M. A. Social Work (Final) Examination
May 2011
Timetable
06 / 05 / 2011 Friday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Working with Families (DSW 21)
10 / 05 / 2011 Tuesday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Social Policy and Administration (DSW 22)
12 / 05 / 2011 Thursday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Community Development (DSW 23)
14 / 05 / 2011 Saturday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Correctional Social Work (DSW 24)
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Center for Distance Education
RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Academic Year: 2010 – 11
Name of the Course:
Master of Arts – Social Work
Course Code: 21 (MASW)
Year: Final
Paper: Working with Families
Paper Code: DSW 21
Name of the Student: S L S Padma
Registration Number: A09SW999007
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Center for Distance Education
M. A. – Social Work (Final)
Paper I (Working with Families)
Assignment I
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AI/1
What is the present status of Indian family?
Response:
In the Indian family system, today by and large we see a decline of authoritarian headship. Unlike in the traditional structure that followed a feudalistic hierarchy even at the family level, the present Indian family is guided by the values of affection, understanding, discussion, consultation and cooperation rather than by dictation and subordination.
Drastic cultural change has followed economic and technological changes that have occurred in the last few decades. Man for the field and woman for the hearth is no more a valid dictum. We see a steep increase in the number of working women and working mothers. The family members not just consume but also contribute to the family’s wealth. The head is not the only earning member any more.
This economic change has had a striking impact on the family system. Theoretically even today the father may be the head of the family. But it cannot really be called a patriarchal structure. The household functions are often shared among the members of the family.
Sociologically the foremost function of family system is perpetuation of race. But it has changed today. Paradoxically there is an effort by individuals to control the size of the family and it is encouraged by governments. In many cases, economic activity becomes the central social function of the family.
Taking care of the family functions is not completely an internal affair of the family today. So we see a number of external agencies actively offering to take part in family functions. They include maternity hospitals, crèches, baby-sitters, kindergarten schools, pre-schools etc. Mothers take care of the more crucial activities like child welfare and training.
Even governments have formulated policies to come to the aid of family functions. Pension plans for mothers in New Zealand, Denmark and Canada and laws protecting children from violence by parents and teachers in countries like Norway and Sweden are examples of the expanding division of family functions.
For over a century, the birth rate in the West has been on the decline. There has also been a decline in the infant death rate. This has significantly reduced much waste and sacrifice of human life in the task of perpetuating the race.
Dilution of the authority and rigidity of the institution of marriage, decline of religious control on family traditions, increasing divorce rate also mark the status of the present Indian family system.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AI/2
Discuss the emerging problems of families.
Response:
While there is denying that there has been a lot of change for the positive in the last few decades in the Indian family system, it must also be admitted at the same time that the changes have thrown a number of challenges to be faced. The crisis that has encompassed the Indian family system is a challenge not only to family members and community members but also to the family social work profession at large. The problems that need to be immediately addressed are more distinctly marked in the families with an urban background.
On the one hand women have made the creditable achievement of becoming earning members of the family on par with men but it has not completely relieved them of the burdens they previously carried. They are now forced to play a dual role trying to do justice to their traditionally defined household duties as well as the new economic function they volunteered to undertake.
The chauvinistic attitude of men which has been operative from times immemorial has not vanished, nor has it been vanquished. It still manifests in subtle ways. Even the developed West is no exception to this. This chauvinistic outlook of men naturally has come into conflict the women’s desire for independence and unique identity.
Children’s growth in the right direction is directly a function of the attention they receive from their parents. Unfortunately in an urban setting when both parents happen to be working, there is less scope for the children to receive the attention that is due to them and this in many cases interferes with the process of their natural growth.
There is increasing incidence of pre-marital sex, unwed mothers, and illegitimate births which have begun to threaten the very roots of the values and ethics of the Indian family system.
It is alarming to note the steep rate of increase in the consumption of alcohol, drugs and such other toxic substances. In many cases, the addiction is provoked by family problems and the depression that follows.
The dowry system has made people greedy and no day ends without reports of harassment or death of girls due to dowry issues. The legislation has not been much effective in giving protection to women in this regard.
The increasing problem of child labour, child abuse and exploitation is a threat to the quality of the future generation and unless the community collectively responds to this challenge, no immediate solution is in sight.
The family problems are further aggravated by broken family women, vulnerable and victimized women, widows, destitute, the disabled, frustrated wives and husbands with the problem of maladjustment, confrontation attitude between sexes, alienated adolescents and youth in the concrete jungle, neglected parents in old age, poverty, unemployment, social pressures, stigmas and loopholes in legislation meant for the protection of women.
In spite of the increased standard of living, what we have today is not just a nuclear family but a family in a hurry which has no time to retrospect whether it is progressing or retrogressing.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AI/3
Examine the principles of family life education.
Response:
The following are the operative principles of family life education:
(a) Family life education is related to individuals in families throughout the life span both as individual and families.
It focuses on healthy family functioning within a family systems perspective and provides a primarily preventive approach. The skills and knowledge needed for healthy functioning are widely known: strong communication skills, knowledge of typical human development, good decision making skills, positive self-esteem and healthy interpersonal relationships. The goal of family life education is to teach and foster this knowledge and these skills to enable individuals and families to function optimally.
(b) Family life education should be based on the needs of individuals in families.
This is all the more important in the wake of the clashing interests between genders and age groups. Non-discriminatory education benefits girls as well as boys and ultimately contributes to a more harmonious relationship between men and women. Literacy and empowerment of women can be a key to better health, nutrition and education.
(c) Family life education is a multi-disciplinary area of study and practice.
Family life education professionals consider societal issues including economics, education, work-family issues, parenting, sexuality, gender and more within the context of the family.
(d) Family life education takes an education rather than the therapeutic approach.
Family life education professionals believe that societal problems such as substance abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, debt and child abuse can be more effectively addressed from a perspective that considers the individual and family as part of larger systems. Knowledge about healthy family functioning can be applied to prevent or minimize many of these problems. Family life education provides this information through an educational approach often in a classroom type setting or through educational materials.
(e) Family life education should present and respect different family values. This is because values play an important role in family life. Special attention needs to be given to each of moral or ethical values, cultural values, religious values and personal values.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AI/4
Discuss the need for sex and population education.
Response:
The need for sex education:
Whether sex education is really necessary has been a hot debate in our country for more than a decade. It may be said that there is little to debate about this in a third world country like India. The lack of awareness among the youngsters, particularly in the adolescent age group and their involvement in sex, rather in a primitive way is a worrying factor. They consider sex to be just an act without any responsibility. So it has spoilt the lives of numerous individuals with early pregnancies, abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, mental tensions, stress, torture, desertion from their families and loss of social respect. In the end they miserably fail in their studies and become wayward in life. One of the most acute problems that India is facing or rather struggling with is the whopping number of AIDS patients. India is reported to have as many as three lakh cases of people tested HIV positive. Of them considerable number of cases are in the age group of 20 to 30 years of age. This startling fact not only burdens us with the problem of redeeming them from the maladies of AIDS but also entails us with the additional problem of prevention of the dreaded disease from spreading to the other sections of the society.
Under the aforementioned circumstances, since prevention is better than cure, we have to launch our programs in the right direction disseminating the knowledge about sex, the dreaded diseases like AIDS and their social impact. Another area that we need to concentrate is pre-marital sex. Though it is largely considered a personal affair of the individual concerned, they would do well to realize that premarital sexual act carries with it a huge responsibility. To drive the point home it is necessary to introduce sex education in India which is the second most populous country in the world.
Population education:
This is an educational programme. It provides for a study of the population situation in the community. Population education is important because it serves the purpose of developing in the students rational and reasonable attitudes towards population situation. The content of the programme may vary subject to the national situation as well as by political and economic roles. In the Indian context, the idea of population education is designed to bring home to the students at schools and colleges the consequences of uncontrolled population growth, the validity of small-family norm, economics, sociology and statistics of population explosion, its distribution and impact on the standard of living.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AI/5
Write an essay on family counseling.
Response:
Family is an important institution for socialization of an individual. It plays an important role in the growth and development of its members. The contemporary Indian family is undergoing a transition. Family counseling which is one of the family centered interventions in social work is of great importance to protect the values and rights of the individuals in the family.
Family counselors need to adopt systems approach during practice. Family counseling commences with an assessment which is aimed at gaining an understanding of the family’s problem situation and to plan relevant intervention strategies. Use of relevant tools of assessment will give a direction and focus to the counseling activity. A family counselor should use relevant skills and techniques during the counseling process. Like any helping process, family counseling too has a beginning, midpoint and an end phase.
In view of the rapid changes taking place in the Indian family, areas of concern for counseling are on the increase. Counselors should use an eclectic approach integrating the elements of systems approach and strive to make family counseling culturally relevant.
An important part of the process is focus on the institution of marriage. Marriage involves accomplishment of various tasks across the life cycle. It also involves adjustment of the couple in various areas. Lack of adjustment leads to marital conflict. A marriage counselor has to understand the Indian ground realities during the counseling process. Communication and behaviour change are the major focus in marriage counseling.
There is also the need to prepare youth for happy and successful marriage in lieu of the unhappy marriages in our society with the changing times. While it is the primary responsibility of parents to develop a positive approach in attitudes and feelings to social life, marriage and family life in their growing adolescents, counselors can assist and supplement parental guidance through premarital counseling which includes counseling in the psychological, social and moral aspects of marriage and family life. In this way they are better equipped and able to face with greater confidence the challenges and problems of sexuality and marriage.
In India the growing divorce rate is also alarming. The influence of individualism and the impact of western culture have adversely affected the stability of Indian family system. It may also be noted that the divorce rates provide only a very indirect measure of family instability because they do not include cases of broken families which have not secured divorce for one reason or the other. If we take into account also the domestic discords, desertion and separation without divorce it will be revealed that family instability is several times as serious as it appears to be. Divorce poses threat not only to the divorcing spouses but also has a tremendous impact on the offspring. Therefore divorce counseling can be an effective tool in helping families to find feasible solutions to their problems.
Assignment II
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AII/6
Critically examine the problems of the aged in India.
Response:
The problems of the aged are broadly of five types: familial, social, psychological, economic and others.
