FOUNDATION COURSE I NOTES

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Module I

Overview of Indian Society

Understand the multicultural diversity of Indian Society through its demographic composition: population distribution according to religion, caste and gender.

Religions of India

Appreciate the concept of linguistic diversity in relation to the Indian situation;

Understand regional variations according to rural, urban and tribal characteristics;

Understand the concept of diversity as difference.

Module II

Concept of Disparity 1

Understand the concept of disparity as arising out of stratification and inequality;

Explore the disparities arising out of gender with special reference to violence against women, female foeticide (declining sex ratio) and portrayal of women in media. 

Appreciate the inequalities faced by people with disabilities - vision impairment, hearing impairment, socially handicapped, and understand the issues of people with physical and mental disabilities.

Module III

Concept of Disparity II

Examine inequalities manifested due to the caste system and intergroup conflicts arising thereof;

Understand intergroup conflicts arising out of communalism.

Examine the causes and effects of conflicts arising out of regionalism and linguistic differences

Module IV 

The Indian Constitution

Philosophy of the Constitution as set out in the Preamble,

The structure of the Constitution: Preamble, Main Body and Schedules, Fundamental Duties of the Indian citizen, Tolerance, peace and communal harmony as crucial values in strengthening the social fabric of Indian society

Basic features of Indian Constitution

Module V

Significant aspects of Political Processes

The party system in Indian Politics

Local self government in rural and urban areas; the 73rd and 74th amendments and their implications for inclusive politics

Role and significance of women in politics

ELECTIONS IN INDIA

India is a democracy and has a parliamentary system of government. Our country has a federal set up – Parliament at the center and legislative assemblies at the state level. (The third level of Panchayat Raj has been added – 1992)

The Parliament and legislative assemblies are law making bodies. The Indian Constitution provides for election on the basis of territorial constituency. Under this system the country is divided into constituencies. A single candidate is elected from each constituency.

The Constitution has given every adult Indian a right to vote i.e. we have universal adult suffrage. The candidate with the highest number of votes is elected. The age of voting is lowered to 18 years. In a democracy, people decide who shall be their representative by the exercise of franchise. The exercise of franchise by citizens is known as elections. A person who has the right to vote is called a voter. Collectively all the voters form the electorate.

The election to the office of the President is indirect. The president is elected by the members of our electorate college which consists of:

1.    Elected member of both houses of parliament

2.    Elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states.

The President is elected in accordance with the system of proportional representation of a single transferable vote. He holds office for a term of five years.

Election to the office of Vice President takes place in a similar manner except that here the electoral college consists of only elected members of both houses of parliament.

For conducting elections in a fair manner, the Indian Constitution has made provisions for an independent election machinery. The commission is headed by the Chief Election Commissioner. He/She has officers to assist him/her.

The essence of Parliamentary Democracy is Party Government. The election commissioner has the right to recognize political parties for allotment of symbols. It recognizes parties either as All India Parties or State Parties. A party which is recognized in four of more states enjoys the status of a National Party and that which is recognized by less is a State Party.

To be recognized as a party:

-          A Party should secure at least 6% of the total votes cast in each state

-          A party will not be recognized if it contains a name of a living person

A person convicted for crime will not be allowed to contest elections.

Election malpractices:

-          Appeals to religion, caste, etc.

-          Terrorism

-          Booth capturing

-          Selection of unsuitable candidates

-          Use of money / financial power

SENIOR CITIZENS

Aging is a natural process. It is an inevitable part of life.

International day of the Elderly is celebrated on 1^st October every year.

Criteria for old age differs from society to society. Ancient society – vigor’s of life – thus old at a young age; political or communist society – people begin office at 60 / 70 years as they are considered more mature.

 

The process of aging

Aging involves a progressive slowing down of all body processes. As a result, older people eat less, exercise less, and have less zest for life. They also sleep less restfully and therefore spend more time in bed compensating for lack of sleep. Their senses become less efficient and they have difficulties in hearing and vision.

Some negative changes also occur due to stress and disease. E.g. senility (impaired attention, memory loss and disorientation in time and space) Alzheimer’s (brain disease)

 

Problems faced by the aged: the problems are interlinked and to be understood in reference to each other.

