good social relationships”. Luthar’s findings were not so much around the actual available resources to the child, but the individual’s personal characteristics and attributes. Whilst the circumstantial characteristics may not be evident within children who are exposed to forced displacement, Betancourt and Khan (in Siriwardhana & Stewart, 2013) reported that these children may “fare better on long term outcomes”, due to the resilience developed through adverse circumstances in childhood. It has been found that approximately a third of children who are subject to abusive environments “grow into healthy and capable adults, demonstrating remarkable resiliency” (Orbke & Smith, 2002).

The concept of resilience is linked to emotional regulation through a process of developing “the ability to bounce back and respond flexibly to situations” (Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p. 116) and managing intense emotions through fostering the use of internal and external resources to develop adaptation, coping and self-regulation skills (White & Pulla in Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p. 123). Such resilience building is seen as a collective responsibility with schools, families and communities are key relationships within this (p. 126) and should be facilitated within the micro, meso, exo and macro systems of each child – both individually and collectively (p. 128). Interventions may be child, family, community, school or society based and White & Pulla identify key elements of each of these interventions (pp. 132-144). Specific and practical step-by-step strategies such as cognitive awareness have been outlined, for example a stop and evaluate approach to overcoming impulsive emotional responses and an internal control approach (Warren in Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, p.395).

A recent study found that whilst throughout their lifetime, 50-60% of participants experienced severe trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was only estimated to affect 7.8% of individuals (Russo, Murrough, Han, Charney & Nestler, 2012). On the other hand, Wu, Fender & Mathe (2013) have stated that severe adverse childhood events may create long term developmental damage to areas of the brain associated with mood disorders and stress response. Douglas (in Pulla, Shatte & Warren) writes concerning brain function and neural pathways with both victims of domestic violence and child abuse, and the long term effects that these have on an individual’s brain and ability to respond appropriately both emotionally and socially (pp. 203-205). Douglas distinctly links resiliency in such scenarios to being “the survivor’s ability to find a means of surviving the emotions” (p. 206), even if these coping mechanisms are maladaptive. Again, secure attachments and supportive relationships are seen to be linked closely with individual resiliency within abusive situations. Douglas states that “(r)ecovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation” (p. 208), and is based within the creation of new or renewed relationships. Trotman & Townson (in Pulla, Shatte & Warren) also outline the mirror neuron system and the social meaning of behaviour, actions, intentions and emotions (p. 288).

In Wu, Fender & Mathe’s study, “(c)hildren with a history of maltreatment showed lower resilient functioning to those without maltreatment”, with protective measures stated ashaving a secure attachment to their carer, accessible social supports, positive religious meanings within suffering, shared values and a sense of humour (Wu, Fender & Mathe, 2013; Orbke & Smith, 2013). It has been reported that “emotional support and encouragement offered by significant adults in a child’s life are crucial for promoting self-wroth and resilience” (Brooks, 1994, p. 551). Conversely, a child’s resilience is commonly affected by a carer’s maltreatment through abuse, neglect, family conflict or parental mental illness (Orbke & Smith, 2012). It has been reported that a factor influencing whether or not a child’s traumatic experience leads to resilience, as opposed to vulnerability, is the individual’s sense of control over the stressor (Wu, Fender & Mathe, 2013). A learned helplessness, “where a person is conditioned to believe that they are unable to change the circumstances of their situation” (Wu, Fender & Mathe), leads to an individual’s vulnerability, whilst an individual mastering a stressor through an adaptive stress response tends to lead to higher levels of resiliency.

The “Yangarger-Hick’s study (2004) of individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness revealed that those who lent more importance to religion also reported greater feelings of empowerments as long as they were not ‘waiting for God to solve problems and asking for a miracle.” However, working with God towards recovery was associated with greater (individual) empowerment” (Douglas in Pulla, Shatte & Warren, p. 212). Spirituality and a relationship with God was also claimed to assist in meaning making of abuse (p. 211) and the creation of hope.

Zhou & Landa’s chapter “Life Narratives Mirroring the Feminization of HIV and AIDS Trauma: Zimbabwean Perspectives on Coping and Resilience” (in Pulla, Shatte & Warren, 2013, pp. 399-418) provides valued insight into the experience of HIV, AIDS and gendered violence in Zimbabwe and the coping mechanisms commonly utilised. The ability to cope successfully has been said to be “determined by the efficacy of culturally-provided solutions to such stressful situations” (p. 408). Coping strategies of silence and secrecy are shown to be maladaptive, however are culturally acceptable as women who vocalise “unspeakable and taboo subjects” – such as domestic violence – are “branded as a disgrace to (their) clan” (p. 409). De-silencing has been described as an empowering mechanism for women and whilst being “against the prohibitive cultural and traditional practices that keep women in bondage” (p. 411), anecdotal accounts show of the liberation which comes as using de-silencing as the woman “realizes that the fear of the public and carrying a secret is more suffocating than living in the open and having no secret logged onto one’s heart” (p. 413). However, many women, Zhou & Landa state, are fearful of being thrown out of their homes, abandoned, socially ostracised, disgraced or creating further domestic upheaval (pp. 409-410), forcing them to remain in silence.

Due to the universal implications within the writings of the text, Perspectives on Coping and Resilience is a valuable resource to a range of disciplines, such as social work, psychology, community development and management science. The text covers a broad range of topics and does not generally flow between each chapter, but rather, all contribute towards creating further insight into varying levels of coping and resilience. The anecdotes within many of the chapters and the varying frameworks used - such as art therapy and community resilience - give practical relevance to the philosophical approach used throughout the text and aid with reflection and models for implication.

Acknowledgment: This critical review is based on Pulla, V., Shatte, A. & Warren, S. eds .,(2013). Perspectives on
Coping and Resilience, New Delhi: Authorpress Global Network
ISBN 978-81-7273-715-3

References
1. Brooks, R. B. (1994). Children at risk: fostering resilience and hope. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 64(4), 545–553
2. Luthar, S. S. (2006). Resilience in development: A synthesis of research across five decades. In D. C. Cicchetti (Ed.) Developmental psychopathology: risk, disorder and adaptation (2nd ed., Vol 3, pp. 739-795). Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.
3. Orbke, S., & Smith, H. (2012). A Developmental Framework for Enhancing Resiliency in Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse.
4. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling. 10.1007/s10447-012-9164-6
5. Pulla, V., Shatte, A., & Warren, S. (2013). Perspectives on Coping and Resilience. Delhi: Authors Press.
6. Russo, S. J., Murrough, J. W., Han, M. H., Charney, D. S., & Nestler, E. J. (2012). Neurobiology of resilience. National Neuroscience, 15, 1475-1484.
7. Siriwardhana, C., & Stewart, R. (2013). Forced migration and mental health: prolonged internal displacement, return migration and resilience. International Health, 5(1), 19-23.
8. Wu, G., Feder, A., & Mathe, A. A. (2013). Understanding resilience. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 7, 1662-5153. Zolli, A. (2012). Resilience: Why things bounce back. New York: Free Press.

]]><![CDATA[Community Work: Theories, Experiences & Challenges]]>Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:22:08 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/community-work-theories-experiences-challenges

Jennifer Woods,
Woods. Space and Culture, India 2014

“Community development has been identified as a core social work approach or method to work with communities who are disenfranchised, marginalised and faced with broad social issues resulting from unjust policies and planning at global, national, state and local level.” (Goel et al, 2014, p. 5)

This text re-explores community development within a contemporary social work framework for service provision in a changing world. With increased technology that has changed the nature of community to encompass online aspects and a changing political and economic climate, community development must adapt to this ever-changing environment. The introductory chapter outlines the content of the fifteen chapters that this book offers to its reader, which include: community development and microfinance, community development for immigrant communities, safety-net groups for community building, community development and organisational change, the impact of globalisation on communities, culturally competent community development work, rural community development, African diasporic community development, health promotion and community enhancement, community development and disaster management, arts and community   development and mental health in community development.

