India Studies Program BestSemester

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1 Indian Society & Social Work Intervention (3 semester credits) Dr. Esther Rani MSW.,M.Phil.,Ph.D Contact No: Office : Ext 208 Mobile : Course Description A course designed for social work, community development, missions, sociology, and other social science majors exploring the key social realities and challenges (past and present) in Indian society as well as the basic contexts which make Indian society unique. Within this context students will explore the practice of the social work profession in India and the means by which the social work profession seeks to overcome India s social challenges. Students will supplement their classroom learning with field experience. Student Learning Goals To examine the social issues in contemporary Indian society and develop empathy for the social challenges found in India. 1. Understand the ways in which the social work profession addresses social problems. 2. Gain greater awareness of challenges to effective practice such as religion, poverty, and discrimination. Instructional Methods 1. Lecture and Class Discussion: Students are encouraged to participate in discussions of issues arising from the lectures. 2. Service Placements: Students will be placed with local NGOs or other organizations for a weekly internship/service placement in order to gain hands-on experience in a particular social work field. 3. Weekend Trips: Weekend trips will incorporate field observation visits to a variety of different NGOs in the cities visited. Course Outline UNIT I: UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN SOCIETY A. Demographic characteristics of Indian society: urban, rural, tribal. B. Ethnic and cultural diversity of India. C. Family and Kinship structures. D. Social Stratification.

2 UNIT II: RURAL SOCIAL PROBLEMS India Studies Program A. Infant mortality. B. Gender discrimination. C. Female infanticide. D. Child marriage. E. Unemployment. UNIT III: URBAN SOCIAL PROBLEMS A. Street children. B. Child labor. C. Prostitution. D. Slums. E. Social Work methods in addressing these problems. UNIT IV: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN INDIA A. Historical and present scenario of Social Work in India. B. Application of Social Work in different settings: a. Family and Child welfare. b. Medical and psychiatric social work. c. Community development. d. Correctional social work. UNIT V: FIELD VISITS TO NGO S A. Native Medi Care Trust, Coimbatore. B. Meher Children s Village, Coimbatore. C. Central Prison, Coimbatore D. Rhythm Social Welfare Society. Assignments Oral Presentation and Presentation Paper: At the beginning of the semester students will form small groups to present an oral presentation and 3-page paper at the conclusion of each unit. For example, group 1 will present on the content given in unit 1, group 2 will present on the content given in unit 2, etc Each group may choose which unit to present on, however, once the groups have made their decision they must abide by it. Presentations will be scheduled in such a manner as to give students a reasonable amount of time to reflect on the content and prepare their response after the unit s content has been delivered. Students will be

3 informed of the presentation date no less than one week in advance. Presentations should be a response to issues arising from the readings and based on the topic of the unit. More specific prompts may be provided by the professor or guest lecturer presenting the unit in question. The presentation should focus on stimulating further discussion of the issue and should incorporate a time of discussion with the class as a whole. The class discussion that follows the presentation should provide opportunity to supplement and raise salient issues otherwise not brought out by the presenters. Presenters will be given three additional days after the date of the presentation to edit their written assignment based on the issues brought up in the discussion time. Field Observation Paper: You will be engaging in observation at your regular internship/service placement site. On the basis of these observations you will write a 3-5 page paper explaining the mission, history, and activities of the organization with which they have been placed as well as critically analyzing the organization s effectiveness in meeting its social goals and proposing possible alternative methods through which the organization might better meet those goals. This assignment will be in addition to all other academic assignments required for the internship. This will paper is due February 26 th. Final Paper: Paper: Throughout the semester read When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert and Pilgrimage to India: A Woman Revisits Her Homeland by Pramila Jayapal. In a 6-8 pg paper analyze a social problem within Indian society discussed in Units I-IV or by Jayapal and look at in light of Corbett and Fikkert s ideas. What tools do the lecture content and Corbett and Fikkert give you to address this topic as a potential future social worker abroad, at home or simply as someone who wants to reduce pain and promote healing in the world today? According to the authors can you help without hurting and how? Do you think Corbett and Fikkert have anything to offer to the Indian social work field and to those here working among their own people? This paper is due April 10 th. Final Project Alternative: Produce a Shopping Guide of Coimbatore/India Supporting the Common Good. Design a shopping guide that features social entrepreneurs and fair trade-like businesses. Many small businesses exist in Coimbatore and all over India that have a social mission behind their trade. Textiles or jewelry by sex-trade survivors to handicrafts by local tribal communities are just a few examples. The challenge for the socially-conscious consumer is awareness and accessibility. Consider an audience that ranges from expatriates working here to newly arrived tourists and short-term volunteers to Coimbatore residents who share the same values but find it difficult to access such businesses. Your guide should include business name, services or product description,

4 contact info (address, phone, website etc), and a biographical description of their history/content and/or social mission. Photos of merchandise or producers are a plus. Merchants can be located in Coimbatore or beyond. A minimum of 10 businesses is required and your finished product ought to be well organized, user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. This can be an individual or group project, with a minimum of 7 businesses per group member. This project is due April 10 th. Participation: See ISP course policies handout. Evaluation Oral Presentation: 20% Presentation Paper: 10% Field Observation Paper: 20% Final Paper or Project: 40% Participation: 10% Reading Schedule Unit I: Jayapal: Introduction and Chapter 1; Rao: Chapters 15, 20, 25-26, and 30 Nath: Chapter 1 Unit II: Jayapal: Chapters 2, 4-7; Rawat Publications: Chapters 2, 10 Singh, Problems of Sociology: Chapter 47 Singh, Urban Sociology: Chapter 19 Unit III: Jayapal: Chapters 3, 8, 15; Rawat Publications: Chapter 9 Units IV and V:

5 Jayapal: Chapters 14 and 17; India Studies Program Chaudry: Chapters 1, 4 Mishra: Chapters 5, 6 Devi and Prakash: Chaptes 9-11 Optional Reading Required for Final Paper option: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Main Text Chaudry, Paul (1995) Introduction to Social Work, Atma Ram & Sons Corbett, Steve and Brian Fikkert. (2009) When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself, Moody Publishers Devi, Rameshwari and Prakash, Ravi, Social Work Practice, Mangal Deep Publications Jayapal, Pramila (2000) Pilgrimage to India: A Woman Revisits Her Homeland, Seal PR Mishra, P.D., Methods and Philosophy of Social Work Nath, Kedar and Nath, Ram Vital Statistics and Population Problems Rao, Shankar (2001) Sociology, S. Chand and Company Rawat Publications Social Problems in India (Vol. I) Singh, K. (1986) Problems of Sociology, Prakashan Kendra Singh, K. Urban Sociology, Prakashan Kendra References Gore, M. S. Social Work And Social Work Education, Asia Publishing House. Wadia, A-R. History And Philosophy Of Social Work In India, Allied Publishing House. Prabhu, Radharinath. Hindu Social Organization. Bombay: Popular Prakashan. Rao, M.S.A. Urban Sociology on India. New Delhi: Orient Longman. Srinivas, M. N. Social Change in India. New Delhi: Orient Longman. Hamilton Gordon (1954). Theory and Practice of Social Case Work. New York: Colombia University Press. Konopka, G. (1963). Social Group Work: A Helping Process. Prentice Hall.