Economic insecurity: Income determines standard of living and quality of life. With retirement, income declines. The problem is serious in cases where the individual has not saved enough to lead a comfortable life. They become dependent on the children. In some cases, old parents have to shift form one sons house to the next.

Physical helplessness and dependence: As a person becomes older, physical strength declines. The greater the decline in physical strength, the greater the dependence on others.

Psychological problems: Senior citizens feel lonely, marginalized, alienated and therefore experience anxiety, depression.

Empty nest syndrome: Migration leads to empty nest syndrome. As the children are abroad for better future prospects, the aged are forced to live alone.

 

Dealing with senior citizen problems

Self help measures: An individual need not become an economic burden on society. A person should plan for retirement. One can develop hobbies as second careers. One should also save in order to lead an economically stable life. Economic security enables raise the self-esteem of the aged.

Think young and have a positive attitude to life. Aging leads to maturity and wisdom.

Physical looks: Some people are obsessed with looking young and attempt to hide their age. But one must remember that it is more important to have a positive attitude to life than an appearance.

Exercise brain and body – Exercises such as walking, swimming, yoga, etc. enables the aged to resist the effects of brain problems. Persons who keep themselves busy with useful activities age gracefully.

Developing new activities to occupy time: as those who have nothing to do get bored. People find it difficult to adjust to retired way of life.

Making new friends: By the time a person grows old he has very few friends left as most have moved away / died. One therefore has to make new friends. But since old people become fixed in their ways, this is a difficult task. Isolation and living alone are harmful to health. So, it is important for the aged to make new friends.

Avoid attention seeking behavior. Many aged people expect family members to pay special attention to them, but people regard aged people as bores and cannot tolerate them. Therefore, if they stop seeking attention they would be looked after with affection.

 

Social support measures

Economic security in old age is one of the main problems of aged. The government needs to provide for senior citizens with allowance / pension.

Homes for the aged with adequate facilities need to be set up. A voluntary organization called ‘Dignity Foundation’ has been doing useful work. It encourages retired persons to indulge in productive and recreational activities. It runs a counseling center, etc.

The family should also shoulder responsibility of looking after the aged whenever possible.

Community living is more popular abroad; however it is slowly becoming popular in India too.

Kerala is the state with the highest number of aged homes.

Senior Citizens Associations: enable senior citizens to interact and reduce loneliness by conducting activities and keeping themselves busy.

Government provides special income tax redemption for senior citizens. Government banks offer a slightly higher rate of interest to senior citizens. The government of Maharashtra has introduced special window booking counters for senior citizens for long distance booking. Buses have seats reserved and special compartment in trains reserved for senior citizens. Day car centers are now opening up for senior citizens.  

MENTALLY HANDICAPPED

Mental handicap is an inability to think and act properly because of the blocking of thinking power due to mental conflict and lack of intellectual maturation.

There are three main types of mental handicap:

Mental retardation

Learning Disabilities

Mental disorders

 

Mental retardation is classified as

Cretinism: is a severe (congenital) thyroid deficiency during childhood and leads to physical and mental deficiency. Cretins exhibit dwarfism because the skeleton fails to grow and mature.

Down syndrome: is an inherited defect due to an extra copy of chromosome 21. Such individuals usually have 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46

Hydrocephalus: is abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain of a baby. In time the fluid build up compresses and damages the delicate tissues of the nerveous system and causes mental retardation

Microcephalus: is when the individual displays an abnormally small head

Causes: Hereditary factors, inefficient functioning of thyroid glands, biochemical defects, malnutrition, intake of harmful drugs

Rehabilitation is possible for trainable and mild retardation. There are special education schools that provide the necessary facilities to enable them gain basic education.

 

Learning Disabilities

This type of mental handicap shows symptoms of mental retardation. The difference is that of intelligence. Learning disables are of normal intelligence but are unable to learn because of some neural deficiencies. They are slow learners and require special education facilities. The most common type of learning disability is dyslexia

Dyslexia: is an impairment of the brains ability to translate images received from the eyes into understandable language. It causes a difficulty in processing words and symbols. Letters in words seem reversed or upside down. For e.g. ‘dog’ becomes ‘god’. Dyslexics frequently reread portions of paragraphs or skip words and change the order of letters in a word.