Kalpana Goel, in the first chapter of this book, offers new   definitions   for   contemporary communities and discusses the improved awareness of the functions of a community. Here, Goel identifies social work as ideally placed to address issues of social justice, marginalisation and human suffering within a community development framework but stresses that community development must fit into the community context in which it is being applied, taking account of contemporary heterogeneous society. Goel further comments on the principles and strategies of community development and their application within social work and completes her chapter with discussion on education for social workers in community development frameworks.

Chapter 2 by Gopalkhrishnan explores the concept of globalisation and the impact it has on communities and individuals. He further goes on to discuss the role that social workers can play, utilising community development frameworks, to address the issues and problems that globalisation has created.

The third chapter by Riggs and Pulla provides an in-depth discussion regarding the ability of visual and theatre-based arts to enhance community development and create a healing modality for trauma, leading to increased resilience at the individual and community levels.

Continuing, Penman in Chapter 4 uncovers the potential for community development frameworks to enhance community capacities via the delivery of health education at the grassroots level. The grassroots programmes evaluated in this chapter have been delivered utilising a spiritual setting and analysed on the basis of the impact they have on the health of the participants. Enhancing the health capacity of a community inevitably has a positive correlation with resilience building and thus provides a means to community development.

Percey and Orpin consider, in their chapter, the involvement of community development practices in rural communities. Of particular interest is the discussion regarding the static nature of the rural community with its isolation and readily identifiable boundaries, which also allow for easy recognition of community identity.

Safety-net groups are identified as community support groups, which facilitate collective work towards community development. This is the concept discussed in the chapter by Francis and Zuchowski which links community development with group work—two well-defined social work practice interventions. Safety-net groups allow for self-determined and empowered community development that is in the best interest of the community itself.

Disaster management, a growing field for social work for which community development is an appropriate model in a global situation of increased impact and intensity of disasters with less state-provided intervention. The application of strengths-based theories   for social work with a community development framework, which enhance resilience, is the focus for this chapter by Bhadra and Pulla.

In their Chapter 8, Velander and Schineanu explore community development, which is culturally competent, and with particular regard to Australian indigenous communities. The authors discuss what constitutes culturally competent community development work and endorse the use of strengths-based practice theories, which endeavour to promote wise practice, the best choice of practice frameworks for community work with Australian indigenous communities in remote areas.

The next chapter by Nikku investigates the means to educating the South Asian social work profession with regard to community development work that attempts to alleviate the issues of an increasingly globalised world coupled with internal conflict and decreased governance.

A chapter which considers the application of community development frameworks for social work with regard to mental health promotion is presented by Francis, Pulla and Goel. The authors endorse the use of strengths-based theories to address mental health issues by way of increasing resilience and promoting community spirit.

Microfinance as a means to supporting people with mental illness issues in Uganda is the next topic for discussion in this book. This chapter looks at the way in which microfinance can bridge the gap in coping with mental health problems that has been caused by families becoming nucleated or isolated in urban areas. The role of microfinance is seen as providing social support for people as a means to increasing their social capital and building the community.

Goel in Chapter 12 explores the role of community-based organisations in humanitarian resettlement programmes. Goel goes on to conclude that community development programmes and principles are the “backbone (p. 196)” of ethical and professional service provision for refugees and humanitarian entrants.

Similarly, wa Mungai in Chapter 13 looks at Ubuntu approaches to community development with immigrant communities referring to the view of the African communities as self-determining rather than accepting of the marginalised position offered by the dominant, hegemonic culture and looks at the role of extended family to   African cultures and the issues faced by diasporic African communities in Australia.

Finally, Mamidi and Chada look at the co- operative organisation of the street vendors in India, who form a major economic component and are creating significant civil issues within their community. Community development can pave the way forward to safe organisation of what is an historic component of urban life for India.

The concluding chapter wraps up the concept of community development for the future of social work in an era of downsized governments and increased need with uncertainty a key feature of contemporary society. Here, Francis and Pulla once again reiterate the appropriate pairing of strengths- based practice theories with community development frameworks   for ethical social work service delivery that aims to alleviate the issues created in an uncertain world.

Clearly, with significant chapters that relate to both the Australian and wider, global context, this text provides a wealth of information for social work in a new environment brought about by globalisation, climate change and neoliberal political ideology that is witnessing the increased widening of the gap between rich and poor, increased numbers of people living in poverty and people facing increased risk of impact from disasters instigated by changes in climate. A comprehensive text, priced competitively, this text has the potential to add great benefit to the available literature on community development in the Australian context. The book also makes for a good textbook in South Asia and South East Asia. With clear and concise chapters written with respect to the ethical guidelines for Australian social work practice, this text fills the gap with a fresh lens that promotes community development in contemporary context.

Jennifer Woods
PhD candidate at Charles Sturt University, WaggaWagga, Australia.
Email: jwoods@csu.edu.au, jmiegel2@bigpond.com
©2014 Woods. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Courtesy : Woods. Space and Culture, India 2014

]]><![CDATA[INDIA GROWS OLD]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:04:36 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/book-review-india-grows-old

Dr. K. Prabakar,
Social Work Foot Prints 4 (2)

The declining fertility and mortality rates and the increasing life expectancy at birth as well as at older ages lead to increase in the global population of persons aged 60 years and above. The 60+ population in India was more than 100 million in 2012 and that is estimated to be more than 323 million in 2050. As a proportion, one in five Indians will be 60 or over in 2050. Further, 44 million people are estimated to be in their eighties.

The phenomenal increase in the number and proportion of elderly people will pose serious social, economic, health care, political and other challenges to the central and state governments as well as to the Indian Society at large. In this book, edited by the well-known social gerontologist Prof.T.K.Nair, the twelve articles examine some of the issues concerning the Indian elderly in depth. More specifically the definition of old age, situation of older people in the villages, abuse and neglect of the elderly, the health care challenges and the role of traditional Indian medicine, life satisfaction in old age, national policy on senior citizens, social security, elder care legislation, research priorities in the field of ageing, elder care services in India, two models of community - based services for the elderly, and indifferent attitude of society towards old age are analysed in the articles.

The concept of old age is explained from different perspectives by Prof.Nair. He says “Old age is a relative concept which varies from society to society. Depending on the expectation of life, the definition of old age is found to vary from about 40 in some developing countries to 70 and beyond in some developed countries”. Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine, divides human life span into ten stages and categorizes the aging persons into two broad groups: Vriddha (60 to 80 years) and Jaratha (above 80 years). In ancient China, the calendar year was named with the combination of two sets of Chinese characters – one consisted of twelve characters and the other five characters. Therefore, on becoming sixty-one years old, the name of that year becomes same as that of the year of birth. Hence the sixty-first year after birth is called Kanreki (return of the calendar) which is often regarded as the beginning of old age or second childhood.

Dr.Nair refers to an integrated concept of age proposed by Psychologist James Birren. He differentiates the concepts of biological, psychological and social age. Biological age refers to the position of an organism with respect to its remaining potential longevity. Psychological age refers to an organism’s level of adaptability, that is, the state of those capacities which permit the individual to adapt to external and internal environmental demands. Social age is the individual’s position in expected age-graded social roles and social habits. A person’s functional age is viewed as a composite index of his/her potential biological, psychological and social capacities.

Dr.Nair concludes that old age defies any specific definition. It is not a mere statistical categorization or fact. “The social definition of old age depends on the norms of a particular society. Aging and being an older person are essentially social and cultural phenomena”.

The first research study on the elderly in India, perhaps, was that of Dr.H.M.Marulasiddaiah. “Old People of Makunti”, published in 1969, was based on a village study conducted five decades ago by him. The declining authority of the aged was empirically observed in the village. Professor K.Visweswara Rao’s article on the rural elderly in India analyses the situation of the older people in Indian villages. He also reviews the relevant policies and programmes.

Professor Devi Prasad’s article “Struggle for Survival: Narratives of Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly in Indian Families” presents heartrending case studies of the elderly who are victims of abuse and neglect. Dr.Devi Prasad says that studies have indicated that more than 95 percent of the abuse of elderly take place at home. A majority of the elderly live with their spouses, children, and grand children, and other relatives. That is why son, daughter-in-law, spouse and the daughter are frequently reported to be the abusers. While the typical profile of an elderly victim of abuse, whatever be the form of abuse, is found to be a ‘woman, widowed, of advanced age, poor and assetless’; a typical abuser is middle aged, a principal caregiver, and usually the offspring of the older person.

