Suchergebnisse

It is evident that globalization is making the world smaller and more interconnected through online communications, forced and voluntary migration, trafficking, tourism, and transnational companies and non-governmental organizations. It brings about a different consciousness and "symbolizes a world in motion providing people with resources to new ways of being human in the fast changing world." But what does globalization mean for marginalized people, such as, Dalit and tribal women, religious and sexual minorities in urban and rural India who do not have access to resources or whose resources are limited or even destroyed by globalizing processes and/or excluded from certain development processes? How do these marginalized groups perceive globalization? It is evident that since India has opened its market in the 1990s, people of all regions, religions, classes, castes, and gender have experienced changes in their working and living situation. Globalization, however, does not have the same effect on a Dalit woman as it has on a Muslim woman. The differences of their marginalization result in a different globalization impact. This article discusses these differences and provides a feminist analysis of globalization. Furthermore, it argues that power relations play an important role in conceptualizing marginalization in both urban and rural India.

This research aims at contributing to the ongoing debate of feminist standpoint epistemology by introducing a study on feminist collective activism in Sangareddy and Yellareddy, two districts of the newly established 29th state of India, Telangana. The purpose here is to document the work of two sanghams (collectives) by the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samatha Society (APMSS). The focus lies on songs created by Dalit and indigenous women, which are used as a form of, protest against societal and gender inequality. Those songs contribute in making a positive difference on a local level. Analysis of two group interviews strengthens this argument. The sanghams have shown that despite all societal differences, solidarity among women for a common cause can make a difference in combating social issues on a local level. Taking the APMSS as an example, this research shows that the use of a holistic approach to education to support women in their responses to social issues has an overall positive effect on women. Furthermore, and most importantly, women are strengthened in believing that their life-experiences matter. My research shows that literacy is not necessarily needed to be a successful advocate for women´s rights. What is needed, however, is an understanding of local contexts, social issues and ultimately the ability to link them to life-experiences.