The exact cause of dyslexia is unknown. PET scans show that in persons suffering from dyslexia the left side of the brain is more active than the right.

 

Mental disorder

Mental disorder is a maladjustment because of malfunctioning of thinking.

Many individuals suffer from emotional, behavioral and personality disorders. These disorders cause mental handicap and malfunction

Mental disorders are of two types:

Psychosis: Persons lose sense of reality. They think from only their own point of view.

e.g. schizophrenia is a serious disorder. Individuals have continues delusions and hallucinations

Neurosis: is a mild mental disorder which causes malfunctioning of thinking. For e.g. split personality.

The causes of this disorder are hereditary factors and environmental factors.

It is difficult to treat psychosis. Medication and psychotherapy help treat neurosis. However treatment depends upon the individual and his / her acceptance of the need to be treated.

It is important to understand and be patient with people suffering from these disorders.

PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED

Physical handicaps and those individuals who have orthopedic defects which limit their physical activity and capacity

Cerebral palsy – refers to disorders resulting in muscular incoordination and loss of muscle control. Victims appear to be mentally retarded.

Polio – is common during childhood and is caused by a virus called poliovirus. The virous produces paralysis by destroying neuron cells in the spinal cord.

Spina bifida – is a defect of the vertebral column (laminae fail to unite at the midline). In serious cases there is partial or complete paralysis

Epilepsy – is a common neurological disorder. It is caused because of brain damage at birth, infections, head injuries, tumors, etc.

Muscular Dystrophy – is an inherited muscle destroying disease which degenerates muscle fibers and leads to non-development of skeletal muscles.  

There are various causes

-       Accidents

-       Malnutrition during pregnancy

-       Birth injuries, brain damage / serious illness during childhood

-       Hereditary factors

-       Medicines used for relief from morning sickness during pregnancy (e.g. Thalidomide Baby Episode – Thalidomide tablets were used to relieve morning sickness… however women who consumed the tablets gave birth to physically handicapped children… no limbs, no arms)

Physically handicapped should be rehabilitated and should have occupational and physiotherapy. They can be helped with surgeries, artificial limbs, prosthetics or other support devices. Polio can be prevented by vaccination during childhood.

We must be aware of the difficulties faced by those with physical handicaps and sensitive to their needs. Offer assistance if required, however, being sensitive is of utmost importance. Understanding and patience are also important factors.  

FOUNDATION COURSE I SYLLABUS

 

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN MEDIA

Media in its various forms, whether newspapers, magazines, print ads, audiovisual or electronic, television, films, radio, internet, social media, has a strong influence and impact on the minds of audiences and society.

Over the years, media has been used to mold as well as change the perceptions of society. Whether through propaganda posts or informational posts, media is able to convert people into followers or vice versa.

The portrayal of women in media definitely influences and shapes the ideas and perceptions of women in a society.

Media can create awareness and sensitize the masses / the people about various issues pertaining to women. An affirmative image portrayed in media creates a positive environment towards women. However, a traditional and stereotypical image can also damage or degrade the status of women.

 

Negative role of Media

Women as sex symbols – Media misuse women as sex symbols to sell products through advertising. The negative role of women in television programs, films, web series can run down the image of women thus she becomes an object to ogle at.

Negative impact of beauty pageants – Women models portray an ideal face or an ideal figure. Skin color and size zero have become the norm and women struggle to keep up to these expectations which are highly impractical.

Stereotypical Image – the ideal vulnerable bahu and the shrewd cunning vamp are the two extremities portrayed by media. People tend to categorize women into either one of these roles and this is harmful to social development

 

Positive Role of Media

Awareness and sensitization – media, especially newspapers, journals, news channels, blogs, social media, help people become aware of the current status of women. Media helps sensitize readers, listeners and viewers about the issues faced by women. Great sensitivity must be exercised when reporting on cases of violence against women.

Media also helps in creating awareness as well as providing information a policies and programs for women.

Highlight women’s’ achievements – women achievers, whether as entrepreneurs, or artists can be given their due praise. Women achievers are seen in all fields today – science and technology, education, economy, industry, entertainment, art, literature, music, social work and even politics.

