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Touching the Untouchables: Dalits and Their Education (working title)
Dalits, formerly called ‘untouchables’, remains the most oppressed community in India (and indeed in South Asia), who, until recently, have been denied human and civic rights for almost two millennia. On emigration to the UK and other Western countries they face double disadvantage: caste discrimination from their fellow-countrymen and racial discrimination from ‘white’ society. The community remained ‘invisible’ among ‘visible’ Asians for mainly three reasons. It was to the advantage of ‘first-generation’ that they fuse their ‘identities’ under the all encompassing Asian identity (ascribed by Western ‘host’ societies) to escape caste discrimination. Secondly, the community was not cohesive and united enough to assert its own identity. Thirdly, there were very few educated and professional leaders who could energise and mobilise the whole community. However, in the late 1990s the second-generation Dalit professionals have emerged to challenge their caste status and Brahmanism, both in the West and in South Asia (Prashad, 2000; Padmasuri, 1997; Leslie, 2003; International Conference on Dalit human rights, 2000).
For the aforementioned reasons, there has been little research and publication on this community or on their children’s education. The proposed book would be a major study of issues facing Dalit children and young people growing up in Britain and make a significant contribution. It would be based on extensive filed work and use qualitative research methodology, including in-depth interviews with parents, teachers and children, and detailed observations in Gurdwaras, Bhavans, homes, and schools in Birmingham and West Midlands. A small study in the Punjab would also be undertaken to broaden the base of research and give it a wider meaning and perspective. The book would offer a detailed view of such areas as socialisation of children, schooling and education, examination success, parental perceptions’ of education, bilingualism, acculturation patterns, cultural conflicts and cast and social identities, caste prejudice and racial discrimination. The main perspective of the narrative would be embedded within social psychology but perspectives and insights of other disciplines (e.g. anthropological and sociological) will also form an important part of the story. The proposed book deals with an important contemporary issue therefore it should fit in well with the series ‘Monitoring Change in Education’.
Preface: Brief rationale for undertaking this project and a brief summary of its contents (3,000 words)
Chapter 1: Introduction: A brief historical review of the community’s disadvantaged position for two millennia in India.
Origin of Manu’s caste system and its everlasting imprint on the Indian psyche (Bayly, 1999) in Indian and South Asia. Dalits’ position in Indian society before the advent of British colonialism; Their progress under the leadership of Dr Ambedkar in the early part of 20th century (Ambedkar is revered throughout India by Dalits); Gandhi and his interpretation of caste system and the place of untouchables (whom he called Harijans) in Indian society. Post independence privileges in terms of reserved Government jobs; Their contemporary underclass position in Indian society. A brief history of immigration to the Western countries and the UK. (10,000 words)
Chapter 2: Life in Britain
Settlement patterns in the UK and the West Midlands; Building of Guru Ravidass and Valmiki, and Buddhist Bhavans and community centres; General lifestyles; Comparison of their social position with that of their place of origin; Relationship with their co-ethnics, in particular with their fellow Sikh farmer caste. Sikh religion forbids caste-related rituals of purification, separate communal kitchen; idolatry and discrimination, however in practise Dalits’ presence is just tolerated and they are treated far from being equal. Muslim communities from the Indian Subcontinent are not unlike the Sikhs on this matter. Discussion on the aims and objectives of the project and research methodology. (10,000 words)
Chapter 3: Parents’ Concerns and Perceptions
This would cover the following topics: their knowledge and views of English education; their own contribution to their children’s education; vocational aspirations; Difficulties, if any, their children face in inter-caste and inter-ethnic relationships; Views on their children’s religious upbringing; Bilingualism; Links with the ‘host’ society in India; bilingualism; Identities of their children; Summary and recommendations.
(8,000 words)
Supplementary schools, youth centres, leadership role in education, viz: school governorship and links with schools; teaching of religion and the mother tongue; community leaders’ views on such issues as: dating and arranged marriages; gender equality; identity and acculturation. General comments and conclusions. (7,000)
A brief account of the schooling and education of students taken from existing sources followed by discussion of face-to-face in-depth interviews on a variety of issues, including: caste and social identities; relationship with their co-ethnics and other ethnic groups; discrimination, if any from other students and teachers; participation in school activities; languages spoken at home; family religion and their own participation in religious activities; working space at home; resources such as computers; help with home work. (8,000 words)
Chapter 5: Teachers’ Perceptions of Dalits and their Children
Topics covered will include: Knowledge and information (or not) about the community; their subjective and objective knowledge and views of school achievement of Dalit children; Perceptions of Dalit students’ personal and social identities; Home-school links; Competence in English and bilingualism; Relationships with other students and teachers. Summary. (7,000 words)
Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendation (8,000 words)
Reference and Bibliography (6,000 words)
Glossary of terms (1,000 words0
Total 68,000 words
6 Author’s Description: Paul A. Singh is Emeritus Professor and former Head of Education at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He is a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. He has published extensively on issues of cognitive development, bilingualism, biculturalism and is recognised as one of the Britain’s leading authorities on the intellectual development, educational attainment, and ethnic identity of the UK-born Asian population. His latest book ‘Double Loyalties’ is published by the University of Wales Press and is receiving very good reviews. His earlier works have been published by learned societies, viz: National Foundation For Educational Research (NFER), the British Psychological Society, and the National Council for Education and Training, New Delhi.
The Market:
I do not think there is another book which covers the same population and similar topics in the market, especially from a psychological perspective.
Trainee teachers wishing to teach in multicultural schools, especially with a high intake of Asian children; and research students in the field of ‘ethnic minorities’ and Education. However, it is difficult to quantify the number of students in such courses. The book is partly going to be based on some fieldwork/information from California, therefore I envisage sale in the US and Canada.
Finally, the proposed book is going to be based on ethnographic research and literature extant in the field and should serve as a useful source book for research students.