Voices On South Asia: Interdisciplinary Perspectives On Women's Status, Challenges And Futures


Book Description

This book investigates the contemporary social, political and economic issues faced by women in South Asia. It focuses on the policies and practices that have challenged or perpetuated gender inequalities, and the evolving role of women in South Asian societies. With contributions from practitioners, policy makers, academics and civil society activists from across South Asia, this volume provides a broad and diverse range of viewpoints on South Asian women's labour force participation, political participation, education, and health, as well as country-specific insights.The volume is conceived as a stage for debate where specific insights act as a window into wider themes, practices and policies. Each essay is followed by policy-relevant recommendations and suggestions for avenues to improve current practice. This book will be relevant for undergraduate students and lecturers of South Asian studies, development, and policy studies, as well as industry practitioners.




Global Climate Change and Environmental Refugees


Book Description

This book explores the possibilities of understanding the concept of climate refugees in order to ascribe to a consensual agreement that climate refugees are evident and this situation is a reality. A framework to study both empirically and theoretically is presented in a detailed manner so that it may become a resource for understanding the challenges of climate refugees. Through discussion and analysis the book presents potential answers to such questions as: ● Why has the international system been so short-sighted and has not given importance to the problems of climate migrants and refugees? ● How to identify a climate refugee? ● How do you justify a climate refugee or a migrant? ● What are internally displaced people? Should we call them just refugees? The book covers the interdisciplinary nature of climate refugees and the perspectives of social science. The empirical findings provides an edge to holistically understanding climate refugees. This book discusses the concept of, what really is a climate refugee, and the necessary factors to make it an important part of the climate discourse. The legality of the term is missing in international parlance, and the academic discourse should provide the necessary critique required for the evolution of the subject under study. Therefore, the major objective of the book is to make the subject of climate migration known to all.




Village Ties


Book Description

Village Ties argues that grassroots women's mobilization programs can empower poor women to challenge oppressive informal institutions - the rules of the game - that govern relationships between actors in the rural global South. By exploring the activities of women who belong to Polli Shomaj, an initiative of the development organization BRAC, Village Ties challenges stereotypes of poor Muslim women as backward, subservient, oppressed, and in need of saving.




Handbook of Research on Exploring Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Through an Intersectional Lens


Book Description

Organizations worldwide have introduced equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies to address the inherent disadvantages experienced by employees with diverse social identities in different national contexts. EDI policies are present to address the inherent disadvantages and inequalities experienced by a diverse workforce. The Handbook of Research on Exploring Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Through an Intersectional Lens reports on current challenges that organizations face in terms of gender diversity management and provides crucial research on the application of strategies designed to increase organizational change and support and integrate diverse individuals, including physically disabled individuals, women, and people of color, into organizations. Covering key topics such as mental health, tolerance, and a sustainable workforce, this major reference work is ideal for managers, business owners, administrators, government officials, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.




Schooled for the Future?


Book Description

“Schooled for the future?” offers an ethnographically rich account about squatter families in Kathmandu and their struggles to improve their living conditions and create a better future through education. Examining how people – children and adults - experience and respond to policy initiatives aimed at improving their life the book discusses the paradoxes inherent in modern schooling. Firstly, schooling promises social justice and equal opportunities, yet it also contributes to the reproduction of social inequalities by strengthening existing class divisions and by producing a new category of unschooled people. Secondly, within the context of the family, schooling is attributed an economic and symbolic value, but it is also considered a potential threat to family values based on generational hierarchy and caste identity. Through detailed ethnographic accounts the author demonstrates how urban poor families experience the schooling process ambivalently, both as a source of alienation and inferiority as well as a source of self-esteem and sense of progress. Acknowledging the interconnect-edness between global, national and local forces framing and informing processes of education the book, thus, sheds light on the complex relationship between educational policy and everyday life experiences of the urban poor in Kathmandu, a hitherto understudied segment of the Nepalese society.




The Guru in South Asia


Book Description

This book provides a set of fresh and compelling interdisciplinary approaches to the enduring phenomenon of the guru in South Asia. Moving across different gurus and kinds of gurus, and between past and present, the chapters call attention to the extraordinary scope and richness of the social lives and roles of South Asian gurus. Prevailing scholarship has rightly considered the guru to be a source of religious and philosophical knowledge and mystical bodily practices. This book goes further and considers the social engagements and entanglements of these spiritual leaders, not just on their own (narrowly denominational) terms, but in terms of their diverse, complex, rapidly evolving engagements with ‘society’ broadly conceived. The book explores and illuminates the significance of female gurus, gurus from the perspective of Islam, imbrications of guru-ship and slavery in pre-modern India, connections between gurus and power, governance and economic liberalization in modern and contemporary India, vexed questions of sexuality and guru-ship, gurus’ charitable endeavours, the cosmopolitanism of gurus in contexts of spiritual tourism, and the mediation of gurus via technologies of electronic communication. Bringing together internationally renowned scholars from religious studies, political science, history, sociology and anthropology, The Guru in South Asia provides exciting and original new insights into South Asian guru-ship. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.




Disability Studies in India


Book Description

This book examines the state of art in disability studies, focusing on the Indian context, as well as the broader South Asian situation. It presents interdisciplinary perspectives on the basic idea, evolution, practices and challenges of researching and teaching disability studies at various higher education institutions and in other civil society spaces. The chapters address a range of related themes, including activism, development policies, research, pedagogy, spatial and social access, caste and gender representations and rights-based discourses. Given the scope of its coverage, the book is of interest to scholars and students in area of humanities, education, law, sociology and social work, political science development and disability studies.




Theologies and Practices of Inclusion


Book Description

Inclusion has recently become a high priority issue within the development sector, brought to the fore by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development's commitment to leave no one behind. Practices within the remit of inclusion often focus on increasing access and meaningful participation, with emphasis placed on bringing those at the margins to the centre. This book challenges such centre-focused practices from a global perspective, based on research conducted within the Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation Tearfund and beyond. Offering inspiration for practitioners within the sector and faith-based organisations in particular, as well as an academic contribution to the fields of international development studies and theology, the book aims to bridge theology and practice in an accessible way. Consisting of 13 chapters and case studies, the book draws on the wisdom of a diverse team of contributors at the forefront of international development, working in a variety of contexts. These include South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia, the Philippines, Iraq, Egypt and the UK. Highlighting ‘journey’, ‘change’ and ‘belonging’ as three key aspects of inclusion, the book explores the outworking of theologies of inclusion within organisational practice. With a foreword by Ruth Valerio, and an afterword by Catriona Dejean.







Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research


Book Description

Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research provides a synthesis of the most pressing issues in natural hazards research by new professionals. The book begins with an overview of emerging research on natural hazards, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, sea-level rise, global warming, climate change, and tornadoes, among others. Remaining sections include topics such as socially vulnerable populations and the cycles of emergency management. Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research is intended to serve as a consolidated resource for academics, students, and researchers to learn about the most pressing issues in natural hazard research today. - Provides a platform for readers to keep up-to-date with the interdisciplinary research that new professionals are producing - Covers the multidisciplinary perspectives of the hazards and disasters field - Includes international perspectives from new professionals around the world, including developing countries