This helps create a positive image of women in the minds of people in society as well as encourages girls and women to look up to these achievers as role models.

Moreover, the more positive portrayal of women, the greater the sensitivity and change we will see in our society.

 

Read about Advertising and role of women in India by clicking the link:

https://sstuffsimplified.blogspot.com/2015/09/advertising-women-india.html

 

 

BASIC FEATURES OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of the country. It lays down the foundation for political principles, establishes the structure, procedure, powers and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles and duties of citizens.

The Constitution of India was adopted on 26^th November 1949 and came into effect on 26^th January 1950. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.  

Salient features:

Longest constitution – The Constitution of India is the longest constitution in the world with 24 parts and 444 articles.

Written constitution – Our Constitution is a written constitution.

Universal Franchise – Every citizen above the age of 18 years is eligible to vote in the general elections. This is the most revolutionary aspects of the Indian democracy.

Secularism – India is a secular state while we have a number of religions that are practiced, every individual has right to practice the religion of his/her choice. There is no state religion.

Single citizenship – An Indian is a citizen of India only. Single citizenship promotes national unity and national integration.

Fundamental duties – are assigned to citizens

Welfare state – Our country provides for development of weaker and depressed sections of society especially Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women, Disabled and senior citizens.

Democratic System – Being a democracy everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote. The Center, State and Local Self-Governing bodies follow democratic principles. All elections from Gram Panchayat to Parliament are held democratically.

Independent and Integrated Judiciary – In India, the Judiciary is independent and impartial. We have an integrated judiciary with the Supreme Court at the top of the hierarchy. This is followed by the High Court and Lower Courts. The Supreme Court and the High Court have the power to give punishment for any act against the provisions of the Constitution.

Parliamentary form of government – is followed both at the Center and State Levels. There are two houses the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The majority party in the Lok Sabha forms the Government.

Partly rigid and partly flexible – Rigidity and Flexibility are balanced within the Constitution of India. Certain provisions cannot be amended while certain provisions are amended over time. These amendments require a special majority in both houses of parliament.

Directive Principles of State Policy – are instructions from the Constitution to the State and Government. It is the duty of the government to implement them.

Fundamental Rights – are guaranteed to every citizen. There rights are basic to the moral and spiritual development of the individual. The six fundamental rights are Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights and Right to Constitutional Remedies.

PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMEN IN INDIA

The interplay and interaction of traditional values and modern ideas in respect of the status of women in India results in a paradoxical picture. Hindu texts describe a woman as a fertile, benevolent, bestower of happiness and also a destroyer of evil (Kali). She is both Shakti (energy / power), the energising principle of the Universe and prakriti (nature), the active female counterpart of the cosmic person 'purusha'. On the other hand, the dominant social norms emphasized her role as wife, mother, daughter and sister. They did not treat her as a person. A woman's identity was defined by her relationship to others which led to segregation on the basis of gender. 

Problems faced by women in India:

 Marriage - In dual-career families in India the wife works both in the office and at home. If the Ganga (cleaning woman) hasn’t turned up, the male maharaja watches TV while the wife washes the dishes. There is no economic value for the work done. The awareness of sharing household chores is slowly being seen in urban areas, however, in rural areas where patriarchy is dominant, the problem continues.

Dowry - There are a few communities in which females receive dowry. But they are looked down upon as ‘backward’. This is because getting dowry is regarded as a male privilege. So, with marriage, apart from becoming a lifetime laborer, the woman brings with herself her lifelong maintenance. In addition, she may be expected to seek employment, and supplement the family income. Research shows that husbands systematically use violence as a means of extracting a larger dowry from their wives.

Dowry Deaths (Bride burning) Even after marriage – and in some cases ‘love marriage’ – many families expect the bride to bring ‘gifts’ from her parents. If her parents are either poor or unwilling to oblige, their daughter may pay the penalty. According to data gathered by WAMA (a women’s organization), women have been murdered for not bringing in dowry as petty items as a gold necklace. WAMA notes that the most horrifying case was that of a young woman who was murdered for not having brought along a buffalo. It is estimated that over 1,00,000 crimes against women are committed by their husband and / or other relatives annually.

