Abstract

Social change programs necessarily affect and are affected by the ideologies of the helpers and the recipients of help. The Hindu doctrine of Karma prescribes proper actions for all living beings according to their positions in life. The doctrine is intimately involved in the caste system and tends to perpetuate it, including the perpetuation of poverty. Based on interviews with 60 members of the lower caste in one Hindu village, the study points out how the doctrine of Karma can interfere with efforts at modernization and development. The success or failure of social change programs to alleviate poverty often depends on the extent to which they have directed attention to the ideologies of the helpers and of the poor recipients of help (Furnham, 1982). The way people explain poverty has obvious and very different implications for how it can and should be tackled. Attribution studies reveal that factors such as ability, effort, luck, and situational variables are used to explain success. Weiner (1980) has proposed a three-dimensional taxonomy of the perceived causes of success and failure: controllability, stability, and locus of control. These factors are similar to those found in poverty studies: namely, societal, individualistic, and fatalistic explanations (Feagin, 1972). Lallj ee (1981) has argued that people use a wide range of personal and culturally shared experiences to formulate explanations. Some studies of poverty have concentrated on various psychological processes found especially among the poor (Gans, 1979).

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call