Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 1997. Graduate Programme in Anthropology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 390-417). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ27290.

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and vitamin A and iron deficiencies are major public health problems in India. Traditional food systems are known to be sustainable, high in species variety and have rich nutrient sources. This thesis describes nutritional status in Dalit mothers and children living in villages with the Alternative Public Distribution Program (ADDS), a community food security program based on traditional agriculture, and in control villages. / We recruited 263 Dalit mother-child (6-39 months) pairs from 19 APDS and 18 control villages in the Medak District. Food frequency questionnaires and 24-hour recalls were used during two seasons in 2003. A socio-cultural questionnaire including anthropometry and clinical eye examination were obtained during rainy season. / In summer, mothers from APDS villages consumed more frequently millet (18% vs. 8%, P = 0.04) every week, and had higher intake of energy (mean +/- SD: 12,197 +/- 3,515 kJ vs. 11,172 +/- 3,352 kJ; P = 0.02) and protein (77.5 +/- 25.1 g vs. 71.1 +/- 25.2 g; P = 0.05). During rainy season, they had higher intakes of energy (11,168 +/- 3,335 kJ vs. 10,168 +/- 3,730 kJ; P = 0.04), protein (68.9 +/- 22.6 g vs. 60.4 +/- 23.8 g; P < 0.01) and iron (15.8 +/- 6.6 mg vs. 13.7 +/- 9.1 mg; P < 0.01). Overall, 58% of mothers were chronic energy deficient (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) and intake of pulses (g/day) was inversely associated with chronic energy deficiency (OR = 0.98, P < 0.01). Sorghum consumption (OR = 0.99, P = 0.03) was inversely correlated with the occurrence of clinical vitamin A deficiency symptoms which was prevalent in mothers (16%). More children from APDS villages weekly consumed millet (18% vs. 7%, P = 0.05) in summer and sorghum (76% vs. 60%, P = 0.02) every day during rainy season. The prevalence of stunted, wasted and underweight children was 33%, 52%, and 63%, respectively. / Our findings show that dietary patterns, but not nutritional status, differ between mothers from villages with and without APDS. Malnutrition (PEM, vitamin A deficiency) is a prevalent problem in these rural poor communities and traditional food consumption plays a key protective role.

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This thesis examined the nature, experience and consequences of humiliation among Dalits (ex-Untouchables) in India (and also among UK students for comparative purposes). Social psychological research looks at humiliation as automatic, extreme and intense emotion which often leads to extreme and irrational behaviors (Lindner, 2002; Otten & Jonas, 2014; Elison & Harter, 2007). The research in this thesis contested this view and underlined the need to look at humiliation as 1) inherently relational or dynamic in nature, 2) a distinguishably group level phenomenon and 3) a mobilised phenomenon. Study 1 analysed the experiences of humiliation among Dalits and conceptualised humiliation as a complex social encounter in which one party attempts to diminish identity of another party. Study 1 also identified important dimensions of humiliating encounters that were examined in subsequent studies. Studies 2 - 3 manipulated perspective (victim or witness) and target of devaluation (personal identity or social identity) in a humiliating encounter and showed that the nature of humiliation and how it is experienced depends upon the way in which identities are defined in a humiliating encounter. Both UK students (Study 2) and Dalit participants (Study 3) confirmed the collective experience of humiliation i.e. one can feel humiliated simply by witnessing humiliation of another group member. Studies- 4 - 7 manipulated victim's response (resistance vs. compliance) during a humiliating encounter. These studies showed that humiliation is an encounter within power relations and victims of humiliation possess choice and agency to change the outcome of humiliating encounters. Study 8 analysed the humiliation rhetoric in the speeches of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the most important of Dalits leaders, and showed that the way in which humiliating encounter is resolved depends upon the mobilisation processes which can even change the nature of identities and, therefore, the nature of experience of the encounter.

Thesis advisor: James F. Keenan / This dissertation focuses on the theological ethical framework of ‘hope in justice’ for addressing the caste discrimination, particularly within the context of the Dalit lifeworld in India. It draws parallels between the caste system in India, racial discrimination in the United States, and apartheid in South Africa. More importantly, it examines the leadership and resistance models of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Martin Luther King Jr. The dissertation suggests that when the theological ethical enquiry is grounded in the principles of human dignity, justice, and equality, the exercise proclaims hope of liberation for the marginalized in the respective contexts. Further, it employs an ‘ethic of recognition’ as a foundational agenda, uniting various pedadisgogies and praxes against discrimination. This ethic is explored through the philosophical and theological implications of the works of scholars like Judith Butler, James Keenan, Joseph Flipper, Vincent Lloyd, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Albert Nolan, Emmanuel Katongole, Jurgen Moltmann, and John Sunder Boopalan. It argues for a comprehensive theological ethical discourse on caste, emphasizing the need for a moral critique and corrective vision based on virtue ethics and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. To sum up, the dissertation presents a detailed examination of caste discrimination through a theological ethical lens, advocating for a comparative study with racial discrimination to enhance the understanding and develop effective strategies for social change. It underscores the importance of leadership, resistance, and an ethic of recognition in the fight against systemic oppression and inequality. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.