Acid attacks - Though not spoken about much, acid attacks, are a serious crime against women, where their identity is shattered. Justice is rarely granted and the women have to struggle for the rest of their lives. 

Rape - Rape is the ultimate indignity a female may be subjected to. Yet such atrocities do occur. Every year in India, 15,000 women are raped. One of the horrifying cases of rape is that of Bhanwari Devi, who was gang-raped by a group of Gujjars (nomadic tribals) after she had strongly objected against their decision to carry out child marriages. Bhanwari Devi received no justice from the Rajasthan government. But she received the Neerja Bhanot award for bravery and was declared a “Savvy” Woman of the Year (1996). Most rape cases go unregistered and unreported because of prestige, social esteem, shame, etc.

Female Foeticide - Ultrasound test is meant to determine birth defects, if any. But it is widely misused for finding out the sex of the unborn child. Due to religious beliefs and the dread of dowry, this information is misused. Some parents kill the unborn child (through abortion) if it happens to be a girl. This practice is most common in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.

Preventing Female Births - A technique called prenatal genetic diagnosis for choosing the gender of the child has been developed. With this method, sperm carrying X or Y chromosomes can be separated in a laboratory. Unfortunately, this method is being used to ensure the birth of a boy. Another technique called IVF (in-vitro fertility) which is meant to help childless couples to conceive is being misused. The ‘Wrong’ gender (female) is being prevented from taking seed.

Neglecting the Girl Child - The most common method of obtaining higher death rate for girl children than boys is neglecting the girl child during early childhood. This is responsible for what Amatya Sen calls ‘missing women’.

Child Marriage - The male has a right to choose his life-mate. Females, particularly in rural areas, do not enjoy this privilege. A part of the reason is the practice of child marriage. With regard to females, this custom prevails even today in some of the states.

Widows - Most women pray that they die ‘suhagan’. There is a social sense in this. After the husband’s death, in many communities, particularly in the rural areas, the wife is expected to give up common pleasures. In rare cases, even ‘sati’ may be performed.

Woman’s right over her own body - A marriage may be a failure and yet the husband may assert that, as a man, he enjoys right over his wife’s body. An instance of this is a recent writ petition in the Allahabad High Court. On 4^th May 2005, Rajiv Nandi, an airline executive, filed a petition claiming his right to fatherhood. He wanted the Court to prevent his wife from aborting their baby. This is total denial of a woman’s right over what she may do to her own body.

Low status of a single woman - If a woman remains unmarried, she is looked down upon. If she attends a party, or sees a movie, unaccompanied, doubts are raised about her character. A single male is never subjected to such criticism.

Sex and the single woman - Sex is a biological need. It is felt by males as well as females. A man can satisfy this urge before marriage – or outside his marital life – without condemnation. But society expects a woman not to do so. So, if a female satisfies her sexual need outside her marital life, she is made to feel guilty. This problem is particularly serious for career women. Such women tend to marry late. It is unrealistic to expect that they restrain their sexual need till they marry.

Unwed mothers - Society expects women not to enjoy the pleasures of parenthood without getting married. Yet there are unwed mothers. There is no reason why such women be looked down upon.

Divorced women - Divorces are on the rise, particularly in urban India. Divorced women with children face economic difficulties. Further, even if they are economically independent, their social status is low.

At the work place women are paid lower wages than men. A large part of womens workforce is still in the unorganised sector where wage rules are not firmly established. This situation is exploited by employees.

Barriers to professional advancement and promotion - There is a built-in limitation to women employees when it comes to promotions to responsible positions. Today women are battling this situation and are overcoming barriers.

Glass Ceiling Effect - Women are considered fit only for certain level of services.

Sometimes employees prefer not to select women candidates for fear that they would cause liabilities such as maternity benefits and frequent absence due to domestic responsibilities.

Complaints of Sexual Harassment at Workplace - are common. The problem exists widely in India, but women are reluctant to take action for fear of publicity.

REMEDIES

Women's organisations have begun to play a supportive role. for E.g 'Dilaasa' an NGO at Babha Hospital Bandra, offers counselling, medical ad legal services as well as temporary shelter facilities to victims of domestic abuse.

