Abstract
Engaging a community or following participatory practice in terms of development has been initiated by non-government organizations and various government departments. Working with stakeholders in communities demands an understanding of the local culture, social milieu and power dynamics. Local problems need local solutions as well as support and resources from outside the community. Community engagement is imperative when working in culturally diverse country like India, where no one size fits all. Since the 1990s, the vast voluntary sectors consisting of community-based staff from NGOs and trained social workers have vigorously embraced the concept of engagement. Community agencies ensure the involvement of stakeholders and community members in all forms of development activities including agriculture, livelihood, gender development, microbusiness, health and sanitation. This chapter describes citizen engagement in community development programs in India by NGOs and government departments, with case studies from rural, urban and slum dwellings.
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Notes
- 1.
In the deep-rooted caste system in India, the upper caste treats the lower caste as the ‘untouchables’. If a lower-caste person appears in front of an upper-caste person, the lower-caste person receives punishment from the upper caste. Even though the law abolished untouchability in 1955, caste-based discrimination is still prevalent in society.
- 2.
Social work is not a registered profession in India. Social work education has been criticized in the country for following Western methods and not accurately addressing the country’s specific issues. India needs a community-based social work educational program that addresses the problems associated with poverty.
- 3.
There are only few positions in public service that requires an education in social work. Many people qualified as social workers join various government services including community work.
- 4.
Even the highly acclaimed Etawah Project that started the community development projects in India was funded by the Ford Foundation.
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Vareed, B.P. (2021). Listening to the Least: Engaging Communities in Development Programs in India. In: Opačić, A. (eds) Practicing Social Work in Deprived Communities. European Social Work Education and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65987-5_4
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