SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS?: The Vision and Practice of the Self-Study Mobilization of Swadhyaya

Self-development of individuals and societies is an epochal challenge now but surprisingly very little has been written about this in the vast field of development studies and social sciences. The present book is one of the first efforts in this field and explores in detail the dynamics of pursuit of self-development and the accompanying contradictions in the self-study mobilization called Swadhyaya. Giri is one of the pioneers in bringing self-development to the core of theory and ethnographic multiverse of humanities and development studies. This outstanding book will be of interest to scholars in anthropology, sociology, development studies, humanities and students of life all around the world.

Ananta Kumar Giri is currently on the faculty of Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, India and has worked and taught in many universities in India and abroad including University of Kentucky, USA; Aalborg University, Denmark and Albert Ludwig Universitat, Freiburg, Germany. Dr. Giri has an abiding interest in social movements and social theory. Dr. Giri has written numerous books in Oriya and English. Among his previous books are: “Global Transformations: Postmodernity and Beyond” (1998), “Sameekhya o Purodrusti” [Criticism and the Vision of the Future, 1999], “Conversations and Transformations: Toward a New Ethics of Self and Society” (2002); “Building in the Margins of Shacks: The Vision and Projects of Habitat for Humanity” (2002); “Reflections and Mobilizations: Dialogues with Movements and Voluntary Organizations” (2004); “Hrudayara Sehi Akhi Duiti” [Those Two Eyes of the Heart, 2007]; “A Moral Critique of Development” (co-editor, 2003); “Creative Social Research: Rethinking Theories and Methods” (editor, 2004); “Religion of Development, Development of Religion” (co-editor, 2004); and “The Modern Prince and Modern Sage: Transforming Power and Freedom” (2008; editor).