More than nine out of every ten working women in India are
employed in the informal economy, unprotected by labour laws and
excluded from basic forms of social security. They work as daily
labourers in the fields, small producers and industrial outworkers
in their own homes and as vendors on the streets. These workers
typically receive very low wages and experience extreme forms of
social, economic and political marginalisation. This book examines
what types of interventions can improve the well-being of women
working in the Indian informal economy. Using the case study of the
Self Employed Women's Association, Worker Identity, Agency and
Economic Development argues that work-life reform for informal
women workers has moral and social dimensions, as well as
economic.
Drawing on the work of social philosopher Axel Honneth, the book
argues that worker agency is critical to the process of work-life
reform in the informal economy. Using empirical data collected
amongst SEWA members the study shows that there is a positive and
developmental relationship between a worker's identity, or
psychological integrity, and her actual capacity to engage in the
political economy for constructive change. The study shows that
membership based organisations can promote the social foundations
of recognition and respect that are critical to identity and
agency, as well as provide worker's with real opportunities to
develop alternative non-exploitative economic institutions that
deliver improved wages and social security. But in organizing
informal workers for collective action the existing distribution of
power and wealth, as well as gender privilege are challenged. The
result is social conflict and sometimes violence. Conflict of this
nature is endemic to the development process, but is often
overlooked in development literature and policy design.
The book will be of interest to development scholars and
practitioners, as well as those interested in the dynamics of
women's empowerment and socio-economic change for informal economy
workers.
General
Imprint: |
Routledge
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
New Political Economy |
Release date: |
June 2010 |
First published: |
2010 |
Authors: |
Elizabeth Hill
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 20mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
224 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-415-56609-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Business & Economics >
Economics >
Labour economics >
General
|
LSN: |
0-415-56609-6 |
Barcode: |
9780415566094 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!