Help by enlightened men - Males were originally responsible for the low status of women. They must now support women in their fight for equality and dignity.

The youth can play a vital role by refusing dowry as well as by changing the social mindset.

Sharing household tasks will create healthy model homes for growing children who will not differentiate goals and roles in the household.

The task of women's upliftment is a challenging one. to improve the condition of women we need social action. Women's organisations. open minded men, youth, educational institutions, all play an important role in enabling women fight for their rights.

ORTHOPEDICALLY CHALLANGED / HANDICAPPED

The term orthopedically impaired refers to a broad range of disabilities. People with these impairments must often use devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, braces and artificial limbs to facilitate mobility. The impairment may be either congenital or as a result of an injury or disease. Some e.g.s arthritis, amputation, blood diseases, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy.

PROBLEMS FACED

-          The person may have limited mobility

-          There may be difficulty in writing

-          There may be speech difficulties

-          The individual may have limited social interaction skills

-          The individual may have limited ability to perform everyday activities.

In order to over come these problems various steps can be taken like Reservation of seats or preferential seating arrangements, Flexible time limits, Larger desk, lap tray or tables, Special grip pens or pencils. Assistive technology, etc.

Apart from this, Reservations in modes of transport, Job reservations etc. will create more opportunities to enable inclusive growth.

DECLINING SEX RATIO IN INDIA

Sex ratio is an important demographic indicator and gives details of the number of females per thousand males in a particular area at a given time.

In the latest census, Kerala has 1084 females per 1000 males making it the best state to have a good sex ratio. On the other hand, Haryana has 879 females per 1000 males making it the state with the lowest sex ratio.

Factors responsible for declining sex ratio:

Female infanticide – has been an age-old practice to eliminate unwanted girl children. Daughters are drowned in a basin of milk, poisoned or strangulated to death. North India has the highest rate of female infanticide as there are problems like superstition, pride in male heir, poverty, prejudice towards girl child, dowry system, etc.

Female Feticide – Killing the baby inside the womb or abortion. Technology has made it easier for parents to get rid of the ‘unwanted girl child’. It is sad that discrimination begins in the womb itself. The preference for a male child is attributed to socio-cultural-economic and religious traditions in society and this leads to increase in female foeticide.

Unsafe motherhood and unsafe abortion – Maternal mortality in India is high. Women in India die every year due to pregnancy related setbacks like frequent childbearing, improper care and low childbirth facilities. Indian women also suffer from anemia, tuberculosis, poor nutrition, inadequate and imbalanced diets due to discriminatory treatment as well as economic poverty.

Dowry and Dowry deaths – the girl child is considered ‘paraya dhan’ (other’s asset) and thus an economic burden when it comes to marriage and dowry. Post marriage harassment for higher and more dowry leads to dowry deaths.

Education – child marriages are common in India and this keeps girls away from gaining basic education. The girls are compelled to take up household responsibilities. Thus due to illiteracy their status does not improve.

Poverty – is responsible for declining sex ratio. Women and girls are deprived of nutritious food and thus are unable to live a healthy life.

Social status of women – families prefer male children over female for reasons like dowry etc. The low status given to women right from birth leads to discrimination against women from the cradle to the grave.

Lack of empowerment of women – Women are not given equal opportunities. Moreover, due to lack of education they are unable to establish roles in society.

Male domination – Patriarchal society leads to discrimination against female children. Thus sex determination and female foeticide is adopted to control female births.

Schemes to combat the problem of declining sex ratio:

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao – was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to generate awareness and improve the welfare services meant for women.

Sukanya Samriddhi Account – is a scheme by the Ministry of Finance. This initiative aims at opening an account for the girl child in a post office or public sector bank. The account can be operated by the girl post the age of 10 years.

Girl Child Protection Scheme – aims at preventing gender discrimination by protection the rights of the girl child.

Aapki Beti, Humari Beti – The Haryana Government launched this scheme where a sum of Rs.21,000/- would be deposited by the state government in the account of every newborn girl. The scheme would be implemented in rural and urban areas and targeted girl children of Scheduled Caste and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

PCPNDT Act – The Indian Governmetn passed the Pre Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) (PCPNDT) Act in 2004 to ban and punish pre-natal sex determination and female foeticide.