The case studies presented by Dr.Devi Prasad reveal different angles of the abuse of the elderly. One angle is that the patterns of elder abuse and neglect reflect and reinforce the prevailing negative stereotypes toward the elderly and their roles in society. The other angle is how we are constructing and explaining the phenomenon of maltreatment of the elderly in the larger context of socio-economic realities.

In the article “Research Priorities in the Field of Ageing”, Dr.Siva Raju says “the research on ageing in India was primarily focused on socio-economic and demographic profiles, living arrangements, problems of and services to the aged, interpersonal relationships especially of the urban elderly”. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches are required for a more comprehensive understanding of ageing issues. Also wide variation in levels of development and socio-economic status of people living in different geographical regions make national level studies on elderly essential. Analysis of both secondary and primary data needs to be attempted, wherever necessary, which in turn will help to focus on ageing issues, both at macro and micro levels.

According to WHO (2002) between 60-80% of the population in developing countries and a growing percentage in developed countries continue to avail services of traditional medical systems. In the article “Ageing Population in India: the Health System Role of Traditional Medicine”, Dr.P.M.UnniKrishnan of UN University observes that the approach to universal health coverage and health system development in India is predominantly based on modern medical approach. In the National Health Mission programmes traditional medicine is integrated marginally and mainly in the form of dispensable medicines and not as a holistic health care approach. Why are Ayurveda and other traditional medical systems not called for to address the health-care challenges of the elderly? There is a lot that these can offer in terms of preventive care, healthy lifestyles, early detection of likely manifestation through methods such as prakriti analysis, treatment methods such as panchakarma particularly in the case of chronic, debilitating conditions.

K.N.Ajith presents a case study of CEWA, the first community-based elder care project, while Dr.Kalpana Sampath’s case study is on a health care initiative, NMT. At a time when home for the aged was the form of elder care service for the elderly in India., Centre for the Welfare of the Aged (CEWA), formed in 1979, pioneered community-based elder care services in India.

CEWA’s Convictions:

The best place for the well- being of the elderly is the family.
Services to the elderly should be provided where they live or as near as possible.
Elderly are resources of the community. Their talents and resources are unlimited which should be identified, recognized, developed and utilised.
The elderly themselves will be able to manage programmes for their well–being with proper encouragement from social welfare personnel as facilitators and with necessary financial support.
The Chairman of the Tamilnadu Social Welfare Advisory Board, who led a Committee of the Centre Social Welfare Board in January 1985, made the following observations: “The members very much appreciated the day centres run by CEWA. They wanted to run such centres all over the country and I am very happy that this programme of yours is very much appreciated”.

Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) is a voluntary organization working for the well-being of the elderly in and around Bangalore through various innovative, family-based support systems for the senior citizens of different socio-economic groups. Some of Nightingales’s projects have emerged as models and are replicated in other parts of the country, NMT’s Centre for Alzheimer’s has a team of psychiatrists, physiotherapists and psychologists who take care of the elders along with educating the family on the support required from them while dealing with Dementia or Alzheimer’s patients. NMT also provides short term or respite care for the family having dementia person with them. This service is a boon for the family members when they have to go out of station or just want a break from caring for a short period.

Prof.Nair examines in detail the schemes and laws initiated by the government in the article “The State and the Elderly”. He also analyses the “Elder Care Services in India” in another article. The Government of India formulated the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 giving rise to hopes to millions of elderly in the country. But it remained almost a paper policy. So a revised one called the National Policy on Senior Citizens was framed in March 2011. But that policy is not yet notified by the government. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act was a major legislation. But its implementation is far from satisfactory. The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE) in India, launched in 2010, to be introduced in 100 districts in 21 states has not been put in place. In the developed nations, economic development preceded populations ageing. But in India the reverse trend has been seen. The government does not appear to be serious about the implications of this demographic shift.

“Life Satisfaction in Old Age” has been assessed by Dr.Nair based on a field study in Chennai City and in two nearby villages. The mean life satisfaction score of the elderly studied is low, that is, 7.89 while the range of the life satisfaction scores is from 0 to 18. Life satisfaction score of the urban elderly is double that of the rural elderly. Life satisfaction is found to be associated with health status, economic condition and belief in re-birth.

In the concluding article “Old Age in an Indifferent Society”, Dr.Nair discusses Indian family’s changing role in caring for the elderly, issues relating to income security, “age-ism”, apathy of governments, and the growing indifference in Indian society towards the older people. The pejorative image of a person who is old simply because of his or her age is seen as a growing phenomenon in India too. Older persons are portrayed as sick, helpless and useless in television programmes in India. All over the world there is a growing demand for a state-funded, universal, non-means-related non-contributing pension scheme for the elderly. Dr.Nair advocates for a universal pension of Rs.2, 000 per month which should be indexed to inflation. On the whole, the book “Old Age in an Indifferent Society” is a very good contribution to the field of ageing.

Dr. K. Prabakar
CEO, Apollo Knowledge
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Reviewer Name : Renuka Ramanujam

This book is a collection of articles on the growing needs of aging people and the apathetic attitude of society towards them. Aging is a natural process and there are around hundred million 60 plus citizens (2011-2012) which would rise further due to increase in life expectancy. The changing society and its individualistic and materialistic outlook have alienated the elderly from their family members and society at large. The various articles in the book look at aging from social, physical, economic and cultural perspectives and deal with policy needs and elderly care services that may help in the effective management of this phenomenon.

The author begins by specifying varied ways of defining “old age” according to culture, region and understanding of each society. However, the underlying principle in each society to understand old age is that with the passage of time, as measured by the chronological age, there is a reliable index of changes in minds and bodies, and in abilities causing limitations. Marulasiddaiah, in the article ‘Old People of Makunti’, a village located in Karnataka, portrays the shrinking control of older people over the younger generation. The younger generation no longer consults elders on any matter. In fact the elderly feels neglected and attribute this change as “Kalyug”. J. Vishweswara, in his article, “The Rural Elderly in India” brings out some significant facts that may induce the government to make some changes in policies and programmes for the elderly. According to Census of India, the majority of elderly (75%) live in rural areas and an equally large number are windows, A study conducted by Help Age India in seven states points out that one-fifth of the elderly live alone. Devi Prasad in his article portrays the neglect and abuse that elderly people face in the family. The prime reason, according to the writer, is their devalued social status and dependency on the family which increases as they advance in age. Another article deals with the traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, in geriatric care and the policy directions needed to integrate traditional medical systems into geriatric care.

An interesting contribution is by the editor himself on “Life Satisfaction in Old Age”, using life satisfaction scale and statistical analysis to show variation based on variables: age, sex, marital status, health, children, place of residence and economic situation. T.K. Nair, discusses at length the responsibility of the State towards the elderly, the various Acts and provisions and the existing care services ranging from institutional care to community care. S. Siva Raju in his article points at the need to diversify research in the field of aging in India which will promote effective age-related policies. Aging needs a multi and inter-disciplinary perspective. There is a need to recognize this group as a resource group. Social gerontology should include issues which affect the later period of life like retirement, pension and welfare policy. The last section in the book deals with the community of concern for the elderly and concludes that the best place for the well-being of the elderly is the family itself. Nevertheless, it lists out various community centres that take care of the aged.

The presentation in the book is very simple, lucid and valuable and it covers almost all aspects related to old age. The book gives an insight into the various problems and challenges for the government and its citizens which requires a major shift in attitude towards old people.

