In India, girls are aborted on a massive scale merely because they are girls. Underlying this widespread problem is the puzzling fact that daughters have become vulnerable in a time of general improvement of welfare, female status and deep economic and social changes. The findings centre on a contradiction between the continued importance of the cultural factors which for so long have established that a son is necessary, and socio-economic changes that are challenging the importance of these very same factors. This contradiction entails an uncertainty over sons fulfilling expectations which has, rather than tilt the balance in favour of daughters, instead increased the relative importance of sons and intensified negative consequences for daughters. The original findings are based on set theoretic systematic comparisons of eight villages in Himachal Pradesh that facilitate a reconceptualization and an alternative analysis that takes contextual differences into account. It builds on extensive fieldwork and collection of both qualitative and quantitative data.

This book looks at the institutional and governance issues faced by India during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse impact on the vulnerable sectors and groups. The book is split into four parts, with preceding chapters informing later ones. Part One outlines the approach of the study, in particular their examination of policy responses and the effect of the pandemic. Part Two delves into the governance challenges in containing the pandemic while giving the theoretical rationale for institutional responses. Part Three looks at how the pandemic affected economically vulnerable households, workers, and small industries. The effect of pandemic on the informal sector is also detailed. Lastly, Part Four examines the impacts and responses of Indian public infrastructure and services to the pandemic, in particular the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care and schooling. It also explores the challenges caused by infrastructure inadequacies in Indian cities. The book closes by looking at how businesses in the private sector have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on Corporate Social Responsibility. The book will be a useful reference to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who are interested in institutions and development, especially in the context of India.

This book focuses on the theoretical concepts of community psychology and its applications in day-to-day life. It discusses the challenges that adversely affect the welfare and well-being of common people and suggests community-centric, evidence-based measures to address them. Factors like new-age lifestyles, fast-paced development, and an increase in occurrence of natural calamities have been detrimental to the psychological well-being of the community. This volume integrates the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental aspects of community psychology to address community life-based issues which include mental health stigma, social asymmetries, resource disparities, disadvantaged minority groups, the differently abled, HIV/AIDS patients, project-affected people, and disaster victims. Key features of this book include: • Dedicated intervention-based chapters on mental health, physical health, differently abled people, the elderly, vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS patients, and people affected by development projects and disasters. • Focus on challenges faced by students and school-based family counselling. • Case studies and conceptual models for better understanding and application of the subject. The volume will be a valuable resource to students, researchers, and teachers of Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, and Social Economics. It will also be an indispensable read for social workers, NGOs, advocacy groups, and policymakers working in the field of social upliftment.

The book highlights the root cause of human trafficking and analyses how factors of vulnerability affect the marginalized, especially during and after a disaster. Human trafficking like other studies on disaster research, needs to be tackled from various perspectives such as empowering the vulnerable people, creating awareness, strengthening the disaster risk reduction measures and creating a common platform to fight the vicious circle by breaking its continuity and making strategies victim centric and people friendly. The book adapts a multidisciplinary approach embedding concepts from political, social, economic and anthropological perceptions. The discourse in the book revolves around the emotional and psycho-social stress factors including weak implementation of laws and policies at various levels. The content weaves around three themes -- magnitude and interlinks between disaster and human trafficking; policies and protocols on disaster risk reduction and human trafficking and community participation and institutional support. Through these themes, the volume works on identification of the vulnerable areas which are not in compliance with the Sendai Framework of Action, 2015 in the backdrop of the Disaster Management Act of India, 2005. The volume will be of immense interest to a wide range of practitioners, researchers, academicians, policy makers, political leaders, gender experts, international organizations, disaster management authorities, civil society organisations, and scholars working in the area of human rights in general and trafficking in particular. Note: This research was funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Human Trafficking is complex, layered and lies at the intersections of multiple vulnerabilities, gender being among the most significant ones. This gets exacerbated during both natural and human made disasters. Any attempt to either understand or address it will be fraught with challenges if women and girls' unique vulnerabilities, as well as their needs, voice, choice, agency and safety is not centre-staged in any effort. Mondira's book does exactly that...it succinctly and in simple words explores the compounding discriminations, including structural inequalities, that cause and result in women and girls differential gendered vulnerabilities to being trafficked during disasters. Once this is understood, the solutions can be specific, gender responsive, and sustainable. - Anju Dubey Pandey, Gender Responsive Governance and Ending Violence against Women Specialist, UN Women, New Delhi, India

This volume discusses the various challenges faced by children in India from different perspectives such as education, psychology, and sociology during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the nature of undocumented struggles of refugees, children with special needs, girl children/ girl child, child labourers, children from SC/ST and other disadvantaged communities and migrant children in India. The book examines the lack of a social justice framework to cater to children’s needs and wellbeing. It discusses how intersectional location of these children in caste, class, gender, ethnicity, and religious locations shape their ability to access welfare and rights across sectors such as health, education, nutrition, and security. The book puts forth recommendations to ensure better intervention mechanisms to address issues faced by children from all sections of society and paves the way to counter the emerging challenges in future. This book will be of interest to students, teachers, and researchers of education, psychology, sociology, social work, childhood studies, and development studies. It will also be useful for educationalists, sociologists, social psychologists, lay public and those interested in exploring the condition of various marginalized children in India.

