SOCIETY
7. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism &
secularism
Social empowerment
4. Elaborate upon the concept of ‘social empowerment’. Is there a correlation between social
and economic empowerment? Examine.
Social empowerment is understood as the process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-
confidence, and acting individually and collectively to change social relationships and the institutions
and discourses that exclude poor people and keep them in poverty. Social empowerment is a means to
build a socially just society. The holistic empowerment of all sections of the society is a necessary
condition for the development of a country.
Correlation between social and economic empowerment
Poor people’s empowerment, and their ability to hold others to account, is strongly influenced
by their individual assets such as land, housing, livestock, savings. Also important are people’s
collective assets and capabilities, such as voice, organisation, representation and identity.
NSSO data reveals this correlation. Comparison of NSSO data (2011-12) the between Dalit and
upper caste households –
In rural areas – expenditure gap – ~ 37
In urban areas- incomes gap ~ 65%
Social empowerment leads to more accessibility to health, education, credit etc leading to better
employment opportunity and hence economic empowerment.
However, there have been instances of no visible correlation between social and economic
empowerment
Female LFPR is declining despite higher growth, higher educational attainment, and higher age
of marriage and declining fertility. Increased social empowerment did not lead to economic
empowerment.
Emergence of ‘Dalit capitalism’, higher percentage in administration, higher offices from lower
class communities has not effectively increased the social status of lower caste. There is
widespread discrimination as seen from temple entry restriction in various parts of the country.
Empowerment is a holistic concept. It cannot be seen as social, economic or political. Apart from creating
enabling environment for individual growth and prosperity, there must be change in people’s attitude to
recognise everyone as equal. Then only substantive equality as envisaged by the constitution can be
achieved.
Economic and political empowerment is a prerequisite to social upliftment. Do you agree? Critically
comment
,Economic and political empowerment is at the core of social justice. While Economic empowerment
increases the capacity of a person while engaging with the society, political empowerment increases the
power of individuals to demand their rights. Amartya Sen conceptualises the well-being of a person in terms
of human functioning and capability to achieve those ‘functioning’s’. He defines social upliftment in terms
of expansion of human capabilities.
Economic Empowerment –
OECD defines economic empowerment as the capacity of individual to participate in, contribute to
and benefit from growth processes in ways that recognise the value of their contributions, respect their
dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth.
Economic empowerment is thought to allow poor people to think beyond immediate daily survival
and to exercise greater control over both their resources and life choices.
Economic empowerment increases access to economic resources and opportunities including jobs,
financial services, property and other productive assets, skills development and market information. It
is a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Access (or lack of it) to economic resources creates a fault line within society.As the patterns of social
inequality emerge from the underneath unequal distribution of resources, it is imperative that
economic empowerment of vulnerable sections of society is given due significance in the process of
social upliftment.
Grameen Bank experiment led by Mohammad Yunus was one such effort to bring economic
empowerment of women with the help of small, collateral- free credit. The absence of institutional
credit was tackled with microfinance. As the money in a family got to be used more effectively by
women members, health status of all the family members increased. United and financially self-
independent women saw reduced crimes against women. Such spill-over effects of economic
empowerment ensure faster social upliftment. Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a
direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth.
Political empowerment-
Political empowerment refers to the process of transferring various elements of power (resources,
capabilities, and positions) to those who do not have it. Political empowerment must include giving
access to various political offices, including positions in the government, to the members of
disadvantaged populations. Political empowerment requires inclusion in democratic decision- making
processes. It envisions kind of a deliberative or participatory democracy.
Women representation in Panchayat Raj, reservation for SC/ST, and even provisions like community
participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) also forms the part of political
empowerment.
Some concerns-
Economic empowerment may not always result in social upliftment. E.g. Emergence of ‘Dalit
capitalism’, higher percentage in administration, higher offices from lower class communities has not
effectively increased the social status of lower castes.
While on the other side- Female LFPR is declining despite higher growth, higher educational
, attainment, and higher age of marriage and declining fertility. Increased social empowerment did not
lead to economic empowerment.