Renuka Ramanujam
Indian Social Institute

]]><![CDATA[Social Policy, Social Welfare and Social Development-Pathak’s Ideas: A Critical Essay ]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:07:15 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/social-policy-social-welfare-and-social-development-pathaks-ideas-a-critical-essay-venkat-pulla

Venkat Pulla

‘We spent all our time trying to get the policy right, we should have spent more time trying to get the politics right’ (Obama, 2012)

Abstract:
Any discussion around India’s Social Policy, Social Welfare and Social Development ought to be laid in the context of India’s sixty years of planning history. In this critical essay, I explore the views and treatise of octogenarian Shankar Pathak on social welfare policies and development of the poor in India. In those sixty years of planning, India has certainly made strides, such as producing some billionaires that enter into who’s who list compiled by Forbes, alongside its poor making world’s record officially included into the top ten poor nations. India’s situation can be aptly captured and surmised by borrowing the famous saying of American Political Economist ‘doing better but feeling worse’ ( Wildavsky, 1977, pp 105), this paper examines Pathak’s (2013) views on social policy, welfare and social development in India and to an extent his views on social work profession in India.

Pathak, S, (2013), Social Policy Social Welfare and Social Development, Niruta Publications, Bangalore, India, ISBN-978-81-923424-7-4

Introduction
I have spent some 38 years in India and even if I miss reflecting on my innings until my teenage, I vividly remember about my growing awareness of two rather pervasive phenomena in the Indian society i.e. a hierarchical structure and abundance of stark inequalities amongst people.   I used to ask my teachers in about these two major concerns. Overtime I came into social work and realized that these two giant obstacles will stretch the limits of the profession. Historians could see this being an Indian characteristic for centuries. It is this pathological condition that worried the Delhi school of social work academic Shankar Pathak ( 2013) who worked his guts out in the last one year to update some of his previous writings originally written in 1979-1987 period and subsequently added his reflections on the current plagues and aliments in India. What I take from reading these fascinating essays is that clearly there are many challenges in India: For the government, for the welfare sector and its people when it comes to poverty alleviation.

The task of reviewing sixty years of official economic and development planning in India from the lens of social work constitutes a review of how good, bad, ugly and pervasive this commitment has been towards looking after the poorer and vulnerable sections in the Indian society. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi seems to have declared his vision to see that ‘poverty, as we have known it, will be a thing of the past. Every village will be electrified, assured of clean drinking water and adequate health services. Education will be available to every child’ (Gandhi, Rajiv, 1987, quoted in Pathak, 2013) A couple of years ago Barak Obama was speaking on his health reform and he said that ‘We spent all our time trying to get the policy right, we should have spent more time trying to get the politics right’ I am reminded of this today in the context of the speed at which the national government in India wants to speed up the food security bill or the explicit abhorrence it showed towards the emerging anti corruption agendas.

Poverty and Social Work
Pathak nearly all his life analyzed the profession’s reach and often questioned social work’s ‘apolitical’ stance. In his writings Pathak clearly indicates his yearning for social work to take on the role of an ‘ideologist and a social actionist’. Pathak, with great admiration relates to a story of a missionary in Travancore, South India. He says, in the last century, the untouchables were not allowed to use the public roads, visit offices and were denied education in schools and refused employment- one missionary according to Pathak described himself as ‘political missionary and declared that if we want to work for social justice, we have to be political missionaries There is no alternative’ (Pathak, 2013, p196)

Pathak writes further:
‘whatever be the phrase- social justice, distributive justice, redistributive justice- the underlying idea is fairness by man to fellow human beings based on the principle of equality – social, political and economic’. It implies undoing the wrongs done to segments of population for decades and even centuries by those who had the power to take the lion’s share of all social resources including human dignity. It implies compassion, care and concern for the deprived and the exploited’ (Pathak, 2013 p.196)

Indian social work history has chunks about social reformers that India had and about the causes that they tried to deal with in those times. But as we tease those causes it becomes clear that a great number of them actually dealt with poverty. ‘While the heritage seems to be the source of inspiration for modern social workers’ Pathak, writes, ‘who unlike those early leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, M.G.Ranade, and Keshab Chandra Sen, failed to devote any attention to the miseries of the poor, let alone make poverty the main focus of social work’ (Pathak, 2013, p 135) Historically social reform and social work in the industrially advances countries of the west originated around the problem of mass poverty , following industrial revolution. Thus social work and social workers retained some kind of an attachment of link with poverty as part of their heritage.   Pathak writes:

‘As is well known, social reform movement in India had a different beginning. Certainly, the circumstances were not similar. As a result, the social workers in India have not felt it necessary even to maintain a tenuous link with the problem of poverty….If they ( social workers) were concerned with the poor as part of their work, it is because they had no choice about it’(Pathak, 2013, p 135)

Pathak expresses his unhappiness and contempt at the growing corruption, lack of transparency, irresponsible leadership, and opportunist political sloganism, misguided and ill guided ambitions amidst plenty of opportunity to right every wrong in the country called India. Pathak does see a ray of hope in the profession of social work but wishes that it was able to produce a cadre that could Sheppard and lead poverty alleviation. It is quite debatable in this context to see where Indian social work is heading. It is possible that it is producing a level of clerical functionaries similar to many western countries that sit and administer programmes handed down from the top. Social work consultations also take place with client communities occasionally over programme and methodological changes. Social work appears to be a profession bereft of ideology social action for social justice. Pathak writes:

‘If we want to work for social justice, we have to be political missionaries. There is no alternative. We cannot speak like radials and act like conservatives. That would be hypocrisy unlimited. I am actively conscious of the fact that the task is not easy. But a beginning has to be made in all earnestness’ (Pathak, 2013, p, 196)

Certainly these questions that Pathak raises are paradoxical in the context of social work philosophy. World over social work has an espoused commitment for equality and justice but the profession does not appear to be sensitive to incidences of injustices committed every day. Be it India, or East Timor, or western nations like Australia or United Kingdom, - social work professional bear’s eyewitness to injustice with limited reach and interventions. India needs a range of social workers. If I may describe them they would fall under the following categories. social work dreamers and achievers; daring social workers; innovative social workers; those that can work from within the government and bring change; those who believe and work on Gandhian lines; social workers who can see the ecological connections and can articulate them; social workers who work for LGBT and human rights areas; social workers who work for civil liberties; social workers who can articulate that all social work is political and lastly a live wire brand of academics who have practice interests in social work. There is no other mantra for salvation of social work in India but to start building such cadres of social workers.

Pathak’s Approach
For social work academics that desire a critical appreciation of the more complex economic, public administration and policy phenomena, a sense of time and modern history of India, Pathak re-packs in his latest book titled Social Policy, Social Welfare and Social Development (Pathak, 2013) , several anecdotal vignettes from his innings in social work. Pathak counts three scores of Indian’s planning and development through a interdisciplinary lens which makes these essays, a must read for anyone who wants to understand why India is unable to develop or on a more positive note that the country still has an opportunity to respond to ameliorating its poverty of its majority people. Eighty three year old Shankar Pathak has given sixty years of his thought approximating to the sixty years of planning in this country called India. Shankar Pathak belongs to the era of social workers who gave unto themselves the privilege to critically evaluate the contexts, concerns and the commitments of the state in the area of welfare with the rigour that the questions deserved. Pathak (2013) raises the questions: what is the problem? Who owns the problem? Who ought to own the solutions and the final question are there any policy instruments that can be utlised? Pathak identifies government action or residual work as a result of state actions, state legislation, law and its fiscal or monetary allocations as policy instruments to which he clearly sees the need to add advocacy, and people’s voices as important instruments. When I use the word advocacy I am talking about the possible role of social work advocacy in India. Certainly the number of schools of social work has increased in India in the last six decades and there are several thousands of non-state actors that work in the welfare sector which is clearly to be seen as an opportunity. Pathak sees that the definition of the stake holder is skewed in the Indian arena of planning development as a result of its handed down policies that do not seem to yield a clear appreciation of the stakeholder profile. This is despite of years of post planning and post decision research in India. Pathak writes:

‘The poor have always been a happy hunting ground for the politicians, the reformers and the academicians. This is not surprising. Poverty is good business for some people. Described as the salt of the earth nineteen centuries ago, the poor today are known as the wretched of the earth and as the fourth world’ (Pathak, 2013, p, 119)

Do Bureaucrats Hate Poor?
Interesting fact of history that Pathak revisits in India relates to poverty of the Indian people that played a very major part in both unifying the native population as a community in their struggle against the colonial power and in developing the sense of nationalism among the elite, thus ‘since 19th century monarchs and politicians have found it expedient to legitimize their claim to hold power by an appeal to the poor’ (Pathak, 2013, p, 130). I am fascinated by his candid but valid observations from his field work days in Rajasthan about how government bureaucrats viewed the poor. Similar to Pathak, my own observations confirm that most government bureaucrats hate the poor. Pathak (2013) says:

“…. Rajasthan gave me plenty of opportunities to observe the deep hostility of the government bureaucracy towards the poor. There are of course, sympathetic and dedicated individuals at all levels of the bureaucracy. But the overall mindset in these circles strikes me as extremely anti-poor’ (emphasis supplied by Pathak, 2013, p 200).

