Amman Madan | Azim Premji University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Amman Madan
Azim Premji University Working Paper Series, 2020
The sociological study of everyday life has developed largely around four major interconnected th... more The sociological study of everyday life has developed largely around four major interconnected theoretical streams: symbolic interactionism, dramaturgical sociology, ethnomethodology and phenomenological sociology. Scholars who combine these with the study of social inequality have developed several ways of seeing how school failure gets created in everyday life. They have pointed to the importance of how oppressed and exploited communities look at education, at the relations of power in pedagogy and curricula, how students internalize ways of looking at class life that come from their social location and so on. These lead to both the reproduction of social inequality as well as resistances to it. Indian studies of the everyday life of schools are influenced by several of these theoretical perspectives. However, only a few studies have used them to explore how school failure gets socially constructed in the classroom. They tell us of the importance of designing curricula and pedagogies which connect with the knowledges, senses of the self and interactional
modes of less powerful communities. Work in this area is underdeveloped and fragmented. While we have some insightful studies and theoretical perspectives to guide us in our interventions, there are also gaps and blind spots.
Economic & Political Weekly, 2020
The National Sample Survey 2014 data is used to explore the character of class inequality, over a... more The National Sample Survey 2014 data is used to explore the character of class inequality, over and beyond that of caste. The caste break-up of various social classes suggests that caste inequalities are greater amongst the more educated classes. Enrolments in higher education
show greater social inequalities than in elementary education. The differences amongst various classes suggest that while caste is a strong factor in educational inequality, it is not a sufficient one. There is much less caste variation within the lower classes than the higher
classes. Caste and class need to be seen as generative processes, and sub-jati networks are to be conceptualised and empirically examined to understand the actual roles of caste and class in educational and social inequality.
Knowledge, Politics and Education: Proceedings of International Conferences of Philosophy of Education (2013-2017) Volume II, edited by Prakash Iyer, 2020
Economic and Political Weekly, 2019
Political change can be a catalyst for the transformation of an educational system through the po... more Political change can be a catalyst for the transformation of an educational system through the positioning of grass-roots social movements as an alternative to bureaucratic state mechanisms and non-governmental organisations in designing and implementing education
reform. The case study of the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam, a social movement in Gudalur in Tamil Nadu, is used to illustrate how fundamental shifts in control of power within the system can result in greater inclusion of oppressed groups.
The vision of a meritocracy is integral to modernity, resting upon principles of achievement, ind... more The vision of a meritocracy is integral to modernity, resting
upon principles of achievement, individualism, and the primacy of
academic knowledge. Each of these is now debated, particularly the
claim of individual contributions to merit. Among the four responses that are possible, a multifactor approach to social inequality in selection, social interventions, and institutional, academic support may actually be
truest to modernity’s promise of freedom and fairness.
A characteristic theme in the study of modernity has been the rationalisation of society and the ... more A characteristic theme in the study of modernity has been the rationalisation of society and the proliferation of bureaucracies. A shift has taken place away from small-scale groups and social organisations with faceto-face interactions and personalised norms and customs. These bodies are being replaced by formal organisations, with rules that cannot be negotiated easily to suit personal preferences. Modern schools-with their timetables, grades and certificates-are examples of this shift in organisational structure. Many observers have been concerned about the impersonality that seems to go hand in hand with an emphasis on efficiency. Rationalisation often seems to mean the dissolution of the comfort and meanings of culture, being replaced by gleaming, heartless institutions made of shiny plastic and metal. The modern school, Max Weber (1864-1920) said over a hundred years ago, has as its educational ideal the bureaucrat and no longer the cultivated elite of older times. Perhaps, today, we would add to the bureaucrat, the 'professional' who is taught to smile as she or he bends over backwards to satisfy the will of the managers and owners of corporations.
Contemporary Education Dialogue, 2005
This paper examines local interpretations of some key themes in a democratic education against th... more This paper examines local interpretations of some key themes in a democratic education against the backdrop of a changing social structure. It sees the discourse of a rational democracy as being severely challenged by practices of domination and an ideology of love. At the same time there may also be observed concrete contradictions which would welcome a democratic education that has concepts and morals that challenge the status quo. A strategy of principled cultural dialogue is advocated rather than one ofisolation.
Geetha Nambissan and Srinivasa Rao (eds.) Sociology of Education in India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2013
Contemporary Education Dialogue, Jan 1, 2011
The construction of a reflexive modernity calls for people who can look at their own society and ... more The construction of a reflexive modernity calls for people who can look at their own society and correctly identify its greatest challenges. Modernity may be weak and poorly rooted in India but this is precisely why more sensitivity is called for not less. While many of the contradictions created by nineteenth-century industrialisation are surfacing now in India, the risks of late industrial societies are simultaneously making their presence felt. The weakening of social and normative knowledges cannot be said to be a problem restricted to liberal welfare states, it threatens India too. The dangers created by this weakening may take up special forms here, given the small ratio of the educated section in comparison to the rest of Indian society. The demand for critical and human knowledges will never go away. The challenge now is for us to rethink how we can meet that demand.
