Self-Development and Social Transformations? The Vision and Practice of the Self-Study Mobilization of Swadhyaya Book

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Understanding the vision and practice of Swadhyaya. 2. Active devotion in a local context: the dynamics of Swadhyaya in Simar. 3. Understanding expanding universes and experiments: the dynamics of Swadhyaya in Veraval and beyond. 4. From Matsyagandha to Ghar Mandir: the work of Swadhyaya in tribal areas. 5. The educational dynamics of Swadhyaya. 6. Globalization of Swadhyaya. 7. Self-development and social transformations? Swadhyaya and beyond. References cited. Index.

"Self-development of individuals and societies is an epochal challenge now but surprisingly very little has been written about this in the vast field of development studies and social sciences. The present book is one of the first efforts in this field and explores in detail the dynamics of pursuit of self-development and the accompanying contradictions in the self-study mobilization called Swadhyaya. Giri is one of the pioneers in bringing self-development to the core of theory and ethnographic multiverse of humanities and development studies. This outstanding book will be of interest to scholars in anthropology, sociology, development studies, humanities and students of life all around the world." (jacket)