In the last 21 years for a substantial amount of time I worked in state bureaucracies in Australia, and I can confirm by own observations that hostility towards the poor cuts across all societies and nations. My observations are qualified by experience of being on teams that work post disaster in communities to get the families and communities recover from the impending effects of disaster. Barring social workers and allied health workers, I have noticed hostility towards the poor as part of the objective culture of bureaucracy.

India’s poor, astonishingly, receive mention when the rest of the citizen elites want to build sky scrapers or beautify the cities. The poor are cleaned out and can be bulldozed and their houses razed in the wake of city development or road widening. These people can be banished to the outskirts of the city. Pathak intrigues at the relationship of the poor with the rest of the population. He finds that the relationship is akin to the concept of metropolitan –satellite relationship. The elites and the well to do are the metropolitan keepers of the urban society that can see the relegated lives of the poor to the untouchable squalors of the cities or rural fringes: essentially built around the edifice of inequality, exploitation and dependence. Pathak defines poverty ‘as a failure of a segment of the population to command essential resources of life’ (2013, p, 134). The poor in the rural front have tales and pathetic sagas of farmer suicides, farm labour suicides, listlessness and lack of equal opportunities for education and development constantly causing high rates of incidence of internally displaced populations that move from one state to the other in search of livelihood. Pathak, see the manifestation of anti poor stance of bureaucracy through:

‘Pervasive tendencies to blame the victims for their own predicament, poor people are blamed for being lazy, for not sending their children to school, for squandering their money to drink and so on. In the context of drought relief, they were constantly accused (against all evidence of being unwilling to take up employment on relief works’ (Pathak, 2013, p200)

Amita Shah, director of Gujarat Institute of Development Research, says, “Poverty reduction programmes must include issues of economic growth, employment generation, socio-spatial equity, environmental sustainability and political stability within a holistic framework” ( Shah, A, in Mahapatra, 2011). There is inequality in the efforts made to prevent people from poverty and get them out of it. The numerous poverty alleviation programmes are inadequate and insufficient ( Mahapatra, 2011). POVERTY is becoming hereditary in India, at least for a sizeable population. That is the conclusion derived from a three-decade tracking of poor households in rural India. A survey by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), an international association of researchers and academicians, claims that those who are chronically poor may pass on poverty to their next generation. What’s more, people residing in tribal and forested areas are likely to remain poor forever, fomenting violent conflicts in future. Most of India’s forested districts are already dens of Naxalites ( Mahapatra, 2011). Of the 29 such programmes studied in the survey, only nine could prevent people from falling into the poverty trap. Thirteen could enable escape from poverty and 16 could alleviate chronic poverty. Shashanka Bhide, a senior fellow of the National Council of Applied Economic Research says that a significant proportion of non-poor households may fall into poverty while a large proportion of poor may not manage to escape it ( Mahapatra, 2011).

India’s population, irrespective of its numbers at any given point of time, will always have nearly two thirds living in appalling conditions, gutters, and squalor. But they will of course run the cities relentlessly from the rural environments or tribal habitats. Politicians occasionally champion their cause but constantly feed on them and only marginal adjustments are advanced to those in poverty. The India Chronic Poverty Report about which Mahapatra ( 2011) wrote came at a time when the country was awaiting its latest National Sample Survey for estimation of poverty. On April 21, while unveiling the approach paper to the 12th Five Year Plan for 2012-17, the Planning Commission disclosed that poverty has reduced from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 32 per cent in 2009-10. This estimate is certainly critical for the next Plan and the much debated National Food Security Law. In the table below we present some select investigations into Chronic Poverty.

(1977),Doing  Better and  Feeling Worse: The  Political Pathology of Health Policy, Daedalus, Vol. 106,  No. 1,  pp.  105-123

Mahpatra (2011) writes that India’s Supreme Court ordered the planning commission to explain the basis of coming up with a percentage of people below-poverty-line (BPL) as being at 36 per cent. The percentage helps the commission decide the direction of development programmes and distribution of food grains under the public distribution system. The apex court’s observation came in the wake of a petition filed by nonprofit People’s Union for Civil Liberties. The petitioner contended that adequate food grains are not being given to people living below the poverty line. Social workers ought to become familiar with this as this probably will enter into the fundamental rights within the constitution as the Right to Food. The court also challenged the commission’s estimates of BPL families. “There cannot be two Indias,” said the apex court while describing the country’s high economic growth and consistent poverty. “The poverty level is reducing but at a slow pace,” (Mahapatra, 2011).

Poverty and Democratic Governance
I am not sure if there is a commonsense perspective that takes into consideration a normative stake holder analysis before considering planning for poverty alleviation in India. I suggest that such an approach to stakeholder analysis ought to have at least two variables: the interests of the stake holders and if they have any claims and whom do they make these claims?   From a social welfare perspective the stake holders ought to be the clients; provider organizations; government structures in India; people advocates; non state actors and broader public. Pathak’s observations (2013) suggests

lack of orchestrated consultation processes
lack of will to build collaborations with people around what they need
non adherence to any collaborative production
prejudice towards the poor in India
Incapacity of understanding what the core problem is and identifying what sort of policy options are required to deal with it.

Pathak clearly sees that there are many systemic and social obstacles that require attention before poor people’s rights and needs become claimable. He indicates that these firstly relate to the capacity in the Indian society and secondly to the willingness to develop programmes of amelioration of the poor. Pathak examines the state governments in West Bengal, and Kerala (Kerala to a lesser degree) where the communists and communist with other progressive group led coalition’s ruled for most of the six decades, to argue that the efficacy of their ideology ought to have had some difference in the poverty claims of the people. Indian constitution with its clear directions of principles of state policy allows for such variance such that the willingness of the state can positively be tempered by the ideology, resources, ability to respond to local crisis and to pioneer alternatives for progress and models for other states to follow. Multi-party coalitions including those coalitions arrived through the making of post-election alliances, are now the norm in the states as well as at the centre in India. This means relatively higher support across the board for smaller political parties with a narrower social and geographical focus ( Mehta,Shepherd, Bhide, Shah and Kumar, 2011).

One new and serious consequence of the period of frequent elections and multiple coalition governments has been politicisation of the civil administration. However, the political situation has become relatively more stable since 1989, and since 2004-05 there have been no mid-term elections or premature endings to a government at the centre. India has now been led by the same Prime Minister and political alliance for two consecutive terms ( Mehta, et al , 2011). It is significant that, since the introduction of economic reforms, several of the poorest states have been governed by regional political formations or by a national party that is not in power at the central level. There has also been a strong wave of identity politics among communities trapped in poverty. This has included a rise in the prominence of communal issues, formation and split of the ‘backwardclass’ vote bank, dalit assertion and intensified efforts by women to attain political space (   Mehta, et al , 2011).

Tribal political elites in the Hindi belt have also successfully distanced themselves from others by demanding their own territories, which in 2000 were carved out of Bihar (Jharkhand), Uttar Pradesh (Uttarakhand) and Madhya Pradesh (Chhattisgarh). A rise in the number of non-party networks of democratic people’s movements and civil society activists has been a prominent feature of this era. These have challenged the purpose and process of the paradigm shift, using peaceful and democratic means around issues of livelihoods, agriculture, displacement, disinvestment, the environment and human rights. Some have also been associated with the nationwide and sometimes worldwide networks of anti-globalisation groups (Mehta,et.al ,2011 ).