Shaikshik Sandarbha, Jan 1, 1995
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2003
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2007
Book reviews by Amman Madan
Contemporary Education Dialogue, 2022
Review of the Walter Omar Kohan's book.
The New Leam, 2021
A discussion and review of the book "The Science of Peace" by Shanta Khanna Aggarwal.
Economic & Political Weekly, 2021
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2003
Review essays by Amman Madan
Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, Oct 2012
This essay tries to critique the World Bank's accountability perspective, which is growing increa... more This essay tries to critique the World Bank's accountability perspective, which is growing increasingly influential in India, through a discussion of a recent World Bank publication which draws out the implications of several studies conducted through the accountability perspective. I try to locate the intellectual and institutional dimensions of the accountability perspective and to juxtapose them with other approaches of getting public institutions to function. The central focus is on schools, but perhaps much the discussion could be generalized to public service delivery systems at large.
Books by Amman Madan
Bhopal: Eklavya, 2018
Original Hindi version of "Education and Modernity"
Azim Premji University Working Paper Series, 2020
The sociological study of everyday life has developed largely around four major interconnected th... more The sociological study of everyday life has developed largely around four major interconnected theoretical streams: symbolic interactionism, dramaturgical sociology, ethnomethodology and phenomenological sociology. Scholars who combine these with the study of social inequality have developed several ways of seeing how school failure gets created in everyday life. They have pointed to the importance of how oppressed and exploited communities look at education, at the relations of power in pedagogy and curricula, how students internalize ways of looking at class life that come from their social location and so on. These lead to both the reproduction of social inequality as well as resistances to it. Indian studies of the everyday life of schools are influenced by several of these theoretical perspectives. However, only a few studies have used them to explore how school failure gets socially constructed in the classroom. They tell us of the importance of designing curricula and pedagogies which connect with the knowledges, senses of the self and interactional
modes of less powerful communities. Work in this area is underdeveloped and fragmented. While we have some insightful studies and theoretical perspectives to guide us in our interventions, there are also gaps and blind spots.
Economic & Political Weekly, 2020
The National Sample Survey 2014 data is used to explore the character of class inequality, over a... more The National Sample Survey 2014 data is used to explore the character of class inequality, over and beyond that of caste. The caste break-up of various social classes suggests that caste inequalities are greater amongst the more educated classes. Enrolments in higher education
show greater social inequalities than in elementary education. The differences amongst various classes suggest that while caste is a strong factor in educational inequality, it is not a sufficient one. There is much less caste variation within the lower classes than the higher
classes. Caste and class need to be seen as generative processes, and sub-jati networks are to be conceptualised and empirically examined to understand the actual roles of caste and class in educational and social inequality.
Knowledge, Politics and Education: Proceedings of International Conferences of Philosophy of Education (2013-2017) Volume II, edited by Prakash Iyer, 2020
Economic and Political Weekly, 2019
Political change can be a catalyst for the transformation of an educational system through the po... more Political change can be a catalyst for the transformation of an educational system through the positioning of grass-roots social movements as an alternative to bureaucratic state mechanisms and non-governmental organisations in designing and implementing education
reform. The case study of the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam, a social movement in Gudalur in Tamil Nadu, is used to illustrate how fundamental shifts in control of power within the system can result in greater inclusion of oppressed groups.
The vision of a meritocracy is integral to modernity, resting upon principles of achievement, ind... more The vision of a meritocracy is integral to modernity, resting
upon principles of achievement, individualism, and the primacy of
academic knowledge. Each of these is now debated, particularly the
claim of individual contributions to merit. Among the four responses that are possible, a multifactor approach to social inequality in selection, social interventions, and institutional, academic support may actually be
truest to modernity’s promise of freedom and fairness.
A characteristic theme in the study of modernity has been the rationalisation of society and the ... more A characteristic theme in the study of modernity has been the rationalisation of society and the proliferation of bureaucracies. A shift has taken place away from small-scale groups and social organisations with faceto-face interactions and personalised norms and customs. These bodies are being replaced by formal organisations, with rules that cannot be negotiated easily to suit personal preferences. Modern schools-with their timetables, grades and certificates-are examples of this shift in organisational structure. Many observers have been concerned about the impersonality that seems to go hand in hand with an emphasis on efficiency. Rationalisation often seems to mean the dissolution of the comfort and meanings of culture, being replaced by gleaming, heartless institutions made of shiny plastic and metal. The modern school, Max Weber (1864-1920) said over a hundred years ago, has as its educational ideal the bureaucrat and no longer the cultivated elite of older times. Perhaps, today, we would add to the bureaucrat, the 'professional' who is taught to smile as she or he bends over backwards to satisfy the will of the managers and owners of corporations.
Contemporary Education Dialogue, 2005
This paper examines local interpretations of some key themes in a democratic education against th... more This paper examines local interpretations of some key themes in a democratic education against the backdrop of a changing social structure. It sees the discourse of a rational democracy as being severely challenged by practices of domination and an ideology of love. At the same time there may also be observed concrete contradictions which would welcome a democratic education that has concepts and morals that challenge the status quo. A strategy of principled cultural dialogue is advocated rather than one ofisolation.