Idea of economic empowerment through making women financial independent has put additional
burden on women. It reinforces restrictive gender roles by working around broader restrictions on
women’s rights instead of confronting them, confining women to typically feminized roles, the name
of growing a country’s GDP.
In Southeast Asia push for economic growth resulted in abuse of human rights, particularly low-
skilled industries like garment industry. The need of rights- based approach is underlined to address
such challenges.
Political empowerment also has some issues of contention - Vulnerable groups, such as the very poor,
women and marginalised communities can often lack the skills and confidence to engage in
community decision-making. It may therefore be important to support mechanisms designed to
specifically target marginalised groups in order to ensure that they can participate. It is argued that
participation in local associations can empower poor people to engage in public politics and collective
action.
However, building individual and collective capacities to engage is a long-term process and without
financial freedom it is difficult to exercise one’s political agency freely and effectively.
Critically evaluate the efficacy of reservation as a tool for the socio-economic upliftment of the
backward classes.
In simple terms, reservation in India is all about reserving access to seats in the government jobs, educational
institutions, and even legislatures to certain sections of the population. Also known as affirmative action, the
reservation can also be seen as positive discrimination. Reservation in India is a government policy, backed by the
Indian Constitution.
Need of reservation:
To correct the historical injustice faced by backward castes in the country.
To provide a level playing field for backward section as they cannot compete with those who have had the
access of resources and means for centuries.
To ensure adequate representation of backward classes in the services under the State.
For advancement of backward classes.
To ensure equality as basis of meritocracy i.e. all people must be brought to the same level before judging
them on the basis of merit.
Reservation helps in socio-economic upliftment of the backward classes as follows:
Due to historical negligence caste based reservation are a political necessity in India.
Affirmative Action has helped many backward communities in getting education and jobs, which were
denied them since long.
Though Meritocracy is important aspect, but is meaningless without equality.
To the great extent caste based reservation reduced the gap between upper and lower castes.
A study to measure the impact of reservations on efficiency, concluded that reservations have not hampered
the efficiency of administration, rather they have enhanced quality.
, The example of the Indian railways proves that where SC/ST employees are more in number, the results
have been better
However, reservation creates some issues as follows:
Reservation in state services led to divisions and enmity among government employees, vitiating the
atmosphere at workplace.
Eradication, not perpetuation of caste was the objective of the reservation policy but Caste Based
Reservation only perpetuate the notion of caste in society.
Reservation was introduced to ensure that the historically underprivileged communities were given equal
access to resources but irrespective of the economic progress they continue to remain socially disadvantaged.
Reservation destroys self-respect, so much so that competition is no longer on to determine the best but the
most backward.
Reservations are the biggest enemy of meritocracy which is the foundation of many progressive countries.
It has become a tool to meet narrow political ends through invoking class loyalties and primordial identities.
The dominant and elite class within the backward castes has appropriated the benefits of reservation and the
most marginalised within the backward castes have remained marginalised.
Reservation has become the mechanism of exclusion rather than inclusion as many upper caste poor’s are
also facing discrimination and injustice which breeds frustration in the society.
Way forward:
Country needs a better basis of reservation which includes the poor and the backward groups and excludes
the rich and the dominating sections among all castes.
The present reservation system requires serious amendments.
Before extending reservation to more groups, the entire policy needs to be properly examined, and its
benefits over a span of nearly 60 years have to be gauged.
The benefits should flow to the vast majority of underprivileged children from deprived castes; not to a few
privileged children with a caste tag.
We have to address the anger and aspirations of poor families among unreserved communities.
Along with improving school education outcomes, a more rational model of reservation based on equity and
common sense must be envisaged.
The government’s responsibility now is to conduct regular surveys and re-examine the reservation policy in
the present scenario.
Poor people’s involvement in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can
contribute to social empowerment. Do you agree? Substantiate.
Poor people’s involvement in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can contribute to:
Social empowerment by improving their skills, knowledge and self-perception. Local associations also act as
self-help mechanisms through which poor people organise their economic activities, such as farming
cooperatives, or microfinance groups.
It is also important to recognise that associational life at the local level takes place predominantly within the
informal sphere, such as religious organisations, traditional and customary institutions, and informal
community based groups. It is these organisations that exert the most influence on poor people’s lives.
7. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism &
secularism
Social empowerment
4. Elaborate upon the concept of ‘social empowerment’. Is there a correlation between social
and economic empowerment? Examine.
Social empowerment is understood as the process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-
confidence, and acting individually and collectively to change social relationships and the institutions
and discourses that exclude poor people and keep them in poverty. Social empowerment is a means to
build a socially just society. The holistic empowerment of all sections of the society is a necessary
condition for the development of a country.
Correlation between social and economic empowerment
Poor people’s empowerment, and their ability to hold others to account, is strongly influenced
by their individual assets such as land, housing, livestock, savings. Also important are people’s
collective assets and capabilities, such as voice, organisation, representation and identity.
NSSO data reveals this correlation. Comparison of NSSO data (2011-12) the between Dalit and
upper caste households –
In rural areas – expenditure gap – ~ 37
In urban areas- incomes gap ~ 65%
Social empowerment leads to more accessibility to health, education, credit etc leading to better
employment opportunity and hence economic empowerment.
However, there have been instances of no visible correlation between social and economic
empowerment
Female LFPR is declining despite higher growth, higher educational attainment, and higher age
of marriage and declining fertility. Increased social empowerment did not lead to economic
empowerment.
Emergence of ‘Dalit capitalism’, higher percentage in administration, higher offices from lower
class communities has not effectively increased the social status of lower caste. There is
widespread discrimination as seen from temple entry restriction in various parts of the country.
Empowerment is a holistic concept. It cannot be seen as social, economic or political. Apart from creating
enabling environment for individual growth and prosperity, there must be change in people’s attitude to
recognise everyone as equal. Then only substantive equality as envisaged by the constitution can be
achieved.
Economic and political empowerment is a prerequisite to social upliftment. Do you agree? Critically
comment
,Economic and political empowerment is at the core of social justice. While Economic empowerment
increases the capacity of a person while engaging with the society, political empowerment increases the
power of individuals to demand their rights. Amartya Sen conceptualises the well-being of a person in terms
of human functioning and capability to achieve those ‘functioning’s’. He defines social upliftment in terms
of expansion of human capabilities.
Economic Empowerment –
OECD defines economic empowerment as the capacity of individual to participate in, contribute to
and benefit from growth processes in ways that recognise the value of their contributions, respect their
dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth.
Economic empowerment is thought to allow poor people to think beyond immediate daily survival
and to exercise greater control over both their resources and life choices.
Economic empowerment increases access to economic resources and opportunities including jobs,
financial services, property and other productive assets, skills development and market information. It
is a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Access (or lack of it) to economic resources creates a fault line within society.As the patterns of social
inequality emerge from the underneath unequal distribution of resources, it is imperative that
economic empowerment of vulnerable sections of society is given due significance in the process of
social upliftment.
Grameen Bank experiment led by Mohammad Yunus was one such effort to bring economic
empowerment of women with the help of small, collateral- free credit. The absence of institutional
credit was tackled with microfinance. As the money in a family got to be used more effectively by
women members, health status of all the family members increased. United and financially self-
independent women saw reduced crimes against women. Such spill-over effects of economic
empowerment ensure faster social upliftment. Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a
direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth.
Political empowerment-
Political empowerment refers to the process of transferring various elements of power (resources,
capabilities, and positions) to those who do not have it. Political empowerment must include giving
access to various political offices, including positions in the government, to the members of
disadvantaged populations. Political empowerment requires inclusion in democratic decision- making
processes. It envisions kind of a deliberative or participatory democracy.
Women representation in Panchayat Raj, reservation for SC/ST, and even provisions like community
participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) also forms the part of political
empowerment.
Some concerns-
Economic empowerment may not always result in social upliftment. E.g. Emergence of ‘Dalit
capitalism’, higher percentage in administration, higher offices from lower class communities has not
effectively increased the social status of lower castes.
While on the other side- Female LFPR is declining despite higher growth, higher educational
, attainment, and higher age of marriage and declining fertility. Increased social empowerment did not
lead to economic empowerment.
Idea of economic empowerment through making women financial independent has put additional
burden on women. It reinforces restrictive gender roles by working around broader restrictions on
women’s rights instead of confronting them, confining women to typically feminized roles, the name
of growing a country’s GDP.