It appears that good governance is central to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as it provides the ‘enabling environment’ for the realisation of the MDGs and, in particular, the elimination of poverty from a social work perspective. The critical importance of democratic governance in the developing world was highlighted at the Millennium Summit of 2000, about thirteen years ago where the world’s leaders resolved to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development. A consensus was reached which recognised that improving the quality of democratic institutions and processes, and managing the changing roles of the state and civil society in an increasingly globalised world must underpin national efforts to reduce poverty, sustain the environment, and promote human development. As such good governance people’s involvement and their inputs into the planning process. From the human rights perspective enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved when we create conditions that guarantee everyone to enjoy his or her economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his or her civil and political rights in society.

In this regard, I am sure the Indian constitution has adequate emphasis that stipulates that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. The eradication of widespread poverty, including its most persistent forms, and the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural rights, civil and political rights remain the interrelated goals. These very rights are also expressed as millennium development goals that India ought to be reminded   constantly.

It is my firm belief that alleviating poverty is a daunting task to be simply left to government; therefore I suggest that no one section in society is capable of doing anything with poverty. The paranoia in political parties is all about showing some of stewardship in servicing the poor.   But political elites that sleaze on poverty and the bureaucrats that programme the political mandates into successive government programmes and the economists that oversee the planning commission processes often are left to be content adjusting the ill fated poverty line and bumping the ‘poor’ up or down. Seriously poverty has to be seen as every body’s business. It is not largesse thrown at poor or semblance of social responsibility by some business houses. it is quite in order that we do not have a Harvard Management School prescription for a solution for poverty. India has some of the top management schools that produce the managerial mandarins of the future, several that go away to make the rest of the world a better place to live. I believe that some deliberate and sustained dialogue needs to take place between those who can provide good human resources and build an enabling ethos in the society. India needs to find its own answers for its poverty. Brilliant graduates and geniuses with an un-ignited social conscience are also need to be provided opportunities to challenge their skills to find solutions for India’s welfare. The stakeholders in poverty alleviation ought to include the poor, the average man on the street, the business houses, the country’s top management schools, the ruling elites, social workers and the three tier government agencies to look at an integrated and holistic approach based on inputs from all stakeholders.

How would India’s postcard on the MDGs implementation look like? Will it focus on self reliance, prioritising the goals? Doing MDGs right is actually another way of meeting and strengthening human rights in India. A need to link the agenda of development, human rights and extreme poverty, as well as efforts to empower people living in poverty to participate in decision-making processes on policies that affect them together are certainly required. If India aims to become a peaceful society its social work and welfare agenda ought to create institutional and non institutional apparatus that is ripe for development and free itself from injustices and human rights abuses.

References
1. Mahapatra, R, (2011) Poverty begets poverty
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/poverty-begets-poverty Accessed on 25/05/2013
2. Mehta, AK, Shepherd,A Bhide, S, Shah, A. and Kumar,A, (2011) India Chronic Poverty Report: Towards solutions and new compacts in a dynamic context Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi
3. Wildavsky, A, (1977), Doing Better and Feeling Worse: The  Political Pathology of Health Policy, Daedalus, Vol. 106,  No. 1,  pp.  105-123
Published by: The MIT Press on  behalf of American Academy of Arts & Sciences Accessed: 26/08/2013

Venkat Pulla
MA – Social Work, URCD, (TISS) PhD, Karnatak, BSc, BJ (Osmania), teaches social work at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia.

]]><![CDATA[Music of the Spinning Wheel]]>Thu, 13 Aug 2015 11:59:10 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/music-of-the-spinning-wheel

Dr. D. Jeevan Kumar

Sudheendra Kulkarni, ‘Music of the Spinning Wheel:
Mahatma Gandhi’s Manifesto for the Internet Age’,
Amaryllis Publications, New Delhi, 2012, pp. 725.

Of all the great figures of the 20th century, Gandhi has perhaps best stood the test of time. In the aftermath of a century of unprecedented mass violence, many see in him the prophet of the only possible future for mankind, a future without hatred, greed and lust for power. Interest in Gandhi’s thought and actions is on the increase, and his message to the world appears uniquely relevant. He remains however, in many ways, an enigma.

The one aspect of Gandhian thought that is most enigmatic is his outlook towards science, technology and industrialization. Gandhi’s views on industrialization did not commend themselves to the Indian intelligentsia. To many of his eminent contemporaries, Gandhian economics seemed a throwback to primitiveness; to a utopian pre-industrial position which was untenable in the modern world.

But was Gandhi really opposed to industrialization and to modern science and technology? Did he, with his unusual ideas on development, seek to take India back in time, to the ‘dark medieval age’, as some of his critics claim? Or was he a visionary who not only foretold moral degradation and the looming crisis in development, but also showed an alternative path of development that is both pro-people and protective of the environment? Was he utopian in his insistence that science, economics and ethics must go together, or was his insistence a warning that the world has ignored at its peril? Would he have shunned the Internet, arguably the greatest technological invention of mankind, or embraced it? What would he have said about nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and other breathtaking promises of science and technology in the twenty-first century?

States the author of the book under review: “The more I dug into this subject, the more convinced I became that Gandhi was far from being an opponent of modern science and technology. On the contrary, by redefining development, the Gandhian vision seeks to relocate that place of science and its practical uses in the overall terrain of human affairs where it can promote mankind’s holistic progress, and not be used for exploitation and violence.”

The purpose of this book is not merely to dynamite the mountain of misconception on this score that survives even six decades after Gandhi’s death. It is not merely to demonstrate that the moral symbolism of khadi and charkha has an abiding relevance for the twenty-first century. Rather, it is also to postulate that the Internet – and all other digital-era technologies supported by it – have the potential to realize the kernel of what Gandhi had been envisioning to achieve through the spinning wheel: a new, nonviolent, inter-dependent, cooperative, sustainable and morally guided world order.

The future world shaped by digital technologies could well validate and actualize the fundamental philosophy of the spinning wheel. This possibility has arisen because the socio-economic and political conditions that gave rise to the use of science and technology in the pre-Internet era for the domination and disempowerment of large masses of people, are speedily changing in the age of the Internet. A new networked global community is emerging in which the Internet and digital technologies are providing intellectual and practical tools to the common people to change social, political and economic structures.

Indeed, as far as the transformative power of the digital-age technologies is concerned, mankind has so far seen only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The twenty-first century will bring a tsunami of changes that will transform the material aspects of our world beyond recognition at all levels – global, national and local.

These technology-driven changes, the book argues, will prove Gandhi right. “For they will mean transition from globalization to glocalisation; from centralization to decentralization; from power and prosperity in the hands of a few to many; from prosperity defined purely in material terms to that which gives primacy to the richness of culture and ethical values; from unhealthy competition to healthy cooperation; from an exploitative attitude towards nature and its resources to an attitude of harmonious co-living. The disconnect between economics and ethics, which the world has experienced for the past several centuries with the onset of colonialism and the mad race to conquer distant markets, will be substantially reduced. Old technologies gave birth to this exploitative order. New technologies, if used wisely, will dig its grave. Several forms of large-scale violence, such as wars between nation-states, will become a thing of the past. Isn’t this what khadi and the spinning wheel of Gandhi’s conception stood for?”

The principal learning from Gandhi’s charkha movement is that technology must empower the common man and that it should be a binding force for society to pursue a lofty goal. Both of these are true for the Internet. Anyone can connect to it freely.

Anyone can benefit from, and contribute to, the ocean of information and knowledge contained in it. In the process, the Internet has also become a new uniting power on a planetary scale by bringing individuals, groups, countries and cultures together in virtual as well as real spaces. Indeed, it is mid-wifing the birth of altogether new communities cutting across physical, racial, religious, economic and cultural barriers. Thus, it has become more than a technology of empowerment; it has become an ally and a catalyst in human evolution.

As Jean-Francois Noubel, says, ‘We are currently witnessing the evolution from localized collective intelligence to global collective intelligence’.

This can have a profound impact on the nature of economic, social, political and governance organizations in the future. Today’s large organizations, which are the products of the industrial revolution, colonialism, capitalism, communism and variants of these, work mostly on the predatory instincts of self-survival, control, conquest or elimination of the adversary, disrespect for the environment and lip service to human dignity. Violence in some form or the other is hard-wired into the functioning of many of these organizations. In contrast, the Internet has been slowly spawning new kinds of collectivities which promote Gandhian values such as cooperation, mutual trust and caring, sharing of resources and collective growth.