Geetha Nambissan and Srinivasa Rao (eds.) Sociology of Education in India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2013
Contemporary Education Dialogue, Jan 1, 2011
The construction of a reflexive modernity calls for people who can look at their own society and ... more The construction of a reflexive modernity calls for people who can look at their own society and correctly identify its greatest challenges. Modernity may be weak and poorly rooted in India but this is precisely why more sensitivity is called for not less. While many of the contradictions created by nineteenth-century industrialisation are surfacing now in India, the risks of late industrial societies are simultaneously making their presence felt. The weakening of social and normative knowledges cannot be said to be a problem restricted to liberal welfare states, it threatens India too. The dangers created by this weakening may take up special forms here, given the small ratio of the educated section in comparison to the rest of Indian society. The demand for critical and human knowledges will never go away. The challenge now is for us to rethink how we can meet that demand.
Shaikshik Sandarbha, Jan 1, 1995
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2003
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2007
Contemporary Education Dialogue, 2022
Review of the Walter Omar Kohan's book.
The New Leam, 2021
A discussion and review of the book "The Science of Peace" by Shanta Khanna Aggarwal.
Economic & Political Weekly, 2021
Economic and Political Weekly, Jan 1, 2003
Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, Oct 2012
This essay tries to critique the World Bank's accountability perspective, which is growing increa... more This essay tries to critique the World Bank's accountability perspective, which is growing increasingly influential in India, through a discussion of a recent World Bank publication which draws out the implications of several studies conducted through the accountability perspective. I try to locate the intellectual and institutional dimensions of the accountability perspective and to juxtapose them with other approaches of getting public institutions to function. The central focus is on schools, but perhaps much the discussion could be generalized to public service delivery systems at large.
Bhopal: Eklavya, 2018
Original Hindi version of "Education and Modernity"
Bhopal: Eklavya, 2019
Written for teachers and education activists, this book introduces some of the key processes of m... more Written for teachers and education activists, this book introduces some of the key processes of modernity. The debates and struggles around them are explained in a language for which no previous sociology or anthropology is needed. The social processes of modernity continue to frame many of the questions we are faced with today. Understanding them helps us to deal with their challenges.
Translations into Hindi of some important readings in the sociology of education. Co-editor: Vis... more Translations into Hindi of some important readings in the sociology of education.
Co-editor: Vishwambhar
Publisher: Granth Shilpi, New Delhi
The Telegraph, 2021
On teaching history in today's India
Learning Curve, 2021
Standing at one side of the divide over citizenship is the Indian Constitution, written by a comm... more Standing at one side of the divide over citizenship is the Indian Constitution, written by a committee headed by B.R. Ambedkar. It does not just give the framework followed by the post-colonial Indian state, it is also a stellar example of the culture and code of behaviour for public life which our freedom struggle stood for. The culture and values which underlie the Constitution have influenced the activities of many individuals, NGOs, the government and private companies. At their heart is the idea that all humans are the same and we should see everyone at a deeper level with the same eye. This is the idea of equality, which comes from the growth of western democracies and also from portions of the Upanishads, from Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and other powerful cultural influences. This culture says that all the people of this country are ultimately the same. Their socially ascribed identities-their religion, caste and gender-do not really matter.
In search of inclusive policy: addressing …, Jan 1, 2008
The common sense understanding of merit is that it is real, objective and easily measurable. The ... more The common sense understanding of merit is that it is real, objective and easily measurable. The common sense thinks it as obvious that those who top an exam have merit and they deserve all the rewards they can get. However, a famous scholar once pointed out that if external appearances were the same as inner realities, then there would be no need for science. The social sciences help us to peel apart the myths that are embedded in many common sense perceptions. They can help us to see that merit is part of an ideology.
Many social scientists believe that behind the idea of merit often there lies a hidden terrain of... more Many social scientists believe that behind the idea of merit often there lies a hidden terrain of injustice. A denial of merit to most Indians is done, not through their laziness or stupidity, but just through a lack of access to schooling, and an inequality of resources. Merit itself may be defined in unfair and incorrect ways through a distorted curriculum or a curriculum which biases selections in favour of certain cultures over others. In a society with so many different strata and so many kinds of inequalities, some will have an unfair advantage over the rest in gaining the label of merit. Assuming, of course, that the label does correspond to what is inside the bottle, and is not just another case like the botany topper who had no idea how to raise a plant.
It would be correct to say that the biggest factor in deciding who gets 杜 eritand who does not li... more It would be correct to say that the biggest factor in deciding who gets 杜 eritand who does not lies in the nature of the social structure. Individuals located in certain parts of the social structure must swim against severe odds. The most obvious way by which the social structure affects merit in India is through the lack of access to schools and the inability of the poor to send their children regularly to class. Then there is a further pruning done by the poor functioning of the schools which many millions attend. I have previously referred to the fact that only somewhere around 15% of our youth manage to make it up to class XII. But apart from the above, there also occurs a less visible, but equally insidious process of filtration within those who do come to school. This occurs through the domain of culture, for instance, the different values attached by teachers and schools to the ways of differentcommunitiesandclasses.
