Existing historical understandings of disability are dominated by European and American experience and tend to assume Judeo-Christian ideas of stigma and exclusion are universal norms. This paper emphasises the unique experience of disability in India and the role of poverty, gender, caste and community in compounding the marginalisation felt by…

Harsha is a "hugger." The first day the author met him, he smiled and hugged her gently as they walked together into his classroom at the Beautiful Gate Special School (BGSS). His mom lovingly tugged at his arm, pulling him away. "I'm sorry," she said, looking concerned that her son had once again crossed the line of physical…

In this article, the author explores the attempts by academic theorists to replace the conception of marriage as a "natural" institution with the idea that marriage is defined by the state, and is therefore open to whatever transformations the state may choose to impose. This claim, which began in law schools and philosophy departments,…

The social model of disability has been a useful tool to shift the focus of disability as individual deficit to disability as a social construction in an oppressive society. However, a theory of political action is needed to create transformative change. This article develops resistance as a unifying political construct and tool for action. Four…

In this article, the authors first discuss the multi-tiered Indian education system. Then, they examine the challenges for special education in India, including: (1) the issues surrounding appropriate assessment in a multilingual country, which is enhanced by marked differences in children's socioeconomic status; (2) social stigma of disabilities…

In this paper, the author aims to explore the connections between the right to basic education through the medium of the mother tongue and the right to education. She concentrates on child labor in India in general, and in Maharashtra, a state in Western India, in particular. She draws her data mainly from Pune (population 3,000,000), one of the…

Examines different understandings of gender equity and women's empowerment in the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) and Mahila Samakhya (Women's Empowerment). Highlights achievements of the two organizations. Concludes that social justice and educational transformation cannot proceed in India without the powerful interconnections of the…

This report notes that two cultures may view similar childhood behaviors differently, and cites results of studies that compared Swedish and Indian parents' attitudes toward children to support this statement. The report describes a study that examined parental attitudes and behaviors among Lappish families in Northern Sweden, in which data was…