The author introduces a caveat here by affirming that the Internet has the potential to realize the ideals that Gandhi associated with the charkha. However, whether its potential is substantially realized in the coming decades or not depends on the wisdom content of a number of other socio-political factors.

Actualization of the enormous potential of the Internet to promote nonviolent and sustainable development depends on the morally self-restrained conduct of individuals and institutions. Hence this book also contains philosophical speculation about the future of information technology, based on some prescient thoughts of Gandhi himself on Satyagrahaand Swaraj. In the Gandhian conception, Satya (Truth) also defines the moral and ontological dimension of life, and is not merely the true-false matrix that drives scientific research in the material world.

Similarly, swaraj means a lot more than political ‘freedom’ for a nation. It essentially means enlightened and ethically guided self-governance, in which the ‘self’ stands as much for the individual as for the other concentric social institutions in what Gandhi describes as the ‘Oceanic Circle’. This Oceanic Circle is circumscribed by the infinite Cosmic Self – God Himself, who, according to Gandhi, is a synonym for Truth. In Vedantic terms, it represents a non-hierarchical order starting from identifying the self with the individual being at the lowest end to the Universal Being at the highest. In other words, an individual or a nation can be said to have attained swaraj only if their conduct is in alignment with the canons of truth. Similarly, satyagraha (insistence for truth or truth force) of the Mahatma’s conception was not merely a tactic or a method of protest, as it has unfortunately been reduced to today. Clinging to truth had to be a way of life in every human activity in every era of history.

A clarification on the title of the book would be in order. Gandhi’s quest for truth and nonviolence was also a quest for harmony. And the most universal language of harmony is music. He frequently uses the term ‘music of the spinning wheel’ in his writings on thecharkha and khadi.

All of us netizens around the world have to ask ourselves: How can we experience the music of harmony within ourselves when we work on the Internet? And how can we spread, and actualize, the message of harmony through our work.

This book is not the work of idle academic curiosity about an iconic figure of yesteryears. It is a call to action and service, based on the author’s reflections on what Gandhi means to India and the world, today and tomorrow. Our country, in particular, needs to rediscover the relevance of his teachings, if it is not to commit the follies of its own past and, also, if it is not to repeat the follies of the West. In Gandhi’s teachings, we find the right guidance to reunite our divided society and also our fractured subcontinent. In his teachings, we find the right principles to reform our economic and political systems, both of which are today mired in deepening corruption. In his teachings, we find that a new and harmonious Man-Nature relationship, which is now badly ruptured to the detriment of both, can indeed be created with the right use of modern technologies. Finally, his teachings are also a call, as described in this book, for human beings to become ‘more than human’ by ascending the God-ward evolutionary path.

‘Music of the Spinning Wheel’ presents Mahatma Gandhi’s life and mission in an altogether new and integral light, through the prism of the perils and possibilities of the Internet Age. Perhaps for the first time in Gandhian literature, this book discovers a correlation between the amazing potential of the Internet and the moral message of the spinning wheel. It also highlights the abiding relevance of Gandhian thought and ideas – from economics to education, from nature cure to environment protection, from sex to women’s empowerment, and from politics to peacemaking and peace-building.

Supported by an original and incisive exploration, the book argues that the Internet, and the many digital technologies spawned by it, has the potential to actualize the Mahatma’s ideals. In the process, the book also dynamites the widespread misconception that Gandhi was against modern science and technology. After surveying modern science’s journey, the book makes an optimistic prediction: “The marriage of modern technologies with swarajya and satyagraha, understood in the Gandhian sense, will shape tomorrow’s just and non-violent world.”

However, the author also places a cautionary caveat: “The Internet’s potential to inaugurate a new phase in human evolution can be realized only if the world’s affairs, and also our individual lives, are radically re-ordered along a strong ethical axis. Hence the book’s inspiring call to denizens of the digital world to become ‘Internet Satyagrahis’.

‘Music of the Spinning Wheel’ is indeed a meticulously researched re-projection of Mahatma Gandhi as a techno-savvy seer for India and the world. The author deserves to be complimented for undertaking a voluminous exercise that runs into as many as 725 pages – without, at any point, appearing to bore the reader. The possible monotony that could arise when going through the volume is relieved by cartoons, caricatures, sketches and photographs. The book should be made compulsory reading in courses of Gandhian Studies, both in India and across the world. The book should also stimulate a meaningful discussion, through seminars and workshops, on the major ideas expressed in it.

Dr. D. Jeevan Kumar
Professor of Political Science, and
Director, Centre for Gandhian Studies
Bangalore University, Bangalore-560056
jeeves0607@yahoo.com

]]><![CDATA[Social Work Profession in India: An Uncertain Future]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 18:19:43 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/social-work-profession-in-india-an-uncertain-future

Dr. K.R.Gangadharan,
Social Work Foot Prints, 4 (4)

Social work in India has three components: clinical social work (in particular, psychiatric social work), developmental social work (or development work), and social action (for social justice and social equity) according to Prof. T.K. Nair. The present book contains ten articles from social work practitioners and social work scholars who critically analyse the different dimensions of social work practice and education.

“Philosophy of Social Work in Changing India”, by late Professor M.V. Moorthy traces the philosophy of social work in India from ancient times to the modern era. He observes rightly that theory and practice should go hand in hand; but behind theory and practice there should be philosophy to give tone, tenor and temper to the profession. Prof. Moorthy adds: “Whatever may be the line of development followed by professional social work in the West, we in India cannot ignore the ethical contents and spirit of social work profession”.

Professor Henry D’ Souza’s article “Social Justice in India: Reflections” focuses on redistributive justice because the lack of it reinforces injustice in gender, religion, caste and tribe. He describes in detail poverty, slavery and bonded labour, corruption and bribery in India. He says that social justice struggles in our diverse, complex and largest democracy will need to continue fearlessly and with relentless determination. He is not optimistic of the effectiveness of social work profession in promoting social justice though some social workers educated in the schools of social work may commit themselves to serve the vulnerable and poor by engaging themselves in organizing local communities, and initiating struggles for social and economic justice.

“Evolutionary Excellence in Social Work” by Sampath and Kalpana Sampath underscores the conviction of the authors that individuals and institutions strive towards excellence. To align individual and organizational values, a continuous clarification process is essential which should ideally involve the ability to “connect, correlate and create”. For any individual or organization, excellence is an ongoing process. When individuals and institutions pursue excellence, they make a difference to themselves and to those around them.

Dr. Shanthi Ranganathan has devoted her whole life for treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics and other substance addicts under the auspices of the TTK Hospital, which she founded, for which she was awarded the Padma Shri and the UN Vienna Civil Society Award. In the article, “Substance Use Disorders and Social Work Interventions”, she explains in detail the measures for prevention of substance use disorders, early identification and enhancing motivation, treatment and followup. Besides individualized therapy, family therapy is arranged to reinforce the rehabilitation process. Professional social work has been given a key role in TTK hospital, a global leader in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) as the founder - director herself is a social worker. But Dr. Shanthi says that schools of social work give low preference to training of social workers with skills needed to work with persons with SUDs.

CAP Foundation, a social enterprise, founded in 1997 by Dr. Nalini Gangadharan, believes that skill development is the key for empowerment of young men and women. Her article “Poverty Alleviation through Skill Building : A Social Work Initiative” presents the CAP model of “Linking Learning and Livelihood” needs of working children and youth to equitable market-oriented employability opportunities. CAP’s vision is to be an end - to - end community – based solutions provider in quality education to build safer, healthier and productive communities of young people capable of supporting self- directed growth and positive citizenship. Till 2013, CAP Foundation has trained 2, 54,395 young persons in 15 states and it has international presence in 8 locations.CAP Foundation is an illustration of the developmental social work initiative.

