Education and Emancipation of Dalits Children: Analysing Human Development in Lens of Capability Approach Perspective

Abstract

In the past two decades, the human development perspective and the capability approach have become increasingly more influential, not only in development economics but also in divergent academic and professional fields, such as in philosophy, education, gender, cultural, environmental studies and in the health sector. The Human Development and Capability Association (HD-CA), launched in 2004, offers a global network in which academics and practitioners from various (inter) disciplinary fields can communicate and exchange ideas on how the human development perspective and the capability approach contribute to their research and related practices of development and human well-being. In the area of education too, there has been a growing interest in the capability approach. Its central focus on what people are actually able to do and to be, is understandably very pertinent in education. Capability approach offers valuable new possibilities in thinking about social justice and education. All of them point to the importance of the intrinsic worth of an educational environment where the value of education goes beyond instrumental goals of measurable economic impact. This paper attempts to study the emancipatory practice of education among dalit children in relation to human development & capability approach perspective. Firstly, it aspires to attribute the caste relations through theoretical perspectives in socio-cultural context in India where existence of different social institutions defines the social status, roles, and descriptions of an individual belonging to specific social group. It also classifies the role of capability approach with respect to importance of human diversity in assessing equality after breaking the shackles of inequality which was constructed by caste as an institution and affected position of dalit children in the society leading to multiple forms of marginalisation, social exclusion, and discrimination. Hence historically emancipation of dalit community is linked with struggle against caste system where the hegemony of varna system exists over weak and marginal sections of society (dalit community). Afterwards it will look into education as an approach of individuals to develop newfangled economic, social, institutional, and cultural environments for human development frame with reference to children of dalit community. Furthermore it analyses the idea of capability approach to expand dalit children capabilities and association with human development because it would be underestimated if we wont discuss emancipation without linking it with capability approach & human development. Capabilities correspond to the overall emancipation which leads the life of a person with a reason to value. Hence it will also interrogate the interface among education, human development, and capacity building with reference to dalit Children (i.e. why capacity approach is important for human development & how capability approach is helpful in inclusionary for dalit children who are socially excluded).

Keywords: Education, Emancipation, Dalits, Human Development and Capability Approach

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