Browsing by Author "Vareed, Baiju"

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    Dimensions of critical social work practice in India
    (2023) Vareed, Baiju
    Critical social work opens a dialogue for social change by challenging the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the people and examining the underlying factors that contribute to the inequality and misery of people. Critical social work includes different theoretical and practice frameworks such as radical social work, anti-oppressive social work, and environmental social work. As a practice approach, critical social work applies to working with individuals, groups, and communities as well as in the clinical and developmental sectors. While all the approaches have their scope of practice in India, this article will focus on understanding and applying structural social work, feminist approaches to social work and Dalit social work in the Indian context. Considering the country's social context, it can be argued that Dalit social work falls within critical social work in India, where the writings and actions of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar contribute to critical social work in India and other parts of the world. The article critically analyses power structures in the country and the manifestation of oppression in different forms and discusses how the practice of critical social work can aid in personal liberation and emancipation in an Indian context.
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    Identity, power, and social work practice in India
    (2023) Vareed, Baiju
    A person's identity puts them in different social categories, positions, and statuses. An individual's social position has corresponding power or powerlessness, which influences their interaction with others in the community. The individual identities, social positions, and authority of social workers place them in a higher level of power in relation to the people they serve. This imbalance of power between social workers and clients affects the helping process. This article discusses how personal identity and power influence social work practice in the Indian context. Social structures like caste-based discrimination and patriarchal norms contribute to inequitable social positioning in the country. Following a critical social work approach, the paper presents the different dimensions of power in the social work relationship and proposes means for sharing power with the clients.
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    Listening to the least: engaging communities in development programs in India
    (2021) Vareed, Baiju
    Engaging community or following participatory practice in development was initiated by Non-Government Organizations and subsequently by various government departments. Working with stakeholders in communities demands an understanding of the local culture, social milieu and power dynamics. Local problems need local solutions as well as support and resources from outside the community. Community engagement is imperative while working with culturally diverse country like India, where no one size fits all. The vast voluntary sector consisting community-based staff of NGOs and trained social workers, have vigorously embraced engagement since the last decade of the last century. Community agencies ensure involvement of stakeholders and community members in all sorts of development activities including agriculture, livelihood, gender development, micro business and health and sanitation. This article discusses how citizen engagement is undertaken in community development programs in India by NGOs and government departments, with case studies from in rural, urban and slum dwellings.
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    Positioning structural social work in Indian context
    (2022) Vareed, Baiju; Plante, Carmen; Sebastian, Rincy
    Postmodern ideologies and human rights movements in the last quarter of the 20th century contributed to the development of a critical, radical approach in social work practice and education in North America. This ‘structural social work’ approach argues that social problems are largely the result of oppressive social structures, not individual deficiencies. Social workers are ethically obligated to change oppressive structures rather than simply helping clients to adjust to them. Structural social work, a transformative approach, can benefit Indian society. This article discusses introducing ‘structural social work’ into an Indian social work context and proposes a framework for its practice.
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    Review of the book Social work practice with LGBTQ community: the intersection of history, health, mental health, and policy factors
    (2019) Vareed, Baiju
    One of the most progressive areas of social work practice is work among LGBTQ communities. The book under review is a comprehensive social work text on theory, practice and understanding on LGBTQ communities, spanned across themes of identity, health, policy and social work practice. The text is meaningfully divided into five parts. The first part is an overview of LGBTQ community aimed at building knowledge for social work practice. Out of the three chapters in this section, the first one gives a comprehensive history of LGBTQ movements across the globe and vividly in US. The second one provides a comprehensive understanding of various concepts and terms in understanding LGBTQ, and third one builds on the social justice perception of LGBTQ communities as enshrined in social work practice.
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    Social development: environmental sustainability and social well-being
    (2007) Vareed, Baiju
    Significant changes have taken place in the discussion and direction of development during the last two decades. A major shift which occurred, as a result of various dialogues, was towards the noneconomic spheres of development. The international conventions on various themes convened by the UN have shed light on human, social and existential dimensions of development. The less developed nations have had an influential role in bringing in the non-economic factors in the discussions of development. Sustainability as well as social well being have been established as norms in development policies and practices. But the latter, it seems, has not been adequately absorbed into the whole discussion. An amalgamation of sustainability and social well being is essential in devising an appropriate strategy of development that ensures the existence of the environment and decent living of all for the present and future generations.
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    West meets east: on how Gandhian ethics works across culture
    (2017) Vareed, Baiju
    Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly called Mahatma ("Great Soul") and known as the Father of the Nation of India, was a visionary and determined individual who dared to challenge and triumph over the imperial power of Britain using his principles of nonviolence. His life and message gave a new impetus to a peaceful and humane means of approaching social and political issues of humankind. Gandhi influenced great leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr, and Nelson Mandela in their pursuit of freedom, and his teachings continue to influence new generations on building peace at both individual and community realms. It is no wonder that many found his life and ideals close so inspiring; indeed, Albert Einstein famously said, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's seventieth birthday, "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth."