Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

In this thesis I explore barriers to, and opportunities for, the participation in learning (and emancipation) of a profoundly subjugated segment of Indian Society referred to as Dalits. Accounting for approximately 16 per cent of the Indian population (according to the 2001 Census), Dalits have been excluded from education and wider society on the basis of their inferior position in the hierarchical division of society known as the Caste System. A raft of statistics indicate the extent of this exclusion and the disproportionate representation of Dalit children in those who have never been enrolled in school, drop out before completin primary education, or are illiterate. However this thesis is not about numbers and I examine the relevant themes from a different perspective. Drawing on evidence and insights garnered by employing a variety of research techniques (literature review, fieldwork in India, autobiographical episodes and self-reflective inquiry) I examine opportunities for Dalit participation in learning (not just formal schooling) that will stimulate this subjugated people to critically reflect upon the circumstances of their oppression and take action to challenge it. This thesis is, in part, an exploration of the contours of a liberating education. At the heart of this thesis lies an examination of the transformative potential of self-reflective inquiry. I argue that, if conducted sufficiently rigorously, the process of critical self-reflection can lead to a profound transformation in human consciousness and a radical shift in the relationship between Self and Other. I suggest that this insight is pivotal if we are to deepen our understanding of the barriers to, and opportunities for, Dalit emancipation and participation in learning.

This thesis examines the educational exclusion of Dalits in Nepal. It analyses the extent to which the hierarchical caste system and educational policies and practices create exclusionary pressures upon Dalits. This analysis is based on the data obtained from literature and documents, autobiographical exploration and the ethnographic fieldwork conducted at Basipur village and Gauripur School in a Tarai District of Nepal. This thesis is an attempt to listen to Dalit voices and experiences about educational exclusion as a part of the process of including the excluded. This representation of Dalit agency is richly contextualised within the changing political, cultural and socioeconomic context of Nepal. The thesis seeks to challenge and contest the pathological stereotypes of Dalits. It contributes to the literature concerned with understanding culturally specific issues of educational inclusion and exclusion in Nepal. This thesis analyses how schooling in Nepal has reproduced structural inequality and discrimination. Such exclusionary practices have been exacerbated by ambivalent policy texts. Indeed, the increased support for private schooling has maintained Dalits’ exclusion from education and society. On the other hand, public schooling has also played a significant role in challenging the hierarchical caste structure and discriminatory discourses within society. Through developing a ‘schooled identity’, Dalit children build relationships with non-Dalit children. Such relationships have the potential to challenge and contest discriminatory ideologies for both Dalit and non-Dalit children. This thesis suggests that developing inclusion involves a process of understanding and changing exclusionary and discriminatory power relations. This process of change involves a continuous political and social struggle.

Thesis--PlanB (Ed. Spec.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 31 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-25).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Washington, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [121]-130).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-172).

Thesis (PhDp)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX90384. / PhD by published work.

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-121).