Familial problems: The traditional joint family system has almost crumbled. The elderly may face the problems which are faced by their counterparts in the west. They are facing the problems of isolation, and disengagement. The complementary role the elderly can play in the family system is rarely recognized.
Social problems: The aged had remained busy in their occupation in their salad days. They have not developed skills for social contacts. Others do not explore the range of interests which will sustain them throughout life. Some even refuse the opportunity to participate in social life, due to apathy and lack of social interests. Some old people instead of forming their own interests try to indulge in the interests of the younger members of the family and thus become unaccepted.
Psychological problems: Some people become old gradually. For some it is sudden and they are not prepared for it. Loss of occupation is one of the causes which creates great psychological vacuum in the life of old people. Old age is usually associated with reduction in income and social status. This creates depression in the minds of some people. Family members are unable to understand, in case of old women, since the major function of their life that is child bearing and child rearing is over, there is vacuum and boredom sets in. Mother-in-law role is not very rewarding. They complain that they are not given due attention.
Economic problems: Many old people do not have a reliable income source. They do not have enough savings either. They are dependent on children. Economic dependence makes life disturbing. They are not considered for employment because they are deemed unfit.
Other problems: Old age brings with it physical problems like loss of eye sight, hearing capacity, loss of motor coordination and crippling diseases like paralysis. In urban areas, the aged face housing problem if they wish to live independently.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AII/7
Write an essay on child labour.
Response:
The most innocent phase in human life is the childhood. It is that stage of life when the human foundations are laid for a successful adult life. It is phase when one is carefree, fun-loving, learning, playing and what not. It is supposed to be period carrying great memories. It is wonderful to have grown up with such carefree abandonment. But this is the story of not too many children. There are far more children scarred and tormented. They would hate their childhood. They would do anything to get out of the dungeons of being children and controlled and tortured by others. They would want to break free from this world. Some may manage to get out and get a better life but many continue to be where they are, not out of choice but because there is no other choice. That is the ugly picture of child labour. There are industries and individuals who employ young innocent children. They put them to work under grueling circumstances. They are made to work for long hours weaving delicate threads the make the world’s most expensive carpets. They are made to work in dangerous factory units manufacturing fireworks. They are made to carry heavy loads several times heavier than their own body weight.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) a new generation of children is being deprived of the chance to take their rightful place in the society and economy of the 21st century. It has proposed that child labour disappear in a decade. If this happens, well and good. But in reality the situation is worsening. One in eight children in the world is exposed to the worst forms of child labour which endanger children’s physical, mental and moral well-being. In many countries children’s lives are plagued by armed conflict, child labour, sexual exploitation and other human rights violations. Children living in rural areas have fewer opportunities to obtain good quality education. They have less access to services than children living in cities. Child labour keeps children out of school and is major barrier to development. To make the anti-child labour law a reality, poverty and unemployment need to be eliminated first. Unless the standard of living improves at the lower levels of the society, children will be forced to work. Many middle and upper class families do not hesitate to engage young boys and girls to help them with household chores. The middle class families also feel they are helping the child when they hire his labour. According to UN study, about 150 million children of age five to fourteen are found working in road-side restaurants, tea stalls, shops construction sites and factories. Girls suffer labour exploitation to a greater degree. Million of girls die before they reach the age of 15. A child worker becomes alienated from the family, has low self-esteem and is likely to engage in self-destructive behaviour.
All stakeholders should jointly resist any form of child labour using whatever means available. As long as the issue is not addressed with a sense of urgency, national development remains a distant dream.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AII/8
Write about the rehabilitation of handicapped children.
Response:
Integrated education is offered to the blind. Special subjects like Braille reading, mathematics, geography, science etc are taught by qualified teachers. The National Institute for the Visually Handicapped at Dehradun is the apex body for the welfare of the blind. It organizes need based programmes of personal training, undertakes research and development activity, runs model services, collects and disseminates information on work available, prepares materials for parents, employers and community, manufactures aids and appliances and produces books in Braille and cassettes. A model pre-school programme and computer training are designed for the young visually challenged.
Three schools are established for the training of teachers for the deaf at Lucknow, Kolkata and Palayamkottai. Aliyavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped in Mumbai conducts short term training programmes for the deaf. The institute and its regional centers offer clinical, therapeutic and educational services to the hearing impaired.
For the crippled, physiotherapy centers are established at Mumbai, Anand, Chennai and Delhi.
Four main forms of employment for the rehabilitation of the handicapped are open namely homework, sheltered employment, open employment and self-employment.
Severely handicapped people may be assisted by giving them ‘work from home’ option.
A sheltered workshop provides employment to the handicapped who are unable to hold their own in open field.
Open employment can be suggested for those who are able to complete with others by virtue of their skills.
Self-employment allows handicapped people to engage themselves in income generating activities by own effort or with external assistance.
Schemes for the disabled allow them equal opportunity to perform the kind of work for which they are qualified. They are encouraged with opportunities to develop their personality and to attain economic independence. UN declared 1981 as the International Year for the Disabled.
Vocational rehabilitation restores handicapped individuals to the fullest physical, mental, social and economic usefulness. It covers such areas as medical diagnosis, counseling, guidance, training, services in sheltered workshops, provision of tools, provision of equipment, licenses to set up small business units in open industry and home employment.
Schemes for the disabled impart employment oriented training in consultation with local industry. Special employment exchanges have been set up for the benefit of the challenged to secure placements suited to their physical and mental capacities. They provide assistance to the blind, deaf and dumb and the orthopaedically handicapped.
Concessions are provided to the challenged in the age of entry, travel, medical fitness criteria and preference in sponsoring against vacancies. Loans are provided by banks at a lower rate of interest for self employment ventures.
One per cent reservation is provided by the government in vacancies each for the blind, deaf and orthopaedically handicapped in group C and group D posts in central government.
Scheme for grant of national awards has been instituted to outstanding employers of the challenged and most efficient challenged employees and the most efficient self-employed.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AII/9
Describe the institutional and non-institutional services for the child prostitutes.
Response:
Child protection programming work by UNICEF encompasses child trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour and issues related to juvenile justice and street children. Trafficking is high on the agenda of UNICEF. The UN protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking makes a direct attempt to combat this problem.
A number of governmental non-governmental organizations provide care, protection and support to the sexually exploited children. Interventions for community based support are also initiated. Institutional care refers to shelter homes and day/night care hospitals. Basic shelter care along with counseling, educational and vocational training are offered to victims of trafficking. The interventions are of preventive nature. They aim at awareness generation, knowledge seeking, followed by change in attitudes and subsequently in behaviours.
The plan of action of the Department of Women and Child Development to combat trafficking and commercial exploitation of women and children encourages civil society to take concrete steps towards prevention and intervention. UNICEF has focused on building a database with reliable figures on trafficking so that the dimension of the problem can be accurately assessed when designing programmes. UNICEF has also come up judicial, social work and medical manuals as a sensitization effort against trafficking.
Joint Women’s Programme (JWP) uses three strategies. The first is prevention at the source of trafficking. The second is to rescue victims of trafficking. The third is to partner with women in the red light area who wish to educate their children.
There are about 140 social wok institutions in India which can adopt trafficking prevention and intervention into their curriculum and field work.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PI/AII/10
Write short notes on any two of the following:
(a) Code of ethics for counseling
(b) Street children
(c) Gerontology
Response:
Code of ethics provides a guide for counselors’ conduct and a basis for the adjudication of ethical issues when such conduct is alleged to have deviated from professional standards. It is also a guide for professional roles and responsibility at various levels in relation to clients, colleagues, employers, supervisees, Interprofessional relationships and the society at large.
(a) National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), formerly called NAACT (National Association of Alcoholism Counselors and Trainers) recommended the following principles as the code of ethics for counselor:
(a) Non-discrimination
(b) Client welfare
(c) Client relationship
(d) Trustworthiness
(e) Compliance with the law
(f) Rights and duties
(g) Dual relationships
American Association of Pastoral Counselors recommended the following principles as the code of ethics for counselors:
(a) Prologue of responsibility and non-discrimination
(b) Professional practices
(c) Client relationships
(d) Confidentiality
(e) Supervisee, Student & Employee Relationships
(f) Interprofessional relationships
(g) Advertising
(c) Gerontology:
The prefix ‘geron’ in Greek means ‘old man’. Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing. It is distinguished from geriatrics, which is the branch of medicine that studies the diseases of the elderly. It encompasses (a) studying physical, mental and social changes in people as they age (b) investigating the aging process itself (biogerontology) (c) investigating the interface of normal aging and age-related disease (geroscience) (d) investigating the effects of aging population on society, including the fiscal effects of pensions, entitlements, life and health insurance and retirement planning (e) applying this knowledge to policies and programs including a macroscopic (at the government level) and microscopic (at the nursing home) level perspective. The multidisciplinary focus of gerontology means that there are a number of sub-fields, as well as associated fields such as psychology and sociology that also cross over into gerontology. However, that there is an overlap should not imply that they are the same. For example, a psychologist may specialize in early adults (and not be a gerontologist) or specialize in older adults (and be a gerontologist). The field of gerontology was developed relatively late and as such often lacks the structural and institutional support needed. There are few universities that offer a doctoral degree in gerontology. However, the huge increase in the elderly population in the post-industrial Western nations has led to this becoming one of the most rapidly growing fields. Gerontology is currently a well-paying field for many in the West. Social work with older adults is known as geriatric social work practice. It is of macro as well as micro nature having to deal with individuals over the age of 60 or 65, their families and communities, aging related policy and aging research. Geriatric social workers typically provide counseling, direct services, care coordination, community planning and advocacy in an array of agencies and organizations including private practice, in home, neighbourhoods, hospitals, senior congregate living, oncology centers and residential long term care facilities such as nursing facilities. At the macro level, geriatric social workers work within state departments of health, adult protective services, at universities and colleges as well as administration of aging offices.
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Center for Distance Education
RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Academic Year: 2010 – 11
Name of the Course:
Master of Arts – Social Work
Course Code: 21 (MASW)
Year: Final
Paper: Social Policy & Administration
Paper Code: DSW 22
Name of the Student: S L S Padma
Registration Number: A09SW999007
Paper II (Social Policy & Administration)
Assignment I
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AI/1
Define social policy and discuss the economic and political policies in India.
