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Call for Papers Theme: Social Justice and Human Development Type: International Conference Institution: Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad Location: Allahabad (India) Date: 18.–20.12.2011 Deadline: 20.6.2011 __________________________________________________ The notion of development is more comprehensive than just economic growth; it also includes socio-psychological advancement of the society. Development also implies better access to health, education, employment and welfare services, and infrastructural facilities. From a human development perspective it entails overall well-being of the people, at the core of which is the concern for equality and social justice. Ideally, developmental programmes should integrate people from all strata into the social mainstream, taking care of their psychological, social and cultural aspirations. Planned socio-economic development must give people a sense of freedom and harmony in their personal and social life. Such any developmental process must empower people to equally participate in decision making at all levels, both in personal and community matters. The objective should be building psycho-social capacities of the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups so that they are able to make informed choices. Development without social justice is like a bull without a rider. It may go berserk if there is no one to control and direct it. The purpose of development is transformation of the society to be more egalitarian, humanitarian and just. It calls for change both at structural and process level. A developmental process that creates cleavages and favours certain social groups tends to be more exploitative and unsustainable in the long run. The present models of development call for a critical examination in this light. As many studies show – in developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America programmes of socioeconomic development are fraught with injustice, prejudice and discrimination. This has often resulted in widening of the gulf between the rich and the poor; between advantaged and disadvantaged groups, resulting in social protest, violence, marginalization and similar consequences. The World Development Report (2006) argued for bringing equity at the centre stage of the development discourse to attain the goals of economic growth with empowerment of the poor and the marginalized. It is a paradox that while Indian economy is booming and per capita income is rising, the country is lagging in terms of virtually all indices of social development. In fact, the number of poorest people has gone up from 25% in 1980 to 39% in 2010. Social injustice is in the root of this widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the lopsided development which we see around us. Recently a broader human development approach is gaining currency which gives priority to capability-based indicators over income-based per capita GDP measures. Building human skills, competencies and confidence to actively participate are acknowledged as the main objectives of community development programmes. The human development agenda should also concentrate on mental and physical health, freedom and harmony, participation, empowerment and collective action. As Amartya Sen writes in his book ‘Development as Freedom’ development is a political, social economic process which gives people freedom and choices. People’s well-being and freedom are influenced by a wide variety of social, political, economic, legal, environmental and psychological factors. Human development programmes also need to focus on micro-level processes at the individual level. People are poor not only because they lack economic resources but also because they are exposed to a less supportive environment, feel helpless, lack motivation, initiative and self-esteem, have low expectations, fatalistic attitude and lack of awareness of the options. These attendant conditions may create a psycho-social environment which may not be conducive to equitable distribution of available resources. We have began to realize that psychological factors have equally crucial role in augmenting socio-economic development as the political, social, anthropological and economic factors which have historically dominated the developmental discourse. The wide range of applied issues which psychological research is addressing has created a substantial body of knowledge to understand human development in its all complexity. Indeed, the challenge of socio-economic development with human face has thrown up major challenges for researchers in the field of psychology and other sister disciplines. Rapid social changes and resulting stresses have increased vulnerability to physical and mental health problems. Apart from socio-psychological factors in the health behavior, socio-demographic and cultural aspects· of mental-health are also receiving attention. Further, psychological correlates of social disadvantage, social prejudice including secularism, social values, communal and ethnic violence, resistance to change, discrimination and many such other phenomena have been the areas of research interest for social psychologists in India and other countries. These studies can significantly contribute toward building alternative models of human development. The research in these areas is growing in sophistication in terms of concepts, theories and methodology. In the increasingly globalized world the problems of violence, intergroup tensions, divided identities and loyalties, population migration, acculturation, to mention a few, are adding to the challenge of human development. To be relevant to the developmental issues confronted by these countries, theories and research must articulate the relationship between social-psychological processes and particular socio-cultural context. Psychological research can show the way to enhance participation of people, while minimizing the coercive, destructive, and disabling consequences of rapid social transformations. The goal still remains to create a harmonious and equitable global community through planned developmental programmes. This international conference aims to provide a wider forum to social scientists, practitioners and activists to share their work and research in these areas. There will be keynote addresses and symposia pertaining to major themes. The conference is planned as a major academic activity of the Psychology Department in its Golden Jubilee Year. Some major themes for the conference: - Concepts of equity, equality and social justice: Individual and collective response to injustice - Social justice and human rights of vulnerable groups - Ethnic and social identity, their salience, meaning and manifestation - Nature and responses to prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination - Acculturation and identity negotiation among members of minority groups - Psycho-social theories of change and new paradigms of human development - Mental and physical health care in developing countries - Traditional societies in transition: Beliefs, practices and worldviews - Stereotypes and prejudices: Consequences for Education, health and employment - Social institutions and business organizations in the global world - Psychosocial consequences of pov erty and deprivation; challenge of participatory development Contact: Prof Ajit k Dalal Department of Psychology University of Allahabad Allahabad 211002 India Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.psychology-au.in/conference/ __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
