How Solidarity Works for Welfare

Subnationalism and Social Development in India

Inbunden, Engelska, 2016

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Why are some places in the world characterized by better social service provision and welfare outcomes than others? In a world in which millions of people, particularly in developing countries, continue to lead lives plagued by illiteracy and ill-health, understanding the conditions that promote social welfare is of critical importance to political scientists and policy makers alike. Drawing on a multi-method study, from the late-nineteenth century to the present, of the stark variations in educational and health outcomes within a large, federal, multiethnic developing country - India - this book develops an argument for the power of collective identity as an impetus for state prioritization of social welfare. Such an argument not only marks an important break from the dominant negative perceptions of identity politics but also presents a novel theoretical framework to understand welfare provision.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2016-01-14
Mått160 x 237 x 28 mm
Vikt670 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieCambridge Studies in Comparative Politics
Antal sidor332
FörlagCambridge University Press
ISBN9781107070059
UtmärkelserJoint winner of Barrington Moore Book Award, Comparative and Historical Sociology Section, American Sociological Association 2016

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Prerna Singh is the Mahatma Gandhi Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Brown University, Rhode Island where she is also a faculty fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Prior to joining Brown, she taught in the Department of Government at Harvard University, Massachusetts. Singh has received numerous fellowships from the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, the Center for Advanced Study for India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania, and the American Institute of Indian Studies. Her articles have been published in several journals, including World Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, World Development, and Studies in Comparative International Development. Singh is the co-editor of Routledge Handbook of Indian Politics (2013).

List of figures and tables; Acknowledgments; 1. Subnationalism and social development: an introduction; 2. How solidarity works for welfare: the subnationalist motivation for social development; 3. The origins of the differential strength of subnationalism; 4. How subnationalism promotes social development; 5. How absence of subnationalism impedes social development; 6. Subnationalism and social development across Indian states; 7. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

'This is a magisterial book that takes on one of the most important questions of all time - why do some places develop more inclusive welfare regimes and deliver better social outcomes than others? Singh highlights the role of communal cohesion and shared affective bonds in producing the sense of mutual obligation that is at the root of progressive, redistributive policies. Along the way, Singh carefully shows where existing explanations fail to explain the puzzle of subnational variation in Indian social policies and development and takes the reader on a theoretically informed and empirically rich journey through parts of India from the late-nineteenth century onwards. The book is both a joy to read and is based on a rigorous combination of qualitative and quantitative research.' Melani Cammett, Harvard University, Massachusetts