Response:
Social policy relates to guidelines for the changing, maintenance or creation of living conditions that are conducive to human welfare. Thus social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues such as public access to social programmes. Social policy aims at improving human welfare and to meet needs for human education, health, housing and social security. In an academic environment, social policy refers to the study of welfare state and range of responses to social need. Social policy is designed to specify social objectives and the manner of harnessing the available resources for achieving those objectives. The social objectives are reflected in the constitution of the country. Social policy covers at least four elements: social objectives of national development plans, social service programmes in successive five year plans, concern for the protection and promotion of the interests of the weaker sections of the population and people’s involvement in the formulation and implementation of policies and plans at various levels. Concern for social justice is the underlying spirit in social policy.
Economic policy in India:
However noble the intentions of social policy may be, their implementation is a subject of the country’s economy. Social policy can influence national development plans. It is therefore necessary to study economic policy in juxtaposition with social policy. The objective of economic policy is raising the nation’s GNP and Per Capita Income, and diversification of science and technology in order to make the economy modern and prosperous. But models of development plans based on such one-sided economic policies have not been much successful. Plans drawn up on material terms relying on input and output equations cannot cause sustainable development. In India, the economic policy strives to be supplemented by the objectives of bringing about equality of opportunity and narrowing the differences of wealth and income. India’s economic policy, in coordination with social policy visualizes institutional change and systemic change through developmental plans.
Political policy in India:
The Preamble to the Indian Constitution declares that India shall be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and the state shall secure to all its citizens, justice, social, economic and political, liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation. These lines aptly reflect the spirit of the entire constitution and from the perspective of social work, the goals of the constitution may be found in total harmony with the broad objective of social work, thereby eliminating the possibility of friction between social policy and state policy.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AI/2
Discuss the need for constitutional basis for social policy in India.
Response:
The Constitution is the starting point of policy making. The policies of our country are laid down in the Constitution. By and large they are only indicative, like directives. Five Year Plans have more to do with action. Social policy is the link between the Constitution and the Five Year Plans. The programmes implemented by the government must be in agreement with the long term objectives envisaged by the constitution. Ideas of welfare state and socialistic pattern of society are also a part of the vision of the constitution.
The directive principles of state policy contained in articles 36 to 51 of the constitution provide the yardstick by which we can measure the adequacy of our social policy. It is also a measure of how far the policies are in agreement with the spirit and the recommendations of our constitution. Article 38 recommends the promotion of welfare of people. Article 39 deals with the right to adequate means to livelihood for all, ownership and control of community resources for common good, equal pay for equal work, prevention of concentration of wealth and protection of children and youth. Article 40 recommends Panchayat Raj institutions. Article 41 deals with the right to education and right to public assistance, article 42 with humane conditions of work, article 43 with decent standard of life, article 44 with common civil code, article 45 with free and compulsory education till the age of 14 years, article 46 with social justice to SCs and STs, article 47 with public health and article 48 with environment. Hindu Marriage Act 1955, Special Marriage Act 1954, Hindu Succession Act 1956, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act 1956, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act 1956, Equal Remuneration Act 1976, SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989, Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act 1956, Probation of Offenders Act 1958, Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 were some of the laws enacted reflecting the spirit of our social policy. The same is also reflected by national policy on health (1983), family planning policy (20000, national education policy (1986), national policy on children (1974), national policy on youth (1988) and national housing policy (1991). Fundamental Rights conferred by articles 12 to 35 also provide a concrete ground for our social policy by providing safeguards against discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, race, creed, sex and place of birth. They provided the basis in formulating necessary policies for the abolition of untouchability and furthering the cause of individual freedom.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AI/3
Critically examine the mixed economy model of social policy.
Response:
The term ‘welfare state’ is usually understood as the same thing as ‘state welfare’ and any opposition in this regard is seen as a commitment to the ‘private market’. This is a false choice. The state is not the only provider of welfare in any country and the ‘private market’ does not consist of activity for profit alone, but a wide range of different motivations. There is something like ‘mixed economy of welfare’. The state does not operate in isolation; rather it acts in conjunction with a number of non-statutory organizations. The state is actively involved in regulation, finance, subsidy and direct provision. In the mixed economy model, society accepts some responsibility for provision of social services in the areas of health, education and social security. The main idea that forms the basis for this model is that the members of the community should pay for them through contributions to social security schemes. On the other hand, when they are offered selectively, the beneficiaries will be selected on the basis of merit. In this model, the government’s intervention is limited. The client is more or less like a ‘user’. The model corresponds to liberal democratic polity. Services offered are social security, pensions, unemployment insurance etc. Basic education is free to all but higher education is not free. This is to stimulate individuals to strive to do better. If they fail, the society may intervene to help as and when necessary.
Contributory insurance plan is a great idea implemented in West Germany. It provided a successful forum for cooperation between government, social administrators, banks, insurance companies and individual entrepreneurs. Insurance benefits are usually generous but for those who fall outside the insurance system, like immigrants, the disabled and the long term unemployed, residual provision in the form of non-contributory benefits is not much generous. In Britain, residual payments under supplementary benefit system are paid at the same rate as under insurance. They are available as statutory right and are funded by center. But the insurance system in Britain is not as successful as that in West Germany.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AI/4
Evaluate the role of social worker in social policy formulation.
Response:
When one talks about social change, one refers to a transformed society which is planned and deliberate. Social policy guides this process. All developing countries, irrespective of their forms of government and political ideologies face the problem of economic disparity. Hence the dependence of have-nots on the haves. It leads to exploitation in different forms. Like deprivation, extortion and atrocities. It is perpetuated by developed countries on the rest of the world. There needs to be social policies in defence of the weaker sections. In this light the role of social worker in social policy formulation assumes importance. He needs to identify and understand the distinctive problems in non-integrated areas and groups. The needs and requirements of these groups have to be assessed. He has to undertake research and surveys to identify the problems of backward religions, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, and the weaker sections like women, children and the aged. An exhaustive and comprehensive research can suggest remedies to meet the problems of vulnerable sections of population. Without the help of research, the social worker cannot present facts to the world accurately and objectively. When the findings are made available to the government, it will be possible to launch suitable social policies and programmes for the welfare of the weaker sections in the society. It is also necessary for the social worker to conduct seminars and conferences on such subjects as slum clearance, prostitution, child marriage, caste system, prohibition, dowry harassment, gender issues, anti-trafficking, crimes against women, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, street children etc. The group proceedings in seminars have to be recorded, collected, printed and made available to government. The problems of backward regions and backward groups also must given due weight in the discussions. Resolutions, recommendations and appeals from conferences can have a pressurizing influence on governments. Thus a social worker has the capacity to manipulate the formulation of social policies and programmes.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AI/5
Critically examine the programmes related to the welfare of women.
Response:
UN declared 1975 as National Women’s Year and 1975 – 85 as the International Women’s Decade. March 8 is observed as Women’s Day. Centre, states and union territories have launched a number of programmes for improving social and economic status of women. Intensified efforts to maintain continuity and expanded them during the women’s decade. As a result, average weight at birth has increased, incidence of malnutrition has been reduced, increased immunization coverage, reduced infant mortality rate and caused decline in birth and death rates.
Indira Mahila Yojana was launched on 19 November 1989. The plan allocation for the Yojana is Rs. 5000 crore annually.
Dowry Prohibition Act was enacted in 1961 and amended in 1984.
A scheme to set up Women’s Development Corporations was formulated during 1986 – 87.
Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) was launched in 1982 as part of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). Anganwadi training centers are run under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
20 Point Programme laid special emphasis on women welfare and nutrition.
Women’s hostels were built by voluntary organizations with the aid of center and states.
Crèches are provided in conjunction with working women’s hostels.
Concessions for women are provided like relaxation of age limit to enter government service, special leave benefits etc.
Central Social Welfare Board, State Social Welfare Advisory Boards, Indian Council for Women’s Welfare, All India Women’s Conference, Bharatiya Grameena Mahila Sangh, Red Cross, Association for Social Health and such other organizations came up with novel programmes.
Equal Remuneration Act was enacted in 1976. Maternity Benefits Act 1961 covered women under the purview of Employee State Insurance Act, 1948. Marriage Laws Amendment Act 1976 provided girls the right to repudiate marriage before attaining majority.
These measures will go a long way in removing social prejudices, inequalities and stigmas against women.
Assignment II
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AII/6
Examine the principles of social welfare administration.
Response:
The term ‘administration’ in the field of social welfare can have many different interpretations. Virtually it is synonymous with operation and occasionally it refers to executive functions. It covers a vast range from the determination of policies, overall planning, leadership and professional supervision to routine operations like book-keeping.
Matters of major importance in social welfare administration are:
(a) Personnel selection, classification and management
(b) Fund management
(c) Communication
(d) Professional services
(e) Records
(f) Public relations and
(g) Planning
The aforementioned spheres indicate the scope of social welfare administration in general though there is no established yardstick. Nevertheless the following principles are recognized as conducive to social welfare practice:
(a) Well defined objectives and functions for a social welfare agency
(b) Dynamic programmes with their design and orientation towards social welfare patterns and resources of the community, based on actual needs and limited in scope and territory to a field in which the operation can be effective
(c) Sound organization of agency, clear-cut distinction between policy making and education, unity of command, logical allocation of functions in accordance with a general plan, definite assignment of authority and responsibility and effective coordination of all organizations and staff members
(d) Sound policy-based operations, good working conditions, qualified personnel and reasonable remuneration structure
(e) Service-orientation with a thorough understanding of the needs of the beneficiaries
(f) Attitudes and methods conducive to the strengthening of public relations
(g) Annual budget and accounting systems audited by disinterested professionals
(h) Maintenance of transparent, accurate and comprehensive records which are accessible when needed
(i) Efficient clerical and maintenance services and facilities
(j) Periodic self-appraisal to take stock of successes, failures, strengths and weaknesses with the objective of delivering better performance to the clientele
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AII/7
Describe the organizational structure and functions of Central Social Welfare Board.
