Uma Vennam | Sri Padmavathi Mahila visvavidyalayam (original) (raw)

Papers by Uma Vennam

This paper describes children’s experiences of school mobility and attempts to fill the gap in th... more This paper describes children’s experiences of school mobility and attempts to fill the gap in the research on changing schools and children’s experiences in the Indian context. The paper makes use of three different sets of data from Young Lives: the longitudinal data from the main household and child-level research carried out in 2002, 2006–07 and 2009 (in order to develop school histories of the children); an extensive school survey conducted in 2010 (to study the quality and effectiveness of the education experienced by a sub-sample of Younger Cohort children, then aged 9–10), which uncovered that many children had changed school at least once by the age of 9; and a qualitative sub-study carried out in 2011 that looked into the processes of parental decision-making about schools, the factors that explained school mobility and the children’s experiences of moving school. It is argued that that the children’s experiences and their adjustment to the new school environment often dep...

There has been growing interest in researching the dynamics of poverty, including poverty mobilit... more There has been growing interest in researching the dynamics of poverty, including poverty mobility. Looking at change over time and what caused this change can provide useful information for policymakers and those who seek to influence them. Young Lives is a longitudinal study of child poverty and provides ample scope to dwell on this area, making use of the three rounds of survey data and of qualitative data from sub-sample children. The focus in this paper is tribal households not conforming to the general trend of upward mobility. It locates these households, analyses their characteristics, and identifies the factors that cause the downward mobility of certain households. The specific context, the nature of negotiations the households have with the welfare institutions, and the experiential dimension of everyday struggles are discussed, keeping in mind the perspective of those in chronic poverty. We argue that the choices that poor people make can be seen as resistance to being l...

Researching Family Narratives, 2021

Environment in the Lives of Children and Families, 2017

This chapter explains how narratives of environmental concern that derive from particular Minorit... more This chapter explains how narratives of environmental concern that derive from particular Minority world contexts are not truly global. Popular images of an apparently depopulated pristine nature, such as the earth from space or the solitary polar bear, are quite literally distant from the lives of the majority. Yet, they are considered by many as foundational to galvanising environmentalism into a purportedly ‘global’ movement. This kind of affluent Minority world imaginary is problematic in several respects. Images of depopulated pristine nature conceal the fallacy of nature culture dualism, rendering invisible the vast differences within and between countries in human nature interdependence, and how children and families understand, value, and are put at risk by their environments.

Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, following the lives of 12,000 childre... more Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, following the lives of 12,000 children in 4 countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam) over 15 years. www.younglives.org.uk Young Lives is funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development (DFID) and co-funded by Irish Aid from 2014 to 2016. This report is part of a stream of research on 'Changing women's lives in social context: economic growth, cultural norms and the dynamics of gender inequality in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam', funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The views expressed are those of the author(s). They are not necessarily those of, or endorsed by, Young Lives, the University of Oxford, DFID or other funders.

The purpose of this report is to present a general context for the Young Lives qualitative resear... more The purpose of this report is to present a general context for the Young Lives qualitative research being undertaken in Andhra Pradesh on the key themes of child well-being, childhood transitions and children’s experiences of services and programmes. Children’s well-being is understood in multi-dimensional terms and includes aspects relating to health, economic conditions, educational opportunities, and relationships with family members, peers and others. Other definitions of well-being have highlighted children’s freedom from risks such as trafficking, addiction and discrimination, and access to the basic things that one needs to live healthily, safely and happily (UNICEF 2007). The concept of ‘transitions’ points to critical life-course changes. In childhood, these may include changes related to schooling, work, residence and relationships, among many others. Managing transitions in contexts of poverty and inequality may be a challenge for children and their families. The report p...

The 2011 Census in India reported that nearly 17 million children between the ages of 10 and 19 –... more The 2011 Census in India reported that nearly 17 million children between the ages of 10 and 19 –6% of the age group – are married with girls constituting the majority (76 per cent) although there has been a significant relative reduction in the marriage of girls under 14. The aim of this paper is to better understand the individual household and community factors that explain the different pathways to marriage among Young Lives children drawing upon both descriptive statistics from the household survey as well as in-depth qualitative research with the study children. The paper finds that secondary education not being involved in paid work at age 12 high aspirations among mothers and daughters towards completing higher education and parental education levels are all factors that are associated with delaying child and early marriage. On the other hand poverty caste and rural location emerge as factors that are drivers of teen marriage. Girls from the poorest wealth tercile were 2.4 t...