SOCIALLY HANDICAPPED

An individual who is in need of security, educational help and rehabilitation because of specific family and social environment, and an individual who is deprived of care, education and peaceful healthy life is socially handicapped. 

Socially weak individuals – are neglected by society and are exploited physically and psychologically and may therefore suffer from inferiority complex. E.g. orphans, homeless, rejected, victimized persons, aged, etc.

Autistic – Autism is regarded as a severe developmental disability that begins in the first three years of life. It is a neurological disorder that changes the way the brain functions. 

Rett Syndrome – is a unique developmental disorder that begins during infancy. It affects girls buy may also be diagnosed in boys. It affects brain function – cognitive, movement, sensory, emotional and motor functions. It has an impact on hearing, speech, breathing, cardiac function as well as chewing, swallowing and digestion.

Juvenile Delinquents – The term ‘delinquency’ is used for socially undesirable acts of persons below the age of 18. Delinquent behavior include truancy (staying away from school without permission), taking drugs, destroying property, stealing, robbery and murder.

Students with Learning Disabilities – Poor academic achievement, short attention spans, impulsive control problems and lack of motivation are some characteristics of students with learning disabilities. This results in weak social skills.

Socially handicapped also include those who are forced into beggary at a very young age. The lack in communication skills and underestimate themselves. They are demotivated and fail to fit in with normal elements of society.

Socially handicapped also include those who live a suppressed life and who have never had the opportunity to air their problems. E.g. bonded laborers.

Socially handicapped also include rape victims and females forced into prostitution as they have an identity crisis. They lead a life they had not dreamt of and gradually lose contact with society. They find it difficult to adjust to societal norms.

Rehabilitation, education, improvement in standard of living, counselling and therapy can be some ways to help socially handicapped. However, the most important factor is for all of us to be aware, considerate, understanding and compassionate towards socially handicapped. 

Watch the video by clicking the link: Socially Handicapped

TRIBAL, RURAL & URBAN CHARACTERISTICS, INDIA

TRIBAL CHARACTERISTICS

Click the link for the details of Tribal Characteristics Tribal Rural & Urban Characteristics of Society

RURAL CHARACTERISTICS

Rural Community is the area which is under development.

Characteristics of Rural community:

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          Size – Village communities are smaller in area than urban communities.

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     Relationships – Higher face to face contact due to low population

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     Occupation – the main occupation in the rural areas is agriculture.

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     Close contact with nature – as the daily activities involve contact with natural environment. They depend on nature for food, clothing and shelter.

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        Homogeneity of population – most of the population is connected through agriculture and other occupations

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       Social stratification – is traditional and based on caste.

-         Social interaction – is stable and continuous. Family fulfills the needs of the members and exercises control over members.

URBAN CHARACTERISTICS

Urban areas are developed. Towns, cities and suburbs are termed as urban areas. They follow non agricultural occupations. There is a high density of population with housing facilities, commercial buildings, roads, railways and bridges.

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        Size – Urban communities are much larger than rural communities.

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         Density of population – is greater than rural

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          Family – Individual is considered more important than community. Nuclear families are more popular in urban areas.

-          Marriage – more love marriages than arranged marriages. Also a greater number of divorces. Sons and daughters have considerably more freedom in choosing their life partners.

-          Occupation – major occupations are in administrative, industrial and professional fields.

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      Class extremes – All classes of people co-exist. One can see slums alongside apartments.

-          Social homogeneity – cities are comprised of diverse people, races and cultures. There is a variety in the food habits, dress, living conditions, religious beliefs, customs and traditions of the people.

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         Social distance – most cities are impersonal in nature. There is lack of personal involvement in the affairs of others.

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          Mobility – there is high social mobility and social status is not determined by heredity or birth but by merit, capacity and intelligence.

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          Materialism – High importance is given to wealth, financial assets, salaries, costly homes and material possessions.

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          Individualism – Urbanites are obsessed with their own welfare and happiness.

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          Rationality – most relationships are based on gain and loss and people work o contractual basis. Once the contract is over the relationship is over.