Response:
Organizational structure of Central Social Welfare Board:
The Board is currently headed by Ms. Prema Cariappa as the Chairperson. The Board has a 56-member General Body and a 16-member Executive Committee. Their compositions are as follows:
General Body:
Chairperson, CSWB
All Chairpersons of State Social Welfare Boards (33)
Representatives from the Parliament – two from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha
Five professionals – one each from law, medicine, social work, education and social development, and nutrition
Three eminent persons with extensive experience in the field of social work
Representatives from ministries/departments of the rank of joint secretary of the government of India – from the ministries of women and child development, rural development, health and family welfare, human resource development, secondary and higher education, social justice and empowerment, labour and employment, finance and Planning Commission
Executive Director, CSWB
Executive Committee:
Chairperson, CSWB
Chairpersons of State Social Welfare Boards – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Rajastan, Andaman and Nicobar
Representatives of ministries of women and child development, health and family welfare, rural development, finance, human resource development and social justice and empowerment and Financial Advisor
Professionals – Dr. Amitabha Sen, Dr. Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhary
Executive Director, CSWB
The activities of CSWB are quite diverse:
Awareness Generation Programme for Rural and Poor Women: The scheme of Awareness Generation Programme provides a platform for the rural and poor women to come together, exchange their experience, ideas and in the process, develop an understanding of reality and also the way to tackle their problems and fulfill their needs. The programme also enables women to organize themselves and strengthen their participation in decision making in the family and in the society and to deal with social issues including atrocities on women and children.
Condensed Courses of Education for Women: The Scheme of Condensed Courses of Education for Women was started by the Central Social Welfare Board during the year 1958 with the objective of providing education to those women who for various social and economic reasons dropped out of school and could not pursue their studies. The scheme was designed particularly to benefit women like young widows, women deserted by their husbands and those belonging to economically backward classes. Under this Scheme, grant is given to Voluntary Organizations to conduct two types of courses, one of two years duration for preparing women candidates for Primary/Middle/Matric Examination and the other of one year duration for Matric failed candidates. Girls and women of 15 years plus age groups are entitled to avail the benefit of the scheme.
Vocational Training for Women:
The Central Social Welfare Board had started the scheme of Vocational Training Programme during the year 1975 to train women in the trades which are marketable and also to upgrade their skills in order to meet the demands of changing work environment. Main objective of training interventions is to enable and empower women to access remunerative employment opportunities, which will instill self-confidence and enhance their self-esteem.
Socio-economic Programme:
The Socio-Economic Programme of the Central Social Welfare Board endeavours to provide employment opportunities on full or part time basis to destitute women, widows, deserted and the physically handicapped, to supplement their meager family income. Besides, women entrepreneurs are encouraged to exhibit and sell their products through Exhibition-cum-Melas organized by State Boards at district level. The Central Social Welfare has two different types of schemes of assistance under this Programme:
Agro-based Units:
The Board assists voluntary organizations for setting up agro-based units like dairy, poultry, piggery, goatery etc. for poor and needy women.
Production Units:
Voluntary organizations are encouraged to set up Production Units, which can provide employment on full or part time basis to women. Project proposals are examined by District Industrial Centres etc. who look into viability of the projects. A grant is provided by the Board to facilitate setting up a Production Unit by the grantee institution. The grant is finalised on a case-to-case basis subject to a limit of Rs.3 lakhs.
Crèche Programme:
This programme has been in operation since 1975. The scheme provides for day care services to children in the age group of 0-5 years. The facilities are provided to the children of working women belonging to economically backward sections of casual, agricultural and construction labour in remote, rural and urban slum areas. Children of sick women also get the benefit of this programme.
Working Women's Hostels:
Under this scheme the Board provides a maintenance grant to voluntary organizations for providing safe accommodation to working women whose salary does not exceed Rs.16,000/- p.m. so that they are not exposed to undesirable and anti-social elements.
Family Counseling Centres:
The objective of the Family Counseling Centres is to provide preventive and rehabilitative services to women and children who are victims of atrocities and family maladjustment. The Scheme is being implemented since 1984 through voluntary agencies.
Short Stay Home Programme:
The scheme of Short Stay Home was launched by the Govt. of India in 1969 to provide temporary shelter to women and girls
- who are being forced into prostitution
- who as a result of family tension or discord are made to leave their homes without any mean of subsistence and have no social protection from exploitation and are facing litigation on account of marital disputes
- who have been sexually assaulted and are facing the problem of readjustment in the family or society;
- who are victims of mental mal-adjustment, emotional disturbances and social ostracism, or
- who escape from their homes due to family problems, mental or physical torture and need shelter, psychiatric treatment and counseling for their rehabilitation and re-adjustment in family and society.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AII/8
Write an essay on tribal welfare.
Response:
The Constitution of India provides various safeguards for promotion and protection of the interests of scheduled tribes. Articles 19, 46, 164, 244, 275, 330, 332, 334, 338, 339, 342 and the V and VI Schedules of the Constitution deal with tribal welfare. The Ministry of Tribal Welfare was constituted in October 1999 with the objective of providing more focused attention on the integrated socio-economic development of the most under-privileged sections of the Indian society namely the scheduled tribes (STs) in a coordinated and planned manner. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal ministry for the overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for the development of STs. To this end the Ministry of Tribal Affairs undertakes activities that flow from the subjects allocated under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. A specially designated Director looks after the grievance redressal mechanism related to STs. There is a special Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) looks after the vigilance work. The measures taken involve social security and social insurance to STs, tribal welfare planning, project formulation, research, evaluation, statistics and training, promotion and development of voluntary efforts on tribal welfare, reservations and scholarships to students of ST category and legislation relating to the rights of forest dwelling STs. Post-Matric Scholarships (PMS) to ST students, centrally sponsored scheme of hostels for ST boys and girls, Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST students, establishment of Ashram schools in tribal sub-plan areas, vocational training centers in tribal areas, National Overseas Scholarships for ST students abroad, Grant-in-Aid to voluntary organizations working for the welfare of STs, schemes of development of primitive tribal groups, investments in TRIFED, schemes of marketing development of tribal products and Grants-in-Aid to STDCCs for MFP operations are some of the landmarks in the direction of tribal development.
The new Twenty Point Economic Programme (1986) lays special emphasis on the development of STs. Point 11 in it deals with justice for tribals, point 7(3) deals with water supply, point 14(3) with construction of houses and point 16(2) with the traditional right of tribal population of access to firewood and forest produce. Schemes for tribal welfare must fulfil two essential conditions namely conformity to social values and patterns of the life of the people for whom they are intended and the psychological receptivity and ability of the tribal population to absorb them.
During the Sixth Five Year Plan, the major objectives in tribal development were taking up family beneficiary programmes through raising productivity levels of the beneficiary families in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, small industries etc., elimination of exploitation of tribes in the spheres of alienation of land, money lending, debt-bondage, forest etc., human resource development through education and training programs and infrastructure development.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AII/9
Examine the role of National Commission for Women (NCW) in the welfare of women.
Response:
National Commission for Women is the apex national level organization of India with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women. It reviews the Constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommends remedial legislative measures, facilitates redressal of grievances and advises the government on policy matters affecting women. In keeping with its mandate, the Commission initiated various steps to improve the status of women and worked for their economic empowerment. The Commission visited all the states and union territories except Lakshadweep and prepared gender profiles to assess the status of women and their empowerment. It receives a large number of complaints and acts suo-moto in the cases to provide speedy justice. It took up the issue of child marriage, sponsored legal awareness programmes, Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats and reviewed laws such as Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, PNDT Act, 1994, Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 to make them more stringent and effective. It organized workshops / consultations, constituted expert committees on economic empowerment of women, conducted seminars for gender awareness and took up publicity campaign against female foeticide, violence against women etc. in order to generate awareness in the society against these social evils.
The problem of violence against women is multifaceted. NCW adopts a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem. It generates legal awareness among women, thus equipping them with the knowledge of their legal rights and with a capacity to use these rights. It assists women in redressal of their grievances through Pre-Litigation services. It facilitates speedy delivery of justice to women by organizing Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats in different parts of the country. It reviews the existing provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women and recommends amendments thereto, any lacunae, inadequacies or shortcomings in such legislations. It organizes promotional activities to mobilize women and get information about their status and recommends paradigm shift in the empowerment of women. It investigates and examines all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution and other laws. It reviews, from time to time, the existing provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women. It takes up cases of violation of the provisions of the Constitution and of other laws. It looks into complaints and takes suo-moto notice of matters. It deals with issues of deprivation of women's rights. It conducts special studies or investigations into specific problems or situations arising out of discrimination and atrocities against women. It undertakes promotional and educational research so as to suggest ways to ensure due representation of women in all spheres and identify factors responsible for impeding their advancement. It advices on the planning process of socio-economic development of women. It evaluates the progress of the development of women under the Union and all States. It inspects or causes to inspect jails, remand homes, women's institutions or other places of custody where women are kept as prisoners or otherwise and takes up with the concerned authorities for remedial action, if found necessary. It funds litigations involving issues affecting a large body of women. The various cells of the Commission include Complaints and Counseling Cell, Legal Cell, Research and Studies Cell, Public Relations Cell, Right To Information Cell and Non-Resident Indians Cell.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PII/AII/10
Write short notes on any two of the following:
(a) Sarvodaya approach
(b) Antyodaya approach
(c) Rural poverty
Response:
(a) Sarvodaya approach:
Sarvodaya means ‘welfare of all’. The term was first used by Gandhi inspired from the book ‘Unto This Last’ of John Ruskin. The broad objective of Sarvodaya movement is to create a classless society through non-violent means in which there is not exploitation of the poor, there is no communal hatred, there is scope for democratic decentralization through Gram Swaraj and there is scope to secure scientific, spiritual and ethical advancement. The approach is built on the roots of ancient Indian spiritual tradition. Gandhi envisaged Sarvodaya movement as a solution to the political, social and economic problems as witnessed by him in the Indian society when he returned to India from South Africa in 1915. After Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, Sarvodaya spirit was continued by Vinoba Bhave through Bhudan and Gramdan movements. More than four million acres of land was distributed to landless peasants through Bhudan movement. Sarvodaya Conference at Raipur (MP) in 1964 adopted a village development oriented three-point programme embracing Gramdan, Khadi and Shanthi Sena. A Sarvodaya Patra (pot) in every household into which a small contribution would be made everyday by the youngest member in the family was a very noble and imaginative initiative by Vinoba in 1958. Bhudan movement became famous in Europe and Americas through the works of Lanza Del Vasto, Donald Groom, Hallam Tennyson and Daniel Hoffman. Striking similarity can be found between Sarvodaya approach and the ideas of great men like Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley and Martin Luther King Junior. The success of Sarvodaya disproved communists who ridiculed it as ‘Utopian’ socialism like that of Robert Owen and Saint Simon. Thus Sarvodaya provides an ideal and dependable basis for all kinds of social work.