"Cada vez se reconocen más las potencialidades que tienen la atención y educación para la pr... more "Cada vez se reconocen más las potencialidades que tienen la atención y educación para la primera infancia (AEPI) de buena calidad para transformar la vida de los niños. Se ha divulgado mucho la documentación relativa a pro¬gramas innovadores y eficaces que cuentan con el aval de convincentes demostraciones cien¬tíficas, además de los argumentos en su favor provenientes del ámbito económico y del sector de los derechos humanos. Los informes sobre los programas modelo y el elevado rendimiento de las inversiones efectuadas en proyectos de AEPI proporcionan las bases para un “efecto palanca” de vital importancia para la promoción del cambio político y el desarrollo de programas. También son una fuente de inspiración para todos los que, en su labor, se ocupan de los niños y sus familias. Sin embargo, estos informes muestran solamente una cara de la moneda. El objetivo de la presente publicación consiste en exponer los numerosos desafíos que existen y seguirán existiendo para garantizar que las potencialidades de la AEPI se traduzcan en prácticas concretas, mediante mejoras constantes en la vida cotidiana de los niños pequeños y sus familias."–Resumen ejecutivo.Fundacion Bernard Van Lee

ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk

Acknowledgements ii The Authors ii 1. Introduction: review of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural E... more Acknowledgements ii The Authors ii 1. Introduction: review of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 1.1 Staffing and procedures 1.2 Accountability mechanisms 1.3 Perceived impact 1.4 Andhra Pradesh 2. Methodology and communities studied 2.1 Katur 2.2 Poompuhar 2.3 Patna 3. Results overview: quantitative research 3.1. Staffing and procedures 3.2 Accountability and monitoring 3.3 Perceived impact 4. Performance of MGNREGS within the communities studied: qualitative and quantitative findings 4.1 Katur 4.1.1 Staffing and procedures 4.

Children's Geographies, 2019

Interlacing children' s and adults' experiences of their daily living environments in India and t... more Interlacing children' s and adults' experiences of their daily living environments in India and the UK with research and contemporary discourse on the environment, climate change and childhood, this book makes a valuable addition to geographies of children, young people and families. A mild and descriptive title conceals this book' s strong critique of climate change rhetoric and policy as oversimplified and ineffective. Readers are also presented with bold criticism of the 'responsibilisation' of children as portrayed by British and Indian media and environmental policy.

Development in Practice, 2012

This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh sta... more This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The particular focus is on experiences of pre-school and transitions to primary school. The paper is based on analysis of Young Lives survey data (n=1950) collected for a group of young children born at the beginning of the millennium, plus in-depth qualitative research with a small sub-sample (n=24). We start from the premise that children’s earliest educational experiences can have a crucial influence on their lifelong adjustments and achievements. Superficially, the evidence from Young Lives research is quite positive, suggesting equitable access to early childhood provision as well as high levels of primary school attendance. However, overall percentages are misleading and disguise major differences in early transition experiences. Many of these differences are shaped by the co-existence of a long established network of government anganwadis under the Integrated Child Deve...

This paper describes children’s experiences of school mobility and attempts to fill the gap in th... more This paper describes children’s experiences of school mobility and attempts to fill the gap in the research on changing schools and children’s experiences in the Indian context. The paper makes use of three different sets of data from Young Lives: the longitudinal data from the main household and child-level research carried out in 2002, 2006–07 and 2009 (in order to develop school histories of the children); an extensive school survey conducted in 2010 (to study the quality and effectiveness of the education experienced by a sub-sample of Younger Cohort children, then aged 9–10), which uncovered that many children had changed school at least once by the age of 9; and a qualitative sub-study carried out in 2011 that looked into the processes of parental decision-making about schools, the factors that explained school mobility and the children’s experiences of moving school. It is argued that that the children’s experiences and their adjustment to the new school environment often dep...

There has been growing interest in researching the dynamics of poverty, including poverty mobilit... more There has been growing interest in researching the dynamics of poverty, including poverty mobility. Looking at change over time and what caused this change can provide useful information for policymakers and those who seek to influence them. Young Lives is a longitudinal study of child poverty and provides ample scope to dwell on this area, making use of the three rounds of survey data and of qualitative data from sub-sample children. The focus in this paper is tribal households not conforming to the general trend of upward mobility. It locates these households, analyses their characteristics, and identifies the factors that cause the downward mobility of certain households. The specific context, the nature of negotiations the households have with the welfare institutions, and the experiential dimension of everyday struggles are discussed, keeping in mind the perspective of those in chronic poverty. We argue that the choices that poor people make can be seen as resistance to being l...

Researching Family Narratives, 2021

Environment in the Lives of Children and Families, 2017

This chapter explains how narratives of environmental concern that derive from particular Minorit... more This chapter explains how narratives of environmental concern that derive from particular Minority world contexts are not truly global. Popular images of an apparently depopulated pristine nature, such as the earth from space or the solitary polar bear, are quite literally distant from the lives of the majority. Yet, they are considered by many as foundational to galvanising environmentalism into a purportedly ‘global’ movement. This kind of affluent Minority world imaginary is problematic in several respects. Images of depopulated pristine nature conceal the fallacy of nature culture dualism, rendering invisible the vast differences within and between countries in human nature interdependence, and how children and families understand, value, and are put at risk by their environments.

Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, following the lives of 12,000 childre... more Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, following the lives of 12,000 children in 4 countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam) over 15 years. www.younglives.org.uk Young Lives is funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development (DFID) and co-funded by Irish Aid from 2014 to 2016. This report is part of a stream of research on 'Changing women's lives in social context: economic growth, cultural norms and the dynamics of gender inequality in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam', funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The views expressed are those of the author(s). They are not necessarily those of, or endorsed by, Young Lives, the University of Oxford, DFID or other funders.

The purpose of this report is to present a general context for the Young Lives qualitative resear... more The purpose of this report is to present a general context for the Young Lives qualitative research being undertaken in Andhra Pradesh on the key themes of child well-being, childhood transitions and children’s experiences of services and programmes. Children’s well-being is understood in multi-dimensional terms and includes aspects relating to health, economic conditions, educational opportunities, and relationships with family members, peers and others. Other definitions of well-being have highlighted children’s freedom from risks such as trafficking, addiction and discrimination, and access to the basic things that one needs to live healthily, safely and happily (UNICEF 2007). The concept of ‘transitions’ points to critical life-course changes. In childhood, these may include changes related to schooling, work, residence and relationships, among many others. Managing transitions in contexts of poverty and inequality may be a challenge for children and their families. The report p...

The 2011 Census in India reported that nearly 17 million children between the ages of 10 and 19 –... more The 2011 Census in India reported that nearly 17 million children between the ages of 10 and 19 –6% of the age group – are married with girls constituting the majority (76 per cent) although there has been a significant relative reduction in the marriage of girls under 14. The aim of this paper is to better understand the individual household and community factors that explain the different pathways to marriage among Young Lives children drawing upon both descriptive statistics from the household survey as well as in-depth qualitative research with the study children. The paper finds that secondary education not being involved in paid work at age 12 high aspirations among mothers and daughters towards completing higher education and parental education levels are all factors that are associated with delaying child and early marriage. On the other hand poverty caste and rural location emerge as factors that are drivers of teen marriage. Girls from the poorest wealth tercile were 2.4 t...

"Cada vez se reconocen más las potencialidades que tienen la atención y educación para la pr... more "Cada vez se reconocen más las potencialidades que tienen la atención y educación para la primera infancia (AEPI) de buena calidad para transformar la vida de los niños. Se ha divulgado mucho la documentación relativa a pro¬gramas innovadores y eficaces que cuentan con el aval de convincentes demostraciones cien¬tíficas, además de los argumentos en su favor provenientes del ámbito económico y del sector de los derechos humanos. Los informes sobre los programas modelo y el elevado rendimiento de las inversiones efectuadas en proyectos de AEPI proporcionan las bases para un “efecto palanca” de vital importancia para la promoción del cambio político y el desarrollo de programas. También son una fuente de inspiración para todos los que, en su labor, se ocupan de los niños y sus familias. Sin embargo, estos informes muestran solamente una cara de la moneda. El objetivo de la presente publicación consiste en exponer los numerosos desafíos que existen y seguirán existiendo para garantizar que las potencialidades de la AEPI se traduzcan en prácticas concretas, mediante mejoras constantes en la vida cotidiana de los niños pequeños y sus familias."–Resumen ejecutivo.Fundacion Bernard Van Lee

ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk

Acknowledgements ii The Authors ii 1. Introduction: review of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural E... more Acknowledgements ii The Authors ii 1. Introduction: review of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 1.1 Staffing and procedures 1.2 Accountability mechanisms 1.3 Perceived impact 1.4 Andhra Pradesh 2. Methodology and communities studied 2.1 Katur 2.2 Poompuhar 2.3 Patna 3. Results overview: quantitative research 3.1. Staffing and procedures 3.2 Accountability and monitoring 3.3 Perceived impact 4. Performance of MGNREGS within the communities studied: qualitative and quantitative findings 4.1 Katur 4.1.1 Staffing and procedures 4.

Children's Geographies, 2019

Interlacing children' s and adults' experiences of their daily living environments in India and t... more Interlacing children' s and adults' experiences of their daily living environments in India and the UK with research and contemporary discourse on the environment, climate change and childhood, this book makes a valuable addition to geographies of children, young people and families. A mild and descriptive title conceals this book' s strong critique of climate change rhetoric and policy as oversimplified and ineffective. Readers are also presented with bold criticism of the 'responsibilisation' of children as portrayed by British and Indian media and environmental policy.

Development in Practice, 2012

This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh sta... more This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The particular focus is on experiences of pre-school and transitions to primary school. The paper is based on analysis of Young Lives survey data (n=1950) collected for a group of young children born at the beginning of the millennium, plus in-depth qualitative research with a small sub-sample (n=24). We start from the premise that children’s earliest educational experiences can have a crucial influence on their lifelong adjustments and achievements. Superficially, the evidence from Young Lives research is quite positive, suggesting equitable access to early childhood provision as well as high levels of primary school attendance. However, overall percentages are misleading and disguise major differences in early transition experiences. Many of these differences are shaped by the co-existence of a long established network of government anganwadis under the Integrated Child Deve...