The Pacific Basin: An Introduction is a new textbook which provides an interdisciplinary and comparative overview of the emerging Pacific world. Interest in the Pacific Basin has increased markedly in recent years, driven largely by the rise of China as a global rival to the United States and Asian development more generally. Growth in eastern Asia, as well as in the western Americas, has led the Pacific Basin to evolve as a dynamic economic zone. To make sense of this transformation, the book: Defines the Pacific Basin, locates it in academic research, and explains its importance. Addressees the historical origins and evolution of the Pacific Basin and its sub-regions. Introduces students to the historical and contemporary relationships, continuities and differences that characterize the region. Incorporates analyses of colonialism and imperialism, migration and settlement, economic development and trade, international relations, war and memory, environmental policy, urbanization, mental and public health, gender, film, and literature. Connects the diverse peoples of this vast area, explores their common challenges and the diverse responses to these challenges, and provides a window into the lived humanity of the Pacific Basin. The Pacific Basin: An Introduction is a key textbook for undergraduate courses on the Pacific Basin, the Pacific Rim, International Studies, Geography, World History, and Globalization.

The 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report highlights the successes achieved and the remaining challenges before us on this important issue. The primary focus is to showcase the responsibility of governments to criminalize human trafficking and hold offenders accountable. This year's report theme is increasing criminal accountability of human traffickers and addressing challenges in prosecution - an essential component of 3P- paradigm of prosecution, protection, and prevention. It provides an overview of the type of human trafficking offenses that are taking place around the world in violation of human rights. The text includes side bars of situational human trafficking experiences to allow the reader to understand the different types that occur throughout the world. High school students and above may find this report helpful for research and writing essays about human rights and law enforcement of human trafficking. American citizens, policy analysts and decision-makers, law enforcement personnel, and human rights policy activists and advocates and world leaders may refer to this report as a reference on these crimes. Related products: Explore ourHuman Rights resources collection and other products produced by the U.S. State Department.

“The dude’s playbook and toolbox for truly showing up for women at work as an advocate and a warrior for gender equality . . . Go Dads Go!” —W. Brad Johnson & David Smith, authors of Athena Rising Winner 2020 Living Now Gold Award, Family & Parenting Today’s generation of feminist dads are raising confident, empowered daughters who believe they can achieve anything. But the world is still profoundly unequal for women and girls, with workplaces built by men for men, massive gender pay gaps, and deeply-ingrained gender stereotypes. Dads for Daughters offers fathers guidance for building a world where their daughters can thrive. The most successful leaders of all companies, from family businesses to lean startups, understand that leaders eat last. Your workplace can be a stage for the fight for equality and true leadership that empowers women. The guidance in this book will help you move from TED talks to daily action. Men who were raised with the second-wave feminism of The Feminine Mystique know that the personal is political. The confidence code for girls that you instill at home can lead to a better world for all women. Dads for Daughters is a feminist book for fathers invested in the gender equality fight. With this book, you’ll find: Steps you can take today in your workplace and community to create a better tomorrowInspiring stories from successful and empathetic fathersResources to help you take action in the women’s movement “If you’re a dad who wants to create a fairer and more equal world for your daughters to thrive in, this book is a must-read!” —Jerry Yang, cofounder & former CEO of Yahoo! Inc.

In the New Testament, Jesus is explicit in communicating God’s heart for children. Yet what does it look like for that heart to encounter the contextual realities of life in the twenty-first century? This book explores the theological implications and practical realities of ministry with children in a globalized world. Affirming eight core beliefs regarding the place of children in creation – that they are created with dignity and intended to be placed in families, cared for in community, advocated by society, secured in hope, affirmed in God’s church, included in God’s mission, and engaged in creation care – this book traces the impact of such far-reaching issues as displacement, climate change, human trafficking, persecution, and gender discrimination on childhood development. Written by over twenty contributors from around the world, each section roots its premise in contextual theology, examines the implications for praxis, provides a case study, and includes questions for discussion and reflection. Through each chapter the conversation around childhood development is broadened, prioritizing the experiences of children and practitioners to truly reflect the realities of our changing world. This is an excellent resource for all those concerned with the current risks facing children, especially among the world’s most vulnerable populations, and what best practice looks like as the people of God work to bring God’s heart, and hope, to children in their communities and beyond.

Explores the conceptualisation of childhood in South Asia and comments on the shift from welfare to the protection of children's rights in the region.