(b) Antyodaya approach:
Antyodaya means ‘attention to the poorest person’ or ‘serving the last man in the queue’. Gandhi visualized Antyodaya as a tool to promote a Sarvodaya society characterized by high social synergy where one individual’s economic development is not at the cost of another individual’s opportunity. It looks forward to a win-win situation for everyone with the scope for a sustainable future for the entire humankind. Antyodaya approach involves the identification of poor families as a concrete reality, placing emphasis on the delivery of product assets so that the poor families begin to get regular income from self-employment, assistance to the poor by the administration instead of waiting for the poor to come for assistance. Central government allocated food grains at subsidized rates to one crore poorest of the poor families. Ration cards (also called Antyodaya card) are issued to the BPL (Below the Poverty Line) families. The beneficiaries are identified by the state governments. Every month, 25 kg of food grain quota (at Rs. 3 per kg for rice and at Rs. 2 per kg for wheat) is supplied under the Public Distribution System. The expanded scheme is covering about 23% of the 65 million BPL families in the country. Antyodaya Anna Yojana Scheme (AAY) was launched in the year 2000. The AAY court order says that the scheme must give top priority to the aged, infirm, disabled, destitute, pregnant and lactating women, widows and single women without support, senior citizens above the age of 60 years and primitive tribes. In these cases, a household becomes eligible for the AAY card even if it has not been included in the BPL list.
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Center for Distance Education
RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Academic Year: 2010 – 11
Name of the Course:
Master of Arts – Social Work
Course Code: 21 (MASW)
Year: Final
Paper: Community Development
Paper Code: DSW 23
Name of the Student: S L S Padma
Registration Number: A09SW999007
Paper III (Community Development)
Assignment I
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AI/1
Define community and discuss its characteristics.
Response:
Community – Definition:
According to Bogardus, a community is a social group with some ‘we feeling’. It is confined to a certain geographical area.
Kingsley Davis defines community as the smallest territorial group that can embrace all aspects of social life.
R M Maciver is of the view that a community is an area of social living marked by certain extent of social coherence.
In the words of Ogburn and Nimkoff, a community may be either a group or a collection of groups that inhabits a locality.
Manheim opines that a community is any circle of people living together and belonging together in such a way that they share not just one but a whole set of interests.
Lundberg says that a community is a human population living within a limited geographical area and carrying on common inter-dependent life.
Community – Characteristics:
The chief characteristics of a community are locality, community sentiment, stability, naturalness, regulation of relations, common life and name pattern.
Locality:
This is the physical basis of a community. This, however, is not fixed. Residing in a definite area gives community flavour to a group of people. Physical conditions like soil, mineral availability, vegetation, water resources, animal wealth, climate and weather affect social life and economic activities a lot. In the wake of increasing facilities of transport and communication, though the influence of locality on community life has slightly diminished, they can never defy locality its significance as a necessary precondition to the existence of a community.
Community Sentiment:
Community, strictly speaking, is not a physical reality. On the contrary, it has more to do with the state of the mind. Social coherence emanates from contacts, communication on a regular basis, sharing common interests and a sense of belonging and identification. The institution of ‘caste’ as a community in India has the potential to surpass even the locality barrier. Communities are supposed to be self-contained. However, this is not quite possible in the modern world of globalization where all nations and peoples are interdependent. The members of a community have a ‘we’ feeling and it induces a desire in each member to make a contribution to the community. It also makes them voluntarily adapt to the framework dictated by the community. In the new millennium, we can see rapid structural changes in the way communities are created and modified.
Stability:
Community is a permanent group. It is not like a group of people who come together on a task and disperse when the task is finished.
Naturalness:
The creation of a community is spontaneous. It is never by one’s will or fancy.
Regulation of Relations:
A community has an unwritten constitution. It includes traditions, customs, morals, practices etc.
Common Life:
Physical, behavioural, emotional, social and cultural uniformity (in such aspects as eating, dressing, language etc.) mark a community.
Naming Pattern:
Community is an entity with a name. It is often named after one of its characteristics like location or language or occupation as may be seen in terms like Afghans, Bengalis, Marwaris etc.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AI/2
Describe the major forms of community.
Response:
Rural communities and urban communities are the two major forms of communities.
Rural Community:
According to Dwight Sanderson, a rural community consists of people living on dispersed farmsteads with a hamlet or village forming the center of their common activities.
The population of the world is largely rural. In the case of India, more than two-thirds live in villages. This makes rural communities all the more significant.
A deep sense of unity and intimacy can be noticed in rural communities. The joys and sorrows of neighbours are willingly shared. The joint families can be still seen to be in vogue. Religious nature and worship of natural forces are invariably seen. The stream of life is controlled more by understanding and less by the law. The life is simple and free from hypocrisy and pretensions. There is an amazing level of consensus among all with respect to the value system and belief system. The area being small, primary relations are strong. For the same reason, social control takes place by default rarely requiring the interference of legislation. Agriculture, handicrafts, hereditary occupations and menial jobs are the common occupations seen in a rural community in which men and women work in association. From this perspective, rural communities can be classified into two sub-types namely agricultural and industrial communities. The attitude of people tends to be usually rigid, conservative and irrational. However, there has been a steady rise in the consciousness of people even in rural communities, ever since the industrial revolution.
Urban Community:
The more the density of population, the more a community assumes urban character. It marks the higher rungs on the ladder of cultural evolution. An urban center, in the opinion of James A Quinn, is a phenomenon of specialization.
Urban community is a paradox. It is heterogeneous, yet a community. It is essentially a secondary group and secondary relations are predominant so much so that ‘neighbour’ is often synonymous with ‘stranger’. This possibility of anonymity makes social control a problematic area, which means that the law and its allied agencies have to be very active. Specialization is a distinguishing feature of urban communities. The disparity in the level of skills is very wide and that makes division of labour quite distinct. The best thing about an urban community is the unlimited scope it offers for social mobility. This is in sharp contrast to one’s stagnated social and economic position in a rural community. In an urban community, conformity is regarded as a weakness. Exercise is one’s conscience is permitted as well as desirable. It follows that the level of tolerance has to be higher. A number of second-tier associations are formed in urban communities to give vent to the aspirations of groups of people with varied interests. Occupations and activities are not with a single center but are spread over multiple spots. Nuclear families are common and joint family is a thing of history. Relatively, the familial relations in urban communities are weak.
All said and done, it must be borne in mind that the demarcation between rural and urban communities is only indicative.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AI/3
Describe the various types of leadership.
Response:
The term ‘leader’ eludes a clear-cut portrait. One thing that matters most in leadership is the ability to be sensitive to change and to quickly adapt to it. Since different groups have different needs, the qualities and approach of the leader need to be in harmony with them. In some groups, a close personal working relationship between the leader and the members gives good results. The same approach may be a cause of confusion in the case of another group. In some groups, it is desirable to encourage members to think through problems and make decisions themselves. In a different situation, it may be preferable to firmly dictate as to what must be done. Traditionally, leadership is understood as the exercise of authority and power. It is based on the assumption that the common men or the followers lack any creative ability and therefore they can not be left in charge of themselves. In the context of social work, the classic view of leadership has to be carefully examined. In extension work, the ultimate goal is to make the people self-reliant. Hence, it warrants such leadership that provides vent to the creative capacities of the members of a group. When free expression is encouraged, it leads to self-actualization. It is not easy to find leaders who can do this. It is a question of autocracy, man’s instinctive urge, versus democracy, manifestation of man’s civilized self. India is a nation with an extremely rich human resource. How well we will be able to put this asset to India’s advantage is a function of discovering and training the kind of new-age leaders who have the level-headedness to recognize and respect their followers’ right to select their goals and the capacity to make their decisions.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AI/4
Examine the various programmes for rural development.
Response:
The rural reconstruction scheme initiated by F L Brayne in 1928 around Gurgaon may be called the first ever proposal for rural development. Dr. Spencer Hath’s scheme at Marthandam YMCA Rural Reconstruction Center, the Firka Development Scheme in erstwhile Madras state, S K Dey’s Nilokheri Project for the rehabilitation of displaced people near Delhi and Albert Mayor’s Etowah Project embracing 97 villages in Uttar Pradesh had similar objectives. After independence, community development programme was launched on October 2, 1952. The establishment of a three-tier system of governance in 1959 with Panchayat Raj at its bottom was the first major step directed towards rural development. Ever since, a number of programmes have been launched to accelerate the pace of rural development. The framework of Five Year Plans has also given top priority to the objective of rural development.
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) assists rural people in cultivation of land and providing agricultural loans at very low interest rate for self-help groups.
DWCRA programme specifically aims at the development of women and children in rural areas.
Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) focuses on evolving strategies for increasing agricultural productivity and optimal utilization of resources like land and water.
National Rural Employment Programme (NREP), launched in October 1980, was a modification of the Food for Work programme of the VI Five Year Plan. It is executed by the Union government in collaboration with state governments on a 50-50 sharing basis. Under this, landless peasants are given the first preference.
Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP), introduced in 1983, guarantees employment to landless peasants for a minimum of 100 days in a year.
Training of Youth Self Employment (TRYSEM), effective from 15 August, 1979, is a wing of the IRDP. It imparts technical and managerial skills to rural youth from families below the poverty line.
Agricultural development, economic development, poultry development, adult education, better transport, better health care, better housing facilities are simultaneously targeted by rural development programmes.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AI/5
Explain the philosophy and objectives of community development.
Response:
Community Development – Philosophy:
Community development programmes are not based on presumed needs of people. On the contrary, they are derived from the needs felt by people. People everywhere have a strong desire to emancipate themselves from the clutches of poverty and illiteracy. They are on the lookout for help and guidance. This is precisely where community development programmes assume importance. They envisage a meaningful participatory role to each and every one and this requires a change of attitude of people. Thus they create the platform for the inculcation of value like cooperation, group decision making, initiative, responsibility, leadership, social justice and self-help. It is a shift from traditional complacence to progressive outlook. It works on the principle that the level of one’s self-confidence steeply rises once the process of self-discovery has begun.