Ms.Annie Namala has been actively involved in promoting social equity and protecting Dalit human rights for more than three decades. Annie Namala’s article “Promoting Social Justice, Human Rights and Empowerment” discusses in details the rights violations. Dalit communities continue to face caste - based violence despite the prohibition of untouchability and all forms of caste - based disabilities. On education and social inclusion, the article refers to the poor implementation of the various government provisions and schemes. Ms. Annie points out that social work studies need to constantly engage in a praxis process between theoretical instruction and field action. She wants the schools to engage field practitioners to be part of their faculty for periods of time.

Professor B. Devi Prasad, in his article “Voluntary Sector and Professional Social Work: Trends and Challenges” makes a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of both the sectors. The strengths of the voluntary sector are the diversity of areas covered by the sector; the innovative role by experimenting and promoting new areas of development work; and the closeness to people. The weaknesses of the voluntary sector include suspected allegiance of foreign - funded organizations; absence of transparency and credibility of many organizations; and uncertainty of regular funding support. The strengths of professional work according to Devi Prasad are its professional base with a track record of performance globally; sound knowledge base; and accountability to society. The weaknesses include the deteriorating quality of professional social work education; and the ideological deficit. On social work education, Devi Prasad comments that it is “a sea of mediocrity with islands of excellence and visibility”.

Professor R.R. Singh’s article “Education for Professional Social Work in India: Overview” critically looks at the education for professional social work in the context of the changing perspectives of the profession, proliferation of social work institutions, problems in the maintenance of standards, less availability of senior faculty for professional socialization of students, and variations in courses and credits. Dr. Singh examines almost all aspects of social work education in India in this article with authority. R.R. Singh observes that the proliferation of such institutions is indeed a threat to the quality of professional social work education and practice. Most of these are self serving institutions which are not preparing competent professionals to serve society.

In the article “Should We Re-think the Nature of Social Work?”,Dr. M.Nadarajah is of the view that social work, as a mode of engagement, is an expression of our compassionate sentiment, born out of our sociability, and it is essentially directed at those in need of help. Dr. Nadarajah states that social work today is a profession in the economy and job market. It has also been commodified, bringing it within the universe of profit motive. While social work has the features, in relation to addressing human misery, it has also assumed features that are towards profit maximization. In as much as it is in this orientation, there must be a constant supply of human misery. The general effort of professional social work as an institution will not be directed at social prevention but towards curative activities, much like how the medical industry works. Dr. Nadarajah is of the view that society where people engage at all levels to address human suffering and consider radical structural reforms and prevention would not be in the interest of modern, professionalized social work.

Professor T.K. Nair, in his article “Humanitarianism Professionalized: Dilemmas of Social Work in India”, traces the history of social work profession and social work education. The proliferation of social work courses under different auspices; the dominance of HR (human resources) concentration in the social work curricula; the unwillingness of social work educational institutions to focus on social work without HR; the deteriorating quality of social work education in most institutions; the lack of practice-based research by the practitioners as well as the faculty; the absence of regulatory bodies of social work education and practice; and related issues are discussed by Prof. Nair in his article. He comes to the conclusion that social work is not a profession in India.

My joining the Madras School of Social Work for the postgraduate programme was with the confidence that the Postgraduate Diploma would enable me to get into the Personnel Department of an industry, which I secured on completion of the social work course. After working in industries for some years, I decided to accept an offer from the newly established corporate hospital (Apollo Hospital) at Chennai to head its Human Resource Department. Subsequently I was promoted as General Manager (Operations), which gave me a tremendously valuable experience in building and developing a hospital. I, then, shifted my base to Hyderabad, where I worked as Vice-President of a major hospital. At that time, I decided to start a hospital of my own. During one of my regular interactions with Prof. T. K. Nair at Chennai, he suggested to enter into the field of ageing. Prof. Nair was at that time active in promoting community based services for the elderly. He presented a grand design for me including President ship of the International Federation on Ageing. At that time, I was quite skeptical of the feasibility of his advice but as destiny would have it, I started the Heritage Hospital for the elderly. Incidentally, Prof .Nair was the one who suggested the title Heritage for my initiatives. I was invited to speak at the White House Conference on Ageing in 2005. I became President of the International Federation on Ageing before I turned 60. I travelled to many countries as IFA president. I was one of the members of a panel Open-ended Working Group on Ageing. I am invited as a resource person by UN ESCAP and WHO SEAR in many of their regional meeting of experts on ageing. The government of India invited me to be a member of the committee to redraft the National Policy on Senior Citizens. I was a Member of the National Council of Older Persons during 2006-2011. I was a member of the Andhra Pradesh State Advisory Council to implement the National Policy on Older Persons. Now I am active in health care, social welfare policy, and social work administration. A transformation from HR Management to Human Welfare and Social Work.

The present book edited by Prof. Nair looks at social work profession in India from an incisively critical perspective. Personally, I am happy that the book includes an article from my wife Nalini on the work she has been doing in the area of skill development. Professionally, I rate this volume as an excellent one for the future direction of social work.

Dr. K.R.Gangadharan, PhD.
Creator, Heritage Hospital for the Elderly
Former President, IFA

]]><![CDATA[Social Work and Social Welfare]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:58:32 GMThttps://www.nirutapublications.org/book-reviews/social-work-and-social-welfare

Meera Bhardwaj,
City Express, Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Recent times has seen many published works on social services and social practices prevailing in India but Shankar Pathak’s Social Work and Social Welfare, A Historical - cultural Perspective is a lucid compilation of his published writings from his previous two books, Social Welfare-An Evolutionary And Developmental Perspective and the second one, Social Welfare, Health and Family Planning in India. The author has added four new chapters in this book that includes Bhagvat Gita, Bhakti movement, Professionalism of Social work and Developmental Social Welfare.

For the first time, we see an elaborate piece from a sociological perspective angle on Arjun’s dilemma on the battlefield when faced with his own kith and kin that has been depicted in the Bhagvat Gita. Although the helping process in the Gita is significantly similar to social work nowadays but there are some important differences and significant similarities that have been identified.

Shankar Pathak says, “The process of helping is a dialog process of enabling Arjuna to go through the mental process to grasp the problem, the situation and the ways to tackle it and make the right decision on the battlefront. Arjuna is given the opportunity to think, reflect and then decide, the right of self-determination, to choose between various alternatives. Krishna does not impose his views on Arjuna or to choose a particular course of action or manipulate him to decide. All these is the essence of a helping process found in the best practices of modern professional social work.”

Another highlight in the book includes a chapter on the Bhakti Movement with emphasis on its ideology, concept and contribution but its relevance to social work during that period. The author takes a look at the Bhakti compositions of well known Bhakti poets like Kabir, Purandara Dasa, Kanak Dasa as well as from a gender perspective on women poets like Mira, Mahadeviakka, Andal and Lal Ded.

The author says, “The Bhakti poets rejected the iniquitous social structure based on fourfold classification of society, the high and low classifications of the population. In fact, the Bhakti poetry use the term “Kula” which is closer to the concept of social class or clan that is “jati”. The word “jati” is also used by Kabir and the Vachanas of Shivasharanas such as Basava.”

Apart from this, the author criticizes Chidananda Murthy’s long essay “Bhakti-A protest movement” saying that this observation is debatable as he does not cite any textual sources in support of his statement that Bhakti movements are a form of protest against monarchy, in the sense, many of them were not prepared to accept a human being as their master.

An authoritative work, the book traces the evolution of social work in India right from the ancient times to the present and also discusses the quest for professional status and the practice of
social work in a cultural perspective. Tracing the social history or more specifically the history of the movements of the poor, the author has touched upon the study of social structure which is
basically the evolution of social welfare in India from Chapters three to seven.

The author says, “If the reader is disappointed in the application of the approach, it is not only due to paucity of time and space but also extreme paucity of historical evidence to write reliable social history of the life and movements of the poor. This is especially true for the ancient period and to a lesser extent the medieval period.” A very valuable piece of work from an erudite scholar, the book is an interesting read not only for students and research scholars but also for people interested in the history of social work and welfare in India which draws upon its history, traditions and practices concisely and lucidly. Shankar Pathak has authored five books on social work and contributed articles to the Encyclopaedia of Social Work in India (1966 and 1987) and several anthologies on social work.

By
Meera Bhardwaj

City Express
Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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