In Southeast Asia push for economic growth resulted in abuse of human rights, particularly low-
skilled industries like garment industry. The need of rights- based approach is underlined to address
such challenges.
Political empowerment also has some issues of contention - Vulnerable groups, such as the very poor,
women and marginalised communities can often lack the skills and confidence to engage in
community decision-making. It may therefore be important to support mechanisms designed to
specifically target marginalised groups in order to ensure that they can participate. It is argued that
participation in local associations can empower poor people to engage in public politics and collective
action.
However, building individual and collective capacities to engage is a long-term process and without
financial freedom it is difficult to exercise one’s political agency freely and effectively.
Critically evaluate the efficacy of reservation as a tool for the socio-economic upliftment of the
backward classes.
In simple terms, reservation in India is all about reserving access to seats in the government jobs, educational
institutions, and even legislatures to certain sections of the population. Also known as affirmative action, the
reservation can also be seen as positive discrimination. Reservation in India is a government policy, backed by the
Indian Constitution.
Need of reservation:
To correct the historical injustice faced by backward castes in the country.
To provide a level playing field for backward section as they cannot compete with those who have had the
access of resources and means for centuries.
To ensure adequate representation of backward classes in the services under the State.
For advancement of backward classes.
To ensure equality as basis of meritocracy i.e. all people must be brought to the same level before judging
them on the basis of merit.
Reservation helps in socio-economic upliftment of the backward classes as follows:
Due to historical negligence caste based reservation are a political necessity in India.
Affirmative Action has helped many backward communities in getting education and jobs, which were
denied them since long.
Though Meritocracy is important aspect, but is meaningless without equality.
To the great extent caste based reservation reduced the gap between upper and lower castes.
A study to measure the impact of reservations on efficiency, concluded that reservations have not hampered
the efficiency of administration, rather they have enhanced quality.
, The example of the Indian railways proves that where SC/ST employees are more in number, the results
have been better
However, reservation creates some issues as follows:
Reservation in state services led to divisions and enmity among government employees, vitiating the
atmosphere at workplace.
Eradication, not perpetuation of caste was the objective of the reservation policy but Caste Based
Reservation only perpetuate the notion of caste in society.
Reservation was introduced to ensure that the historically underprivileged communities were given equal
access to resources but irrespective of the economic progress they continue to remain socially disadvantaged.
Reservation destroys self-respect, so much so that competition is no longer on to determine the best but the
most backward.
Reservations are the biggest enemy of meritocracy which is the foundation of many progressive countries.
It has become a tool to meet narrow political ends through invoking class loyalties and primordial identities.
The dominant and elite class within the backward castes has appropriated the benefits of reservation and the
most marginalised within the backward castes have remained marginalised.
Reservation has become the mechanism of exclusion rather than inclusion as many upper caste poor’s are
also facing discrimination and injustice which breeds frustration in the society.
Way forward:
Country needs a better basis of reservation which includes the poor and the backward groups and excludes
the rich and the dominating sections among all castes.
The present reservation system requires serious amendments.
Before extending reservation to more groups, the entire policy needs to be properly examined, and its
benefits over a span of nearly 60 years have to be gauged.
The benefits should flow to the vast majority of underprivileged children from deprived castes; not to a few
privileged children with a caste tag.
We have to address the anger and aspirations of poor families among unreserved communities.
Along with improving school education outcomes, a more rational model of reservation based on equity and
common sense must be envisaged.
The government’s responsibility now is to conduct regular surveys and re-examine the reservation policy in
the present scenario.
Poor people’s involvement in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can
contribute to social empowerment. Do you agree? Substantiate.
Poor people’s involvement in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can contribute to:
Social empowerment by improving their skills, knowledge and self-perception. Local associations also act as
self-help mechanisms through which poor people organise their economic activities, such as farming
cooperatives, or microfinance groups.
It is also important to recognise that associational life at the local level takes place predominantly within the
informal sphere, such as religious organisations, traditional and customary institutions, and informal
community based groups. It is these organisations that exert the most influence on poor people’s lives.