Community Development – Objectives:
Community development work is done mainly in rural households and farms as a public service. Its primary objective is to accurately identify the most basic needs of people and to undertake activities that effectively address the needs identified.
It calls for team effort, change in the attitude of people, encouragement and training of local leadership, involving women and youth actively in the process of community development, government’s internal and external assistance to self-help groups and simultaneous implementation of schemes at the national level. All this requires pro-active participation of people in community affairs on the one hand and availability of the resources of governmental and non-governmental organizations. If planned and executed assiduously, community development can have far-reaching implications on the nation’s progress in social and economic aspects.
Paper III – Assignment II
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AII/6
Examine the various programmes for tribal development.
Response:
Articles 19, 46, 164, 244, 275, 330, 332, 334, 338, 339 and 342 as well as V and VI Schedules of the Indian Constitution, besides Points 7(3), 11, 14(3) and 16(2) of the New 20 Point Economic Programme of 1986 contain safeguards for the promotion and protection of the interests of scheduled tribes.
Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) operative in 17 states and 2 union territories across India since the Fifth Five Year Plan has been instrumental in the development of tribal population and tribal areas. TSP comprises Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDPs), MADA pockets and primitive tribal group projects taking care of areas with varying concentrations of tribal population. The Sixth Five Year Plan sought to identify more clusters with tribal concentration.
The allocation for tribal welfare under Special Central Assistance (SCA) rose from INR 1900 million during the V Five Year Plan period to INR 4860 million during the VI Five Year Plan period. VIII Finance Commission allocated INR 887 million for improving the quality of administration in tribal areas by way of grant of compensatory allowance and construction of residential quarters for employees posted in tribal areas.
Hostels for tribal girls have been operative since III Five Year Plan. Tribal Research Institutes under the aegis of Central Tribal Research Advisory Council and the Ministry of Tribal Welfare have been set up at Hyderabad, Gauhati, Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Bhopal, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Udaipur, Lucknow and Kolkata. One more is under way at Imphal. Grants-in-aid have been extended to voluntary organizations engaged in tribal welfare activities such as Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh (New Delhi), Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association (Tamil Nadu), Banasthali Vidyapeeth (Rajastan), Ramakrishna Mission (Shillong & Bengal), Gharmora Model Satra Mills & Plains Cultural Institution (Assam). Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation, with an initial share capital of INR 20 million was set up in 1987 – 88.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AII/7
Describe various PRA methods.
Response:
The methods commonly used in Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), also called People’s Participatory Approach are Social Mapping, Resource Mapping, Transect Walk, Mobility Map, Seasonality Analysis, Services and Opportunities Map, Trend Line, Time Line, Venn Diagram, Wealth Ranking and Participatory Census.
Social Map of a village, usually done by local people, portrays its physical structure, infrastructure (including housing, roads, drainage systems, schools, drinking water facilities etc.), demography, socio-cultural characteristics and habitation patterns. It also depicts lanes, sub-lanes, school, railway track, temple, post office, well, community hall, literacy statistics etc.
Resource Map is also prepared by local people. It focuses on spatial structure and natural features in the locality like land, land use, fields, command area, tenure, boundaries, ownership pattern, hills, topography, terrain, slopes, soil type, land fertility, extent of erosion, rivers, water bodies, irrigation sources, drainage, water conservation measures, watershed development, denuded areas, forest, vegetation, tree species, agricultural development, cropping pattern, agricultural productivity etc.
Transect Walk is undertaken with the help of knowledgeable local people.
A transect diagram is ready after discussing with them various aspects of the spatial structure and natural features of the village, making observation and discussing problems and opportunities.
Mobility Map throws light on the movement pattern, its causes and motives either of an individual or a group or a community. The study includes the frequency of movement, distances and importance of the places in question. The study is useful especially in highlighting disparities with respect to gender-sensitivity.
Seasonality Analysis enlightens us as to understand seasonal variations in terms of rainfall, labour availability, agricultural operations, credit availability etc.
Service and Opportunities Map provides insight into various services like education, health, transportation, railway, bus service, telephones, markets etc. It represents people’s perception of the services, their aspirations or their feelings of deprivation. The data is very useful in planning.
Trend / Time Line technique gives us information on the farmers’ priorities in crop varieties, vegetables, tree species, live stock categories etc.
Venn Diagrams can be used to depict people’s perceptions of interpersonal relationships within the community between individuals, classes or departments or the community’s relations with outsiders.
Wealth Ranking technique is an assessment of the assets, liabilities and sources of income of the members of the community.
Participatory Census technique is based on random questionnaire survey. There is no consensus among social work researchers as yet about the credibility of this PRA method.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AII/8
Analyze the scope of social work.
Response:
Social work can have numerous applications in the field of community development. For a social worker who seeks to be engaged in community organization or for those who look forward to a career in social work, there are four tools that come handy. They are social case work, social group work, community organization and social action. In the end, the goal of all these tools is the same; to ensure the empowerment of the target group. This is done with the conviction that social work has the capacity to bring a positive and powerful change in the quality of life of the needy and the underprivileged. All the four aforementioned tools find frequent use in community development work in different contexts. Case work is very useful in dealing with the problems of alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, HIV victims and the like. Group work is very effective in motivating DWCRA groups, self-help groups etc. Social action can be effectively applied in crusading against such evils as dowry, child labour, chauvinism, gender-discrimination, unfair displacement etc. Just as diagnosis is the most important part of a doctor’s success, a social worker’s success depends mainly on identifying the felt needs of community members. He then guides the members in mobilizing resources and putting them to their best advantage. Community development is not about providing material assistance from external sources. On the contrary, it is an effort to make the members of the community aware, self-reliant and self-sufficient. A social worker needs to have the skill of tapping and assembling the relevant resources for community organization. When it comes to social work, it is not individual-oriented. It is more like a mass movement. Thus a social worker also has to be a social activist if the situation demands. The prospect of mitigating the social problems of the Indian communities lies in accurately analyzing the context and identifying and applying the appropriate method.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AII/9
Examine the role of social worker in community development.
Response:
Social workers in the field of community development can be found in many areas of practice and a variety of settings. The work may or may not be situated within legislated programmes. It does not necessarily have to be registered with the local authorities. It involves activities directed towards improving local economies in rural areas, especially those experiencing out-migration. It also includes working with citizens, groups and organizations to interface with large systems, institutions and even the political process. The identity of community can vary widely. It is subject to the context of the specific issue or social problem. Social workers who practice from a community organizing perspective attempt to address the systemic issues that are responsible for social problems. More often than or not, they are also engaged in individual problem-solving tasks embodied in social work positions. Social worker is required to have a profound understanding of the power dynamics and social relations that govern the relationships between various structures and diverse communities. The work is all about achieving social justice through structural change. For instance, if the issue in question is poverty, the social worker may focus on the political economy that creates the conditions of poverty. Policies that perpetuate poverty have to be addressed. Groups have to be organized around the issue to lobby decision-makers for change. The social worker’s approach is centered on the belief that people acting together have a great capacity to improve their own circumstances, as they have first-hand knowledge of the situation and what needs to happen to change things for the better. This is a fundamental value of the social work profession. Developing community awareness, leadership identification and development, creating strategic alliances, adult education, fostering collaboration and building community capacity are some of the tools used by community social workers. They also associate themselves with various large-scale social movements and broad issues such as homelessness. For a better understanding of conditions from social, economic and political perspectives, social workers practicing at the community level concern themselves with matters of public policy and often engage with others in policy analysis. The analysis helps in developing strategies towards achieving some form of sustainable change. In any situation, the community must play a leading role in defining issues and developing solutions. Community social workers spend a lot of time working with leaders and allies to identify common goals among community members. Social worker becomes a leading organizer to generate a strategic direction in the context of goals identified. He/she shares any and all information related to the problem or issue so that stakeholders are better able to participate in formulating solutions.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIII/AII/10
Describe the problems in the implementation of community development programmes.
Response:
Anti-poverty programmes sound great. But to be realistic, they are afflicted by numerous limitations. The hard truth is that investment in anti-poverty programmes alone cannot eradicate poverty. It requires an integrated approach. Even the other investments in the economy have to be oriented towards this objective. Unless this happens, what the government gives the poor will be taken away the social process dominated by the rich.
Even among the poor, the chronic poor being without influence have to forego the benefits intended for them to the transiently poor. Unfortunately, determining the physical targets and making financial allocations is a process that progresses ritualistically without taking into account local conditions like incidence of poverty, size of population and resource endowments.
The credit absorption capacity most of the rural households is quite limited. Therefore, the Seventh Five Year Plan recommended group oriented activities like cooperatives, registered societies, informal self-help groups etc. This protected the beneficiaries from adverse operations of market forces.
High incidence of leakages is another problem with anti-poverty programmes. The reasons for this are several. The lower strata of the rural society is unorganized and unaware and as such does not have adequate information regarding the development programmes intended for their very own development.
In many cases, the identification of beneficiaries also is not done accurately. About a fourth of the benefits are hijacked by the well-to-do and the influenced sections. Land records are manipulated through political power and money power. The rural rich take advantage of the dependence of the rural poor to take away the benefits of subsidized food, credit and other subsidized commodities supplied under the public distribution system. The over-centralization of development programmes is also to be blamed for the corrupt practices that have become almost institutionalized. The protection given to the poor is often just ‘paper-protection’. The undue delay on account of the bureaucratic set up and the scope left for meddling intermediaries is also responsible for financial leakages. Erosion of development funds is caused by overpricing of assets. The innocence and ignorance of the beneficiaries besides their consumption pressures and social obligations make them vulnerable to exploitation. They give the rope to hang them. The way rural schemes are implemented is not quite streamlined. It is haphazard and unplanned. It causes the leakages to augment substantially. The assets provided do not really match the needs of the beneficiaries. The goods and services provided are not in correlation with the demand pattern of the target group. The decline in the supply of food grains under anti-poverty programmes is alarming. As the world economies shift steadily towards a capitalist system in tune with the stipulations of institutions like the World Bank, it is time countries like India committed to welfare restructured their strategies. Today there is more allocation for infrastructure development than for welfare measures. Another drawback is that the distribution of geographical targeting is unfair in the implementation of special schemes. We have to observe periodically the poverty levels in different areas and depending on the progress made, the allocation must be revised so that more is spent where it is really needed.
