Doctoral Dissertation Research: Women Empowerment Movements and Development

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1003756 Lynne Haney Poulami Roychowdhury The dissertation research studies how developmental models of "women's empowerment" gain traction within civil society, and their consequences for state-society relations. Historically women's issues have had a focus on "class conflict" so communist-led West Bengal, India provides an ideal site for a study. The research studies two inter-related research questions: 1) How do calls for "women's empowerment" become developmental common sense? 2) How does this development approach reframe the state's governance relations to poor men and women? The research uses an extended case study methodology to observe the ground-level interactions between poor people, non-governmental organizations, state agencies, and political parties that shape development and governance in West Bengal. Theories of political economy, and gender and development largely agree that development is shaped by pre-existing class and gender relations. India's movement towards liberalization is thus understood to be a product of a new configuration of class forces, where notions of femininity make women ideal "instruments" of growth. The research challenges this theoretical consensus by analyzing the disparate developmental trajectories of two districts in West Bengal, South-24 Parganas and Bardhaman, both dominated by rural class structures and traditional gender relations. While woman-centered development programs have burgeoned in South-24 Parganas, state agencies, political parties and poor people have been comparatively hostile to notions of "women's empowerment" in Bardhaman. These two cases suggest that social relations may not naturally structure development, but rather, may be mediated by other forces. The intellectual merit of the research thus lies in its analysis of how developmental outcomes are contingent on processes of political articulation. The conditions under which development is happening in India today is similarly present in other areas of the world: a push towards markets, a focus on women. As the discourse around "women's empowerment" grows in intensity and mainstream appeal, there is a need to critically interrogate how these movements help remake developmental trajectories in the third world. Broader Impact The broader impact of the research thus lies in its attempt to understand how development happens, who shapes developmental agendas, and with what consequences for poor men and women. These issues are important to practice-oriented communities, such as grass-roots organizations. They are also critical for training a new generation of students in globalization, gender, and development.