The biggest drawback is that the existing schemes are all centrally planned, designed, monitored, managed and controlled by bureaucrats without any participation of the beneficiaries who truly represent the spirit of the schemes. Also, the schemes failed to realize the need for a critical minimum level of resource inputs to break out the poverty cycle. For this to happen, a systematic effort to mobilize resources on the scale needed is warranted. It also requires a thorough understanding of the prevailing environment and all its intricacies. As Professor Dantwala observed, the success of the schemes should be judged by the progressively reduced reliance on them.
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Center for Distance Education
RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Academic Year: 2010 – 11
Name of the Course:
Master of Arts – Social Work
Course Code: 21 (MASW)
Year: Final
Paper: Correctional Social Work
Paper Code: DSW 24
Name of the Student: S L S Padma
Registration Number: A09SW999007
Paper IV (Correctional Social Work)
Assignment I
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AI/1
Discuss the sociological theories related to crime.
Response:
Anomie Theory, Strain Theory, Opportunity and Sub-culture Theory, Differential Association Theory and Labeling Theory are the different sociological theories related to crime.
Anomie Theory: This was the first sociological crime causation theory propounded by Emile Durkheim. His norms and standards have not found replacement by revised ones as yet. In a given area of social life, anomie comes into play when specific standards to guide behaviour are absent. It can lead to disorientation and anxiety. Thus anomie is a social factor that can promote suicidal tendencies. Crime and deviance are inevitable social realities. Crime, in essence, is non-conformity and it is attributed to the increasing room for individual choice in the modern society.
Strain Theory: This theory, developed by Robert K Merton, owes its roots to the anomie school of thought. Society imposes desirable and commendable goals to be achieved by all. But it may not be possible for everyone to reach the expectations. This is because the natural capacity of different individuals is prone to variation. This gap between one’s capacity and the expectations built causes strain and provokes criminal tendency. For instance, American society interprets success purely in terms of material and worldly success and this can explain the high incidence of crime in America.
Opportunity and Sub-culture Theory: Sutherland laid the foundation for this theory and it was developed by Richard A Cloward and Lloyd E Ohlin. It focuses on juvenile gangs and what may be termed as ‘illegitimate opportunity’. It sharply opposes the notion of anomie and strain theories. It attributes criminal inclination to unequal distribution of opportunities for youth in slums and their delinquent sub-culture. Associations with career criminals, violence, street fights are all different features of sub-cultures.
Differential Association Theory: This is also a non-stress theory. It was developed by Sutherland of Chicago School of Criminology. According to this theory, criminal behaviour is a function of the associations people have. Family, friends and such long-lasting associations have the greatest impact on an individual’s value system. People in slums tend to act like street criminals because they have learnt that is the way people behave. Corporate crime or ‘white collar crime’ is also based on similar reasoning.
Labeling Theory: Howard Baker who developed this rejects the strain theory as well as sub-culture theory. He argues that the criminal justice system which includes courts, police and correctional officers, itself creates criminals. Once these people get the label of criminals, they take it for granted and continue in the same image.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AI/2
Critically examine the factors responsible for crime in urban areas.
Response:
There are social, economic, physical, developmental, geographic and political factors that can be identified as responsible for crime in urban areas.
Social causes:
Absence of family control: Family head, be it mother or father, has a crucial role in raising children. Strained natural relations between parents and children can promote criminal tendencies in children.
Lack of social control: In an urban community, owing to the size of population, we cannot expect the society to exercise much control over individuals. The latter have little obligation towards the value system stipulated by the community. This can be a cause of crime.
Defective education: Education, in essence, is supposed to help individuals in the process of habit formation and self-discovery. Unfortunately, today’s education system is capable of doing little in this direction. It focuses more on making a living than on living. Thus, instead of eradicating evil, it rather contributes to the evolution of intelligent criminals.
Motion films: Film industry is a platform for creativity of individuals. But the freedom of expression available for these creators is often misused. Films introduce youngsters to the nuances of crime, mafia and illegalities. As such, films play a significant role in corrupting the minds of youth.
Newspapers: Newspapers would do well to highlight such incidents that boost the morale of the public. Instead, today’s media is concerned more with maximizing its revenue and so it gives priority to sensation. There is a notion that dacoit gangs in north India were indirectly assisted by newspapers.
Drug consumption: Intoxicating drugs like tobacco, alcohol, opium and such other things subject youth to spells of indiscretion and promote criminal thoughts.
Taboo on widow remarriage: Even centuries after crusade by social activists, like Raja Rama Mohana Roy, widow remarriage is still looked down upon by the society. It paves the way to numerous illicit activities.
Marriage system: The institution of marriage in India is afflicted by a number of evils like dowry, chauvinism and greed. The commercialization of marriage system is one of the causes of crime.
Religion: Religion, as such, is supposed help individuals remain pure and god-fearing. On the contrary, a number of crimes like Godhra tragedy and Gujarat riots are inspired by religion and that is a paradox.
Changing social values: Today’s value system is not strictly based on ethics. Parents, elders, managers and rulers encourage their subjects to do what is necessary rather than what is right. It reduces the instincts of guilt in youth and encourages them to commit crimes unconscientiously.
Economic causes:
Poverty: As seen in different parts of India in the last decade, a large number of suicides were because of poverty. Trafficking of girls is also motivated by poverty of parents.
Unemployment: Lack of opportunities make youth desperate and force them towards criminal activities which look like shortcuts to quick wealth.
Industrialization and urbanization: Industrialization and urbanization played havoc on the lives of millions of labourers. It made the conditions of their lives miserable and drove them towards evils like violence, alcoholism, prostitution and crime.
Physical and developmental causes: Social scientists like Charles Goring proved by their studies that physical defects, deformities and ugliness besides a weak mind and hereditary psychotic traits can be powerful causes of criminal tendencies.
Geographical causes: Evidence collected by Lombroso shows that sexual crimes are more common in plains than in plateaus and hilly regions. Some criminologists also put forth the view that seasons and climate have an influence on crime rate.
Political causes: In today’s India, politics and crime almost go hand in hand. It is no more a secret that selfish political groups motivated by power hunger encourage and take advantage of criminal activities.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AI/3
Examine the different types of punishment.
Response:
Death penalty, life imprisonment, rigorous imprisonment, simple imprisonment, forfeiture of property and fines are the broad categories of punishment.
Corporal punishment refers to such modes of punishment as mutilation, branding, flogging, physical torture and social degradation by way of deprivation of citizenship. However, after the rise of humanitarianism, penal philosophy has undergone a lot of transformation and in most countries today, there are laws against the use of corporal punishment.
Banishment or transportation or exile was used by imperial governments in their colonies to create terror among those engaged in freedom struggle. It was practiced by tyrannical governments like the one in the erstwhile USSR. Internment from a locality, however, is still in vogue under the Indian penal code.
Fine as an alternative form of punishment has increasingly found favour with the law and judicial authorities all over the world. Section 64 of the Indian Penal Code gives courts the power to award imprisonment in lieu of fine. Fine may sometimes be imposed along with some other form of punishment.
Forfeiture of property as a mode of punishment is accepted by the Indian Penal Code under certain circumstances. However, the present law does not have provision for the seizure of the entire property of criminal.
Section 545 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898, provides for compensation against injury by the offender. It is supported by the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill of 1972.
As for death penalty, most countries in the world have abolished it on account of uproar by human rights activities. In India, theoretically capital punishment, in the form of hanging till death, still exists, though its exercise is very rare. Cruel methods like stoning and beheading are seen in some Muslim countries.
The objective of imprisonment is to deprive the offender of his liberty. In the case of rigorous imprisonment, the offender is put to hard labour such as grinding corn, drawing water, digging the earth etc. In simple imprisonment, the offender is just confined to jail and is not required to put in any work. The drawback in this process is the serious and irreparable damage it causes to the prisoner’s self-esteem.
Corrective labour on reduced wages at public work centres is a form of punishment which envisages reformation and rehabilitation. Very serious crimes are excluded from this type.
The hard truth is that to this day, the mindset of jail authorities by and large conforms to the punitive school of thought and the reformative approach has not really appealed to them.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AI/4
Define correction and explain its meaning and philosophy.
Response:
Definition of correction: The term ‘correction’ refers to the system response to individuals (women, men and young persons of both sexes) who have come into conflict with the law and have been convicted of a crime.
Meaning of correction: The traditional approach towards crime control is guided mainly by the concepts of deterrence, retribution and incapacitation of the offender. These objectives of punishment are now being replaced gradually by a diversified framework of correctional strategies to bring the offender back into the society as a law-abiding, self-reliant and dignified citizen, thanks to the advancement of social sciences and behavioural disciplines. Evidence and experience available show that it is possible to reshape deviant behaviour through concerted measures to attitudes and system of beliefs within the individual. This is the only way to achieve the ultimate objective of protecting the society against crime.
Philosophy of correction: Modern correctional theories emphasize on reformation and rehabilitation. Going by these, training in custodial and security aspects alone does not suffice. Training is needed also in scientific methods of treatment of offenders. Regional Institute of Correctional Administration, Vellore, sponsored by the governments of the four southern states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu and inaugurated on 1/10/1979 is a pioneer in training personnel to handle prison and correctional administration in the country. The objective of the process is to reintegrate the offenders in the main stream of life. At the same time, correctional service is related to the enforcement and reinforcement of law and order. Jails and judicial authorities are yet to acknowledge the role of social work and its scope in the prevention of crime and reformation of criminals.
A criminal is more or less like a patient suffering from a dangerous ailment which warrants effective diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Extra-mural treatments like probation, parole, open prisons and after-care service go a long way in accelerating the processes of reformation and rehabilitation.
Sadly, by the time a prisoner returns to the community, the latter is not willing to accept him. He is labeled and branded ‘bad’. Even the family members may not be in a mood to welcome him wholeheartedly. This shows that judicial decisions alone cannot do much in the direction of reformation. It also calls for a change of attitude in the environment outside the prison. Central Bureau of Correctional Services which works under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs provides technical knowledge, conducts and experiments and promotes research and training towards a uniform nation-wide policy for treatment of offenders. It recommends the modernization of prison programmes to make them more efficient. The congested prisons are to be renovated first and then prisoners must be classified on the bases of age, record, length of sentence, mental health and security requirements. Treatment plans must take into account the needs of convicts. There must be a prison welfare system whereby prisoners can keep in touch with their individual problems, homes, families, property and civil disputes.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AI/5
Examine the functioning of borstal schools.
Response:
Administration of Borstal schools is under the control of Director General of Prisons. A borstal school, however, is not a prison. It is more like an educational institute. The period spent in a borstal is at least two years. Maximum period is five years. Adolescent offenders are not subjected to any remissions. The stress is on formal education and vocational training. It covers the aspects of physical health, social health, moral education, arts and handicrafts as well. Rigorous physical training is given. Inmates are graded on the basis of their assessed character. They are allowed to attend outside schools. They are qualified for employment later like normal citizens. They do not carry any stigma of conviction. Under the system of House Management, senior inmates are kept in charge of various Houses and are made responsible for the House discipline, sanitation and constructive activities. Each House has about 40 inmates, usually a mixed group. A House Committee comprising House Staff members supervises each House. Star grade is awarded to well-behaved inmates. Discipline is given utmost importance. Offences are penalized by withdrawing concessions. Inmates are also entitled to go on leave for short periods. They have the right to nutritious diet. They are also trained in Panchayat organization and security management. Activities covering a vast range are conducted in borstal schools including indoor games, outdoor games, gymnastics, athletics, films, music, folk dance, drama, quizzes, excursions, gardening etc.
There are separate reception centers for young male and female offenders. Kishor Yuva Sadans take care of the initial admission and giving orientation towards institutional life. They take responsibility till the stage of release planning, after care and follow up.
Thus, the primary objective of borstal schools is to ensure care, welfare and rehabilitation of young offenders and to keep them away from the contaminating atmosphere of prisons.
Assignment II
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AII/6
Critically examine the nature of prison reforms in India.
Response:
W C Reckless Committee recommended
(a) Integration of correctional services under a director or commissioner under the control of home department
(b) Greater use of probation system
(c) Creation of a central bureau of correctional services at the center
(d) Establishment of state after-care organizations
(e) Abolition of solitary confinement
(f) Classification of prisoners on the basis of their needs
(g) Periodic revision of jail manuals
Reforms relating to young offenders:
Reformatory Schools Act, 1897 was enacted in the interest of children aged below 15 years. Similar acts passed by states and center lay guidelines for juvenile courts and other institutions for delinquent and neglected children.
Reforms relating to prison administration:
Overcrowding, unduly large number of under-trials and short-term prisoners, lack of categorization, lack of individualized treatment, lack of encouragement for academic pursuit and lack of special measures for women convicts are some of the major shortcomings in the present system of prison administration. They are sought to be attended by way of speedy trial, effective use of bail, admonition, fine, compensation, parole, training personnel and better rehabilitation planning.
Reforms relating to classification:
Offenders are to be classified through medical, psychiatric, psychometric and psychological examinations, through educational and vocational studies and case work interviewing. There are now specialized institutions for women, first offenders and psychotics. In India, classification is done on the basis of age, sex, mental health and nature of offence. Star, general, non-professional and professional are various sub-divisions of prisoners.
Reforms relating to prison education:
Mac Cormick recommends fundamental education, vocational education, health education, cultural education and social education to all prisoners. Diversified education is the principal channel for correctional treatment. Agriculture-oriented training is the most suitable in the Indian context.
Jail manuals in India also recognize religious instruction to be of great significance in the reformation of prisoners.
Reforms relating to prison labour and industry:
The punitive approach regards labour as a punishment. Reformative approach regards it as a means to imparting certain skills in the prisoners which would help them later in their rehabilitation. From a utilitarian perspective, it also lets the prisoners make a contribution to their maintenance. The payment of wages for industrial work is also under revision.
Open jails:
The first open prison in India was established in Uttar Pradesh in 1952. At present, there are 26 open prisons in 11 states. Open prisons are free from the problem of crowding. Inmates do productive work and contribute to nation-building. The family burdens of prisoners are also relieved. Idle hours are considerably reduced. Mutual trust between convicts and jail staff is strong. Model prisons are established for well-behaved casual offenders.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AII/7
Discuss the significance of correctional social work.
Response:
Trained social workers play a significant role in the setting of correctional social work. This is especially because there are several misgivings about the capacity of social work in making a contribution to the prevention of crime and the treatment of adult or young offenders. The most common reaction to crime is feelings of revenge, hostility or hatred towards the offenders. People want stringent punishment by police and judiciary. Correction on the other hand requires a compassionate outlook. Correction is part of criminal justice system. It seeks to prevent criminal behaviour. It deals with the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour. The ultimate objective is rehabilitation of offenders. Violation of socially accepted norms of conduct is not a new phenomenon. Thus crime has always existed in the society. Its causes are still under study. Society needs to be proactive in dealing with the factors conducive to crime.
Fundamental rights conferred on the citizens in the Indian Constitution, Directive Principles of State Policy and the UN Charter of Universal Human Rights precisely provide the perspective for correctional social work setting. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system in India frequently comes into conflict with the framework of human rights and the idea of fundamental freedom of individuals. All right-thinking people besides professional social workers need to closely examine this conflict and must try to find solutions to resolve the conflict. The United Nations has already recommended minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners, under-trials and convicts.
Prisons sooner or later must transform into people-changing institutions. Institutionalized criminals should be scientifically treated, re-educated and rehabilitated. Treatment of prisoners is important not only because offenders have to be punished but also because it has a bearing on the quality of life of all the people in the society. The challenge of newly emerging forms of crime and delinquency cannot be tackled without diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative approaches.
There is immense scope for social work practice in the correctional setting. In the field of correction, social work methods can be employed with advantage in many situations.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AII/8
Examine the role of professional social worker in correctional social work process.
Response:
Social work emerged as a profession in the 20th century. Today the profession is charged with fulfilling the social welfare mandate of promoting well-being and quality of life. It encompasses activities directed at improving human and social conditions and alleviating human distress and social problems. Social workers, as caring professionals, work with people to enhance their competence and functioning, to access social supports and resources, to create humane and responsive social services, and to expand the structures of society that provide opportunities for all citizens. Social workers’ views of their clients and their preferences with respect to courses of action have not been uniform. Many have viewed the poor and dependents as victims of social disorder, social injustice and social change. As social reformers, they confront the root causes of problems, modify societal structures and engage in advocating policy and legislative changes to improve environmental conditions and create opportunities. Others viewed the poor and disadvantaged populations as supplicants unworthy, powerless and in need of personal reform. Social workers are often vulnerable when faced with demands of accountability because the strong tradition of private, intuitive ways of working and this assertion is particularly applicable to social workers in correctional services. Prison social workers are trapped in a ‘welfare cycle’ which prevents them from doing casework and they often deal with men who have ceased to travel with a society that went too fast and demanded too much. Crime for them seems to arise out of a matrix of psychological, social and economic problems. Social work practitioners should acknowledge and respond to the real environmental and emotional crises that can be created by incarceration. Against this background, social work, as one of the disciplines responsible for the rehabilitation of prisoners in correctional environment, has to define itself to fit well in the new system and carry out the mandate given to prisons by the modern school of reformative thought. The social worker is also to define his/her role appropriately so as to introduce and employ a consistent and accurate intervention inn the rehabilitation of prisoners. This is based on the fundamental belief that people have an innate desire and ability to develop into law-abiding citizens.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AII/9
Discuss how correctional social work can be undertaken with sex workers.
Response:
Sex workers are a blot on the society and a social worker’s role is crucial in correcting them. It is challenging task because it deals with a very sensitive issue of sex as well as stigma and discrimination associated with sex work as a profession. Integrating sex workers into the main stream of life is not easy considering the general attitude of the members of the community, men as well as women. They are ready to exploit them but are not willing to accept a change in them. At the outset, women and girls engaged in the profession of sex work must first be made aware of their susceptibility to sexually transmitted diseases and related preventive measures. This becomes all the more important in view of the increasing incidence of HIV. Legal education should deal with creating awareness about the Suppression of Immoral Traffic (among women and girls) Act 1956. Social work professionals engaged in correctional work of sex workers must also generate awareness about the various schemes for education, training, employment and rehabilitation being implemented by government and non-government agencies for the welfare of exploited and destitute women. They should seek to adopt strategies for effective preventive and rehabilitative measures and towards changing chauvinistic attitudes for commercial sex and sexual exploitation of women and society’s attitudes towards sex workers. Counseling is needed to enable commercial sex workers to access and avail help to escape from exploitation. The social worker working sex workers has the obligation to undertake a diverse range of corrective activities that involve research, implementation of social legislation, education, propaganda, medical and public health programmes and rescue and rehabilitation.
ANUCDE/MASWF/PIV/AII/10
Write short notes on any two of the following:
(a) Parole
(b) Juvenile delinquency
(c) Remand homes
(d) Alcoholics and drug addicts
Response:
(a) Parole:
The term ‘parole’ may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French word ‘parole’ which means ‘voice’ or ‘spoken word’. Following its use in late resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their word of honour to abide by certain restrictions. One proposed reform is that parole bonds be used as an incentive to motivate defendants not to commit crimes again. Parole should not be confused with probation. Parole is serving the remainder of a sentence outside the prison whereas probation is given in lieu of a prison sentence and as such tends to place more rigid obligations upon the individual serving the term. In criminal justice systems, parole is the supervised release of a prisoner before the completion of the sentence in prison.
(b) Juvenile delinquency:
Juvenile delinquency refers to antisocial or illegal behaviour by children or adolescents. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not all of which can be applied to the causes of youth crime. Youth crime is a major issue and is an aspect of crime which receives great attention from the news media and politicians. The level and types of youth crime can be used by commentators as an indicator of the general state of morality and law and order in a country, and consequently youth crime can be the source of moral panics. Theories on the causes of youth crime can be viewed as particularly important within criminology. This is firstly because crime is committed disproportionately by those aged between fifteen and twenty-five. Secondly, by definition, any theory on the causes of crime will focus on youth crime, as adult criminals will have in all likelihood started out committing crimes when they were young. A juvenile delinquent is one who repeatedly commits crime. These juvenile delinquents sometimes have mental or behavioural disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder and are sometimes diagnosed with conduct disorder partially as a